Attracting talent to the public sector is not all about image (Personnel Today, 28 March), but also about emulating the practices of the private sector to acquire and manage talent.
As the war on talent continues, hiring the most promising individuals is going to become increasingly difficult as the corporate sector becomes more strategic with its HR processes (for example, by creating talent pools and faster hiring cycles).
Top candidates are now automatically matched to positions when they apply online, or their details are held on file and proactively sought as suitable positions become available.
At present, public organisations that have long, drawn-out application processes will not be able to compete against the more streamlined practices of big business in a candidate-driven marketplace.
Such talent management techniques can also be used internally. The scale of public sector organisations lends itself to the internal movement of employees to optimise internal mobility. Nurturing employees in this way could prevent the drain of talent to the corporate world.
There are lots of perks for working in the public sector, such as benefits and job security. However, to ensure the sector can compete, it must develop its HR processes to match the corporate competition.
Chris Phillips
EMEA marketing director, Taleo
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