Local govts pulling out the stops to attract, retain talent
Writer: Ryan Gandolfo
September 2024 — Local governments are in a tough position — attracting and retaining top talent while competing with the private sector, which has the means and propensity to pay more. An annual report published last month by MissionSquare Research Institute showed that state and local governments are experimenting with different initiatives, from hiring bonuses to reducing education degree requirements and greater benefits.
The survey found that 1 in 3 public sector organizations offered targeted bonuses — both across the board and geared toward specific types of positions where hiring challenges are most severe, according to MissionSquare Research Institute’s Senior Research Analyst Gerald Young.
In Florida, the city of Hollywood recently launched a self-insurance program for city employees to access medical services, offering primary and urgent care services, vaccines, lab work, and chronic disease management. Called the City of Hollywood Employee Health Center, both adults and children 8 years and older to more than 2,000 of the city’s employees, dependents and area retirees have exclusive access to the care center as part of a partnership with Memorial Healthcare System.
“The health and well-being of our employees, retirees and their families is a top priority for the city, and we couldn’t ask for a better, more trusted partner than Memorial to provide high-quality, cost-effective, primary care,” said George Keller, Hollywood city manager, in a press release.
Within the first six weeks prior to the center’s official opening, there were more than 400 center visits.
The city government is also one of a growing number of organizations adopting a four-day workweek — with employees working extended hours Monday through Thursday and having Friday off. According to a survey conducted among Hollywood employees, most called for the shortened workweek and believed it would contribute to a better work-life balance.
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Aside from the four-day schedule serving as a retention strategy, a 2022 UK study found that transitioning to a shortened workweek improved business productivity, with 34% of respondents reporting slight improvement and 15% significant improvement. Forty-six percent said they maintained the same level of productivity.
Notably, more than 9 out of 10 employees who have taken part in global trials on four-day workweeks said they wanted to continue it, according to the World Economic Forum.
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