Planning ahead is the lifeblood of any human resources professional. Tapping into trends helps you proactively develop responses to the evolving demands of the public sector workplace.

Processes change and new ideas emerge. What worked well enough in previous years has become obsolete, and solutions previously unimagined have become today’s most effective best practices. Knowing what trends may pop up as hot topics at your agency gives you an advantage in the coming year.

Here are four important trends human resources professionals in the public sector can anticipate in 2018 and beyond. 

We can improve public sector performance if we make decisions about people practices based on data. One of the biggest initiatives in gathering people data is the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. In particular, data from this study points managers towards practices that drive engagement.

Fast growing HR Software as a Service company expands breadth of solutions with the purchase of a learning management software company

More than five hundred people convened at NEOGOV’s 16^th Annual User Conference to get a sneak peek at upcoming product updates, learn from experts, and network with other NEOGOV users.

Organizations that embrace diversity are more innovative and do a better job of meeting community needs. A lack of diversity can inhibit your organization’s creativity and even make you the focus of public criticism.

The markers of diversity are diverse. There’s race, ethnic group, gender, cultural background, age, disability, and more. Valuing diversity also means welcoming those with a range of experiences, perspectives, education, and ideas.

With all that to encompass, how can you change your recruitment approach to cultivate a more diverse workforce?

Performance reviews are often unloved. The feeling is justified when the process is outdated and disconnected from your employees’ day to day work. If this is the case, giving your organization’s performance review process a thorough overhaul can radically rejuvenate your employee engagement. 

Job hopping by Millennials is a seemingly unstoppable scourge. The IPMA-HR HR2020 Task Force identified job hopping as a talent management priority. They described the problem as high turnover rates due to the current tendency of the newer generation’s job hopping every 3-4 years and the current mindset within the public sector that job hopping is not a positive attribute. The obvious tactic is to combat job hopping, but that’s not easy to do. What if we take a different approach and try to use job hopping to our own advantage?

Your brand tells the public who you are, and as an extension of that, can help you attract the best and brightest to your workforce. Your brand can help you differentiate yourself in a meaningful way that potential employees will remember and that current employees can live out on a day-to-day basis. Here's how. 

Finding ideal candidates is an ongoing challenge for every HR department. Fortunatley, HR has tools at their disposal. One of those tools is often under-utilized. What's that tool you might ask? —Talent personas... think of them like a wanted poster for your ideal hire. If you follow the suggestions below and take the time to really map out what you’re looking for in a candidate, personas are likely to become one of your go-to HR tools.