Cultivating the next generation for top government jobs – Canada

• Adopt a culture that attracts new talent: A recent survey found that eight in ten federal employees in the U.S. see their agency’s culture as the largest barrier to attracting and retaining talent. Here in Canada, the public service isn’t exactly known for being plugged into Millennial culture, either. What’s more, 80 percent of federal agencies have no set plan to recruit Millennials, which are projected to comprise 80 percent of the workforce by 2025. You can read about how to attract and recruit Millennials in one of our Blue Papers®, but here are some quick points: Millennials prefer a work environment that values training, provides an opportunity to lead, is flexible and offers work/life balance. When interviewing, provide Millennial job candidates a package of your benefits using a logo’d presentation folders. To further promote your agency’s healthy work/life balance and flexibility in a fun way, include a Daily Cube Calendar and bendable pen.

• Organize a talent exchange initiative: Local government may benefit from a talent exchange program in which employees from different departments or agencies swap places to broaden their work experiences, gain leadership skills and network. Make new talent feel welcome by providing an experienced trainer who can show them the ropes. A logo’d travel mug and jotter can also help get your newbie through the first few days.

• Develop a mentorship program: Mentors provide guidance, foster valuable connections, aid in career development and ease transitions into leadership roles. These relationships can be cultivated internally within departments or agencies, like the Department of Justice’s Mentoring Program. Or, if you’re feeling ambitious, you can help kick start a broader mentorship initiative for Canadian bureaucrats, and model it after the American GovLoop Mentors Program, which connects public sector professionals across all agencies and levels for free! Regardless of which road your agency travels, mentorships can be a great way to transfer knowledge from one generation to the next.

As people leave top government jobs in alarming numbers, implementing ideas such as these will help your agency bridge the experience gap that may be left behind.