Revolutionising Australian Public Sector Recruitment: Strategies to Attract Top Talent

It’s a tough market for recruiters right now, and possibly even tougher for managers in charge of public sector hiring.

Overall unemployment, while it lifted slightly in the latest ABS figures, is still sitting at an historically low 3.7%, seasonally adjusted. Meanwhile, the Consumer Price Index rose by 7.8% in the 12 months to December 2022, against an average wage increase of just 3.3% in the same period. This creates a lot of pressure on salary expectations, as employed people struggle with wages falling behind the pace of inflation and the prospect of two more interest rate rises this year, affecting both homeowners and renters.

These employment market conditions make it even harder for public sector recruitment to attract staff, especially since the sector’s average wage increase in 2022 was only 2.5%, well below the overall figure of 3.3%.

Yet the public sector has much to offer, if the facts could only be communicated to a sometimes sceptical talent pool.

Public sector jobs provide a sense of purpose

Working in the public sector, whether at the local, state or federal level, offers employees the opportunity to make a significant positive impact on the lives of people in the community they serve. Public sector jobs can range from positions in government departments, to schools, hospitals and other public institutions. One of the primary benefits of public sector jobs is the sense of purpose and meaning that comes from serving the public, providing essential services or shaping policies and programs that support community wellbeing.

Public sector jobs offer security and benefits

Another significant benefit of working in the public sector is the stability and security of employment. Public sector jobs often offer more job security than private sector employment, which can be especially important during times of economic uncertainty. As well, many public sector jobs provide competitive salaries, an employer superannuation contribution much higher than the mandated percentage, a strong focus on workplace health and safety, and other benefits which may include:

• Recognition and rewards programs
• Flexible working and overtime provisions
• Generous parental, annual and personal leave provisions
• Study assistance
• School holiday care allowance
• Sabbatical leave

Public sector jobs present opportunities

Since the public service sector is so extensive, it’s a perfect environment for career growth and advancement. Public sector employment can be an ideal way to develop skills, gain valuable experience and build a network of professional contacts. There will often be opportunities to work with diverse groups of people, engage in collaborative problem-solving, and learn about a range of relevant issues and topics.

Internal mobility can benefit both employees and government

Despite the obvious benefits of public sector employment, attracting and retaining staff in public sector recruitment is not a given. It’s essential for the government to promote internal job mobility since it helps to develop employees’ skills, retain talent, and improve organisational effectiveness. Options to do this might include:

• Creating a centralised database of job openings across various departments and agencies.
• Developing a comprehensive skills inventory of all public sector employees, at an organisational, or local, state or federal government level, allowing managers to identify employees with skills that are in high demand who could be transferred to other departments or agencies.
• Encouraging cross-training and job rotation to enable employees to learn new skills and gain experience in different areas, preparing them for future roles and responsibilities.
• Establishing a clear career path for employees, allowing them to identify the skills and experience required to progress within their department or agency and move to other areas of the public sector.
• Implementing a mentoring program that pairs experienced employees with more junior staff, enhancing the learning opportunities of junior employees and giving them a better understanding of the organisation’s or government’s operations.
• Offering incentives for internal mobility, such as financial rewards, training opportunities, and recognition for successful job performance.

Highlighting large-scale projects can enhance public sector hiring

Large-scale projects are important for attracting top talent to the public sector. They offer the opportunity for public servants to work on high-profile and influential initiatives that can make a real difference, and may be more rewarding than working on smaller projects that may have less visibility or impact.

It’s also the case that large-scale projects often require a broad range of skills and expertise, which can attract a diverse pool of talent to the public sector. A large infrastructure project, for example, may require engineers, architects, urban planners, project managers and policy analysts. This can create opportunities for people with different backgrounds and skill sets to work together towards a common goal, while developing and honing their own skills.

These projects also help to showcase the public sector as a place where important work is being done. This can help attract top talent who may be passionate about making a difference in society, but who may not previously have considered the public sector as a potential career path.

It’s time to ditch the bureaucratic stereotypes

The Australian government has made significant strides in modernising the workforce and creating a more flexible, inclusive and diverse working environment. However, the fact remains that many people in the wider community are still unaware of these changes and continue to hold outdated views of government roles as traditional and bureaucratic, with a focus on rules and regulations rather than innovation and creativity.

To address this issue, it’s important for the public sector to actively communicate its progress in modernising the workforce and highlight the benefits of working in government roles. This could include sharing success stories of government employees who have implemented innovative solutions or contributed to positive change in their departments.

Additionally, the government could work with industry groups and educational institutions to showcase the diversity of roles available within government and the skills and experience required for these positions. This could involve participating in job fairs and networking events, partnering with universities to promote internships and graduate programs, and leveraging social media and other online platforms to reach a wider audience.

Communication with the potential workforce is key

There’s no shortage of great reasons to work in the public sector, which offers a sense of purpose, as well as scale, opportunity, huge projects, great conditions and modern work environments.

Getting this message through to the talent pool isn’t easy, but Adecco can assist you with a specialised approach to public sector recruitment, including communicating the advantages of a public service career to not only its own enormous candidate database but also to the wider community. Contact us for a chat about how we can help.

Winning the Talent War: Strategies for Attracting and Retaining the Best in the Public Sector” guide. Download now.