Dr. Trish Holliday, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, Assistant Commissioner and Chief Learning Officer

RECRUIT + RETAIN + ENGAGE = HIGH‐PERFORMING WORKFORCE

What’s the one word….

RetainStay Interviews

RecruitMission‐Critical 

Roles

EngagePositive Work Attitudes

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Recruit + Retain + Engage =High-Performing Workforce

The dynamic national public sector environment is facing an unprecedented set of talent challenges.

National Workforce Challenges• Aging workforce• Globalization• War for talent• Low employee engagement• Mobile and diverse workforce• Lack of new recruiting/sourcing techniques• Public sector reputation and perception• Lack of new techniques for employee engagement and motivation• Skills shortages in key roles• Anticipated high turnover of Millennials

The Aging Global Workforce

State of Tennessee Case StudyData Drives Urgency

GenZ

Millennial

GenX

Baby Boomer

Greatest Generation 

Gen

eration

Executive Branch Employees by GenerationAs of 8/1/2016

State of Tennessee Case StudyExecutive Branch Job Postings on the Rise

State of Tennessee Case StudyExecutive Branch Employment Applications on the Decrease

Your turn…What recruiting strategies are being implemented in your organization?

Recruiting Strategies to Consider

Dedicate personnel to recruiting 

mission critical roles

Create alternative workplace solutions

Establish career paths

Provide robust development opportunities 

Mission-Critical Roles Ready Now Ready 1-2 Years Recruiting Strategy

Recruiting Mission-Critical Roles for SustainabilityApplication Tool

Recruit + Retain + Engage =the Formula for a High-Performing Workforce

Source: Towers Watson 2014 Global Workforce Study 

Fewer than half of all employees are Stayers

Employee group

Attributes % of all employees

StayersNot likely to leave in the next two yearsWould prefer to remain in their organizations even if a comparable opportunity arises

45%

Soft StaysNot likely to leave in the next two yearsWould not prefer to remain if a comparable opportunity arises

28%

At RiskAre likely to leave in the next two yearsWould like to remain with their organizations even if a comparable opportunity arises

9%

LeaversAre likely to leave within the next two yearsWould not prefer to remain if a comparable opportunity arises

18%

Source: Towers Watson 2014 Global Workforce Study

Over one-third of high-retention-risk employees exceed performance expectations

Rating on last performance review

All Lower risks High retention risks

Exceeds or far exceeds expectations 39% 40% 34%

Met expectations 44% 44% 45%

Failed to meet/partially met expectations 17% 16% 21%

32

89

150

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Baby Boomers

Generation X

Millennials

Total number of voluntary separations from state service

Gen

eration

Voluntary Separations by Generations 7/18/2015 – 7/18/2016(Example of TN State Government)

The Low-Down on Retention

• 1/3 of new hires quit after six months• 1/3 of employees knew whether they would stay for the

long term after their first week of employment• 35% of employees start looking for a new job if they don’t

receive a pay increase in the next 12 months• 32% of employers expect employees to “job-hop”

eremedia.com

• More than 1/2 of all organizations globally have difficulty retaining some of their most marketable employee groups

Willis Towers Watson

Your turn…What retention strategies are being implemented in your organization?

Recommended retention strategies

A robust onboarding program

Climate and engagement 

surveys

Stay interviews

Let’s practice!

A Talent Focused Tool – Stay Interviews

• What kinds of exposures and experiences have you enjoyed most/least; and what kinds of exposures and experiences would you like to have in the future?

• Which projects are examples of the kind of work you enjoy most?

• What is gratifying to you about working in the public sector?

• What has contributed to your success in your role?

• What are the challenges you are encountering in your role, and what can your manager do to help you overcome them? 

Disengagement in Action

Recruit + Retain + Engage =the Formula for a High-Performing Workforce

Are employees engaged at work?

What the research tells us…

Engaged

33%

Disengaged

49%

ActivelyDisengaged

18%

www.gallup.com

Only one third are engaged…everywhere

www.icims.com/resources/whitepaper/3-key-essentials-for-engaging-and-retaining-top-talent

The High Costs of Disengagement

Increased inefficiency

High turnover

Arm chair critics

Workplace chaos

Higher workplace safety incidents

Loss of ROI on investments in employees

Cost the U.S. economy an estimated $370 billion each year

What does disengagement look like?

Disengagement in Action

Creating a Culture of Engagement

The major influencers on engagement: PWAsSelf Assessment

Adapted from Kouzes and Posner, Great Leadership Creates Great Workplaces, 2013.

Positive Workplace Attitudes 1 = Never 2 = Rarely 3 = Sometimes 4 = Often 5 = Always

My work group has a strong sense of team spirit

I am proud to tell others that I work for this organization

I am committed to this organization’s success

I would work harder and for longer hours if the job demanded it

I am highly productive in my job

I am clear about what is expected of me in my job

I feel that my organization values my work

I am effective in meeting the demands of my job

Around my workplace, people seem to trust management

I feel like I am making a difference in this organization

Your turn…What engagement strategies are being implemented in your organization?

Lessons Learned

Create state‐wide councils to increase engagement in decision making

Start at the top with leadership to set tone and sponsorship 

Strategic – focus on competencies, not topics

DO NOT cut learning and development from budgets

Create customized learning and development for leaders and agencies

Know your resisters and invite their participation

Change the language, change the culture

Resources

Lavigna, R. J. Engaging Government Employees: Motivate and Inspire Your People to Achieve Superior Performance, 2013.

Hogan Assessment Systems, Inc., Leaders Behaving Badly, 2016.

James M. Kouzes, Barry Z. Posner, Learning Leadership: The Five Fundamentals of Becoming an Exemplary Leader, 2016.

www.gallup.com

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

https://www.icims.com/resources/whitepaper/3-key-essentials-for-engaging-and-retaining-top-talent

www.pwc.com

Thank You!