Looking Back

Assume that you have been selected as an expert panelist at the next Society for Human Resource Management seminar to discuss the future of federal employees. Discuss at least two points that you would address in your speech regarding their future

A clearly defined competency-based selection process can aid in recruiting, demonstrate fairness, encourage diversity and simplify the process of filing new openings. The future of federal employees or local and state employees could depend on their competency and their ability to be re skilled for leadership.

Point 1: (Small and mid-size companies, as well as nonprofits and governments, also have adopted this type of selection method over traditional approaches that rely on standard job descriptions and references. Organizations that use a competency-based recruitment process ask candidates to share anecdotes from their professional experience that demonstrate they possess a given trait. For employers, the process involves establishing profiles for specific positions and job groups and then using those profiles as standards against which candidates are assessed throughout the application interview and selection process. Competencies can be measured throughout an employee’s life cycle–from the time someone answers a job posting through the interviewing and hiring phrase, to annual performance reviews and job promotions.)

Point 2: (Companies fail to choose the right talent for manager positions 82% of the time. Managers account for 70% of the variance in employee engagement scores, so bad managers ca be blamed for the generally low morale of workers worldwide. There are few people who have the critical mass of talent to motivate others, to be assertive when they need to and still make people feel comfortable by making tough decisions and holding people accountable while still building strong relationships. Hiring managers based on talent will improve engagement, which in turn will raise productivity and profitability. )

Katz, L.M., 2015 HR Magazine, Cool and Competent, pg. 58

Meinert, D., 2015, HR Magazine, Why Are Good Manages in Such Short Supply?,pg 18.

Discuss at least two areas, or policy changes, discussed in this course that you believe will have a significant effect on the field of public personnel management in the next 10 years

Area, or policy change 1: (chronic health issues in the workplace: as the PPM workforce continues to age, I believe the cost of implementing and sustaining plans to cover employees’ chronic health issues will continue to weigh down already strained budgets, which in turn will trigger deepening personnel and program cuts.)

Area, or policy change 2: (succession planning: every agency must continuously “restock the shelves” so to speak.  As personnel transition through agencies, the skills and training they bring and take with them impacts the agency long-term.  In 5 years, every agency will experience change at the most basic level.  Long-term strategic planning has to include contingency planning and operations based on the entry and exit of personnel.)

U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, op.cit., December 1982,p.15.

U.S Merit Systems Protection Board, “Attracting Quality Graduates to the Federal Government: A View of College Recruiting,” June 1988, p. vii.

U.S General Accounting Office Transition Series “The Public Service,” GAO/CG-89-2TR, November 1988, p.4.