Study Assesses Changes in the Public Sector as the Workforce Ages and Retires

A study sponsored by Convergys Corporation has discovered that the delivery of quality service by the public sector could suffer as "baby boomers" retire and competition for labor from the private sector intensifies over the next three to five years. The problem is magnified by reports that up to 50 percent of the workforce of some public sector organizations is currently eligible for retirement. The loss of such a significant number of employees through retirement could have a major impact on the delivery of quality service.

EquaTerra conducted the Convergys-sponsored study that was commissioned by the International Public Management Association for Human Resources (IPMA-HR). The research, titled "The Impact of the Aging Workforce on Public Sector Organizations and Mission," examines the workforce dynamics that will confront public sector organizations in the future.

The strategies suggested by respondents to maintain service quality included a heavy dependence on automation, advanced Information Technology (IT) services, and improved IT services. New or additional funding followed with outsourcing and sharing services across agencies were mentioned as additional solutions. The study also revealed that recruiting and attracting new hires and filling management roles are concerns of survey respondents from federal, state, county, and municipal government agencies.

"Today, both the public and private sectors are exploring alternative sourcing opportunities to help them meet goals and mandates to do more with less," says Andrea Ayers, Convergys president of government and new markets. "This study reveals that a changing labor pool will further require public sector agencies to apply more technology-based solutions to maintain expected service levels for constituents. Some agencies may pursue a sole source partnership, while others may consolidate the number of service providers and look to share services instead of performing functions on their own."

Convergys’ proven strength in recruiting, training, equipping, deploying, and effectively managing very large groups of people with diverse skills on a global basis enables Convergys to effectively leverage its talent to quickly solve client problems and deliver innovative solutions. Convergys solutions include enterprise effectiveness, workforce management expertise, e-learning capabilities, automation tools, system integration, and shared services – all of which can help address the staffing shortage problems for government agencies. Convergys is Outthinking and Outdoing ™ on behalf of its clients every day.