Recruiting New Talent

The October 31st issue of the Economist has an interesting article entitled "Public Service Careers: A tough search for talent" that looks at the on-coming demographic problems that Western countries face in revitalizing their respective public services.

The article references an OECD survey showing that at least 30% of central-government workers were 50 years of age or older and that due to generous early retirement provisions, many of these workers would. be retiring in the near future. In Canada the proportion of Federal government employees over 50 years of age has grown from 20% in 1995 to 33% in 2005 according to this survey.

The new way of working - in a networked government with policy issues that cut across government departments and across governments - means that the skill set that governments look for are different than in the past. As well, government is no longer the sole source of information and ideas. A multitude of think tanks and NGO's have carved out a significant role in policy development in the Western world and government policy shops have to work and also compete with them.

At the same time that governments are focused on recruiting new talent and on developing programs and supports for new professionals, they should not forget that the next cadre of public sector leaders will come from those who have been in the service for 10 or so years (the Generation X-ers who are in the 30's and early 40's).