By Mary Velan
Gov1
What Happened?
Research identifies many common reasons why talented workers leave local government positions and enter the private sector.
Push/Pull Study
Emerging Local Government Leaders recently conducted a Push/Pull study which surveyed people who recently exited the local government workforce. The goal of the study is to identify factors negatively impacting local government talent retention efforts, as well as barriers to achieving greater diversity. According to the study, the top 10 reasons for leaving local government were:
- Seeking increased financial/benefits compensation
- Pursue other career interests
- Burnout
- Issues with leadership team
- Work/life balance
- Seeking schedule flexibility
- Other: Lack of advancement
- Issues with board/council
- Family responsibilities
- Other: Political
When the responses were broken down by gender, 34 percent of male respondents wanted to explore other career interests while 23 percent sought increased compensation. For women, 29 percent reported issues with the leadership, 25 percent were burnt out, 25 percent sought increased compensation and 24 percent wanted a better work/life balance. Furthermore when the data was evaluated based on government position served, 40 percent of respondents citing maintaining a work-life balance.
Obstacles to Leadership
The difference in gender responses is key to the study as more cities work to increase workforce diversity at all levels. Unfortunately, statistics show the number of women in local government leadership positions has not changed from 13 percent in the last 30 years. The Push/Pull study’s findings suggest a work-life balance (or lack thereof) may make it difficult for women to advance to leadership roles while supporting a family.
According to Emerging Local Government Leaders, nonprofit organizations boast a better track record of women in leadership positions than local governments. When comparing the experiences in both sectors for professional women, it appears women are attracted to the social mission of nonprofits and are more willing to accept lower pay to work on these initiatives – especially when compared to men.
To make local government more appealing to young women, experts suggest:
- Designing and describing leadership roles that inspire admiration
- Creating mentorship opportunities at all levels to connect veterans with young professionals
- Opening clear distinct points of entry into local government such as internships and entry-level positions
It is also argued that not enough local government agencies and individual employees are aware of the diversity disparity in the workforce. She recommends discussing the findings of her study and several other reports that illustrate a persistent 13 percent of women in local government leadership roles. In creating a discussion, she believes community leadership will better understand what needs are not being met to retain talented female workers, or what barriers are preventing advancement.
Parental Leave
The Minneapolis City Council recently approved a new policy that will allow employees to receive up to 120 hours of paid leave following childbirth or adoption. The new paid parental leave policy is one way the city is hoping to address any concerns over maintaining work-life balance. When workers are able to start or build a family without losing their jobs, they are more productive and satisfied in their roles. This can lead to increased retention and advancement of skilled staff, KSTP reported.