Business View Civil Municipal - July 2023

24 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 7 might be challenged in the current process as well. This ultimately ties back to the communication of such roles, employment opportunities and processes.” He urges public sector and HR leaders to cast a wide net when recruiting prospective candidates for a government’s workforce. Hiring officers, Ross believes, should reach beyond traditional audiences of recruits. Purchasing Power conducted a survey earlier this year of U.S. public sector employees, the aim of which was to get a better understanding of how ongoing economic stressors such as inflation and rising interest rates were impacting the public sector employee base. The specific survey goal was to gage the amount of financial stress facing government workers as well as their state of financial well-being. “According to the survey, the majority (83 percent) of public sector employees experience financial stress, and more than half of survey respondents reported that their financial stress negatively impacts their overall happiness and their stress levels and emotions at home,” Ross tells Co-op Solutions. The survey results, Ross explains, demonstrate that the U.S. public sector continues to face labor challenges. These challenges, he says, are “both from people aging out and retiring from the industry as well as people leaving the industry to pursue opportunities that better meet their personal needs, namely financial.” Ross says that potential workers may be unfamiliar with hiring practices in government. “Someone who hasn’t been exposed to certain public sector industry roles or the training and certification required to be employed in these roles—or who doesn’t have family that has gone through this process before them—is at a disadvantage.” He notes that cumbersome hiring procedures can be a potential barrier for prospective workers as well as hiring agencies. “If the agency is trying to recruit more professionals from diverse backgrounds, you can see how agency recruiters silent barriers may hinder prospective employees from applying for a government job. Purchasing Power is a voluntary benefit company that operates an employee purchase program for consumer products and services through payroll deduction.