State agencies and local municipalities anticipate a significant increase in the retirement rate of their workforce over the next five years. Firefighters, police officers, and other public safety personnel are expected to make up a significant portion of all retiring workers. This trend is primarily due to the fact that staff in these emergency service roles are typically eligible for retirement earlier than most public sector employees.
Agencies that offer effective training and development programs are better positioned to identify and prepare staff for new roles as workers reach retirement age. Most workers need additional education to be ready to assume key leadership or technical roles as they become available. Gaps in skills and capabilities need to be identified so that development plans can be created to ensure successors for open positions are ready when the time comes to take over the new role.
Public sector organizations must develop plans to support the current and future employees who will fill the positions vacated by retiring staff. Leading public sector organizations are proactively creating plans to address the inevitable. Poor planning can lead to significant issues, such as inferior service levels and decreased satisfaction among constituents.
Another area of concern is the overall increase in risk to the organization, particularly for positions that require certifications and are critical to maintaining compliance with evolving laws, union regulations, and other relevant requirements. The ability to effectively track and manage licenses, certifications, and accreditations is the best way to avoid potential problems and reduce the overall risk to the agency.
Recruitment and employee retention are also a cause for concern in most public sector agencies, which must compete with the private sector for talent. After all, labor markets have been tight for the last several years, and the trend is set to continue. The most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated an unemployment rate of only 3.6 percent. Agencies that invest in employee retention and the education of new staff are the ones that will not only survive in the current labor market but also thrive.
If your agency has an aging workforce, it’s never too soon to begin to prepare.