Unfavorable rates of employee departure are particularly undesirable, particularly during times of political change
In the rapidly evolving landscape of public sector employment, retaining key policy and public affairs specialists has become a pressing concern. With heightened turnover in these crucial roles, employers can ill afford to stretch their workforces any further [1].
A recent study, based on a survey of over 4,000 professionals, suggests that the need for consistency and a stable workforce is critical [2]. The research indicates that traditional government recruitment and retention strategies work better if adapted to resemble the fellowship experiences many specialists have early in their career [1]. This includes mentoring, clear career development pathways, and supportive networks.
Employers stand a better chance of retaining top talent by taking proactive steps to engage with their employees and identify the root causes of dissatisfaction that may be encouraging many to leave. One of the less obvious impacts of turnover is the loss of institutional knowledge, as the insights carried by experienced professionals about bureaucratic processes are challenging to replace [1].
The need for stability among policy and public affairs teams is particularly key at this critical time in the UK political landscape. Growing dissatisfaction within local and central government staff could be related to increased scrutiny and public pressure placed on their roles [3]. The report found that company culture has grown in value for many policy and public affairs professionals, with 84% considering it important or very important when choosing their next role [4].
Flexibility is highly valued by this workforce, with over 8 in 10 (83%) policy and public affairs experts in local and central government stating it would play a key role in selecting their next job [4]. Employers can improve retention by emphasizing flexible work arrangements and fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture that aligns with specialists’ values and professional identities [3].
Creating a workplace environment where public affairs professionals feel their work is impactful and aligned with organizational values reduces turnover [3]. Offering comprehensive benefits, as typical in federal roles, can contribute to retention, although cultural and developmental aspects tend to be more decisive in public affairs retention during transitions than benefits alone [4].
In summary, the key approaches for retaining policy and public affairs specialists during political transitions include:
- Aligning recruitment and onboarding practices with fellowship-style career support programs that emphasize mentorship, growth, and engagement [1].
- Cultivating a strong, mission-driven organizational culture that attracts specialists motivated by public impact [3].
- Providing job flexibility and work-life balance to accommodate specialists’ priorities for adaptability in uncertain environments [3].
- Reinforcing these with competitive benefits and clear communication about career trajectories within the public sector [4].
These strategies respond to the heightened turnover risk caused by political shifts by addressing the underlying factors influencing specialists’ job choices.
The loss of these specialists could have significant repercussions and lead to a spiraling effect that impacts productivity and output across multiple industries. Major changes to key industries including healthcare, transport, and education are anticipated, making policy and public affairs professionals increasingly critical to help employers adapt and embed policies into law. In an already skill-short market, public sector bodies cannot afford to lose more people, as it could lead to delays in policy launches or impact employers attempting to adapt to a changing legal landscape.
- To combat the high turnover rate of policy and public affairs specialists, employers should adopt strategies that align with the fellowship-style career support programs they experienced early in their careers.
- These strategies could include mentoring, clearly defined career development pathways, and a supportive network, as these aspects are crucial for retaining top talent.
- Employers should also identify the root causes of dissatisfaction that may lead to specialists leaving their jobs, and address these issues proactively.
- The loss of institutional knowledge, which carries insights about bureaucratic processes that are challenging to replace, could be a less obvious impact of high turnover rates.
- During political transitions, creating a mission-driven organizational culture that values public impact is key to attracting and retaining policy and public affairs specialists.
- Flexibility and work-life balance are highly valued by this workforce, and emphasizing flexible work arrangements can help improve retention rates.
- In addition to competitive benefits, clear communication about career trajectories within the public sector can also contribute to retention.
- Personal development opportunities, such as mindfulness, education-and-self-development, and lifelong learning, can help retention by promoting personal growth and productivity.
- In the rapidly changing landscape, policy-and-legislation and career-development programs that focus on skills-training could be key to helping specialists adapt to new challenges.
- Job-search platforms, online-education resources, and general-news sites could be useful tools for specialists seeking new opportunities or seeking to stay informed about industry changes.
- Policy and public affairs professionals are crucial in key industries such as healthcare, transport, and education, and their loss could have significant repercussions, leading to delays in policy launches, impacting productivity, or creating challenges for employers trying to adapt to a changing legal landscape.
