This blog is to provide an HR perspective to the following:
A New Government Operating Environment: SAP S/4 HANA Cloud for Public Sector
The last few years have reshaped the priorities of Governments. From crisis management to evolving geopolitical landscapes, there is increased pressure on governments to define effective, evidence-based policies and execute efficiently and effectively.
Analyst trend reports reflect that pressure in
new language encouraging a more strategic and agile use of IT: Things like Seamless Service Delivery, Everything Citizen, Data Sharing as a Program, Digital Equity & Adaptive Security, all leading to Hyper-Connected Public Services.
One key priority for governments is the need for a
skilled & engaged workforce. The 'great resignation' is very much real, and public sector is an industry that is being significantly impacted.
Virtual and agile collaboration, a shift towards a more digital mindset, and the need to invest in modern and intelligent strategies to recruit talents and develop careers are top-of-mind for HR Leaders in government.
In addition, the changing nature of work is resulting in a skills gap that government organizations are struggling to address. Some key data points include:
- 74% of surveyed hiring managers agree that there is a skills gap in the current labor market, with 48% saying that candidates lack the skills needed to fill open jobs[1];
- 54% of all employees will need reskilling and upskilling to respond to changing work requirements[2];
- 49% of HR Professionals surveyed in government agencies stated that they were increasing training and cross-training efforts to prepare for potential skills gaps[3]
So, what can government organizations do to address the skills gap, and build and maintain a skilled and engaged workforce? Below are a few areas that HR Leaders can focus on:
Recruiting
- Make it easy for candidates to find you, and start building up your candidate database
- Set up automated talent pools, categorizing candidates across different criteria such as skill sets or job preferences
- Empower your recruiters to focus on value-added activities such as meeting with candidates, and nurturing the candidate relationship, by automating the manual tasks that they need to do
- Conduct targeted recruiting campaigns, by focusing on the most pressing needs for your organization
Succession Management
- Develop a robust succession management program with a pipeline of future leaders and inventory of key positions
- Visualize talent gaps, assess bench strength, and create talent pools to make sure you are covered in case of employee turnover
Learning and Development
- Develop a Learning Strategy with a focus on the individual learner, with personalized learning recommendations and content
- Develop a Learning Strategy with a focus on how learning is consumed. Ensure access is provided anytime and anywhere
- Develop mentoring programs to enable knowledge sharing between seasoned employees and emerging leaders, promoting peer-to-peer learning and development
Internal Mobility
- Provide a Talent Marketplace with internal mobility opportunities for employees to develop their skills with ‘on-the-job- experience
To see how SAP is helping Public Sector organizations get ready for the workforce demands of the future, please see the following video:
https://dam.sap.com/mac/app/asset/preview/ef708af54501530a9619ec054f807b9fc99e4c11
To learn more about Product Developments in SAP SuccessFactors for Public Sector, please see the following blog:
https://blogs.sap.com/2022/05/27/first-half-2022-release-whats-new-in-sap-successfactors-public-serv...
In summary, the 'great resignation' is very much real, and greatly impacting the public sector. HR Leaders will need to be agile and continue to adopt digital strategies across their HR functions. Modernizing HR capabilities will enable governments to compete in the ever-increasingly competitive labour market, whether it is through external recruiting, or effective employee engagement through proper talent management.
Please feel free to provide any ideas or recommendations you may have for public sector organizations, and what they can do to bridge the skills gap that they face.
Sources:
[1] Closing the Skills Gap, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 2020
[2] This is the new skills gap for young people in the age of COVID-19, World Economic Forum, 2020
[3] The 22nd Annual Global CEO survey, PwC, 2019
