Many agencies have indicated that key drivers of attrition are retirement and limited opportunities for advancement and professional development. Image: Andrey_Popov/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIssues related to recruitment, retention, succession planning, knowledge management and training are common across government, says a report by the interagency council of inspectors general, based on a review of management challenges reports from individual IGs.
The report from the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency notes that human capital management has been on the GAO’s high-risk list since 2021 and says that such issues include that “Federal agencies presently face competition from the private sector as increased wages and workforce engagement make private sector positions more attractive to new and established professionals.” That is especially the case with positions in the STEM fields, it said.
Meanwhile, the slow pace of the hiring process “has been recognized as a detriment to workforce growth and filling key vacancies. The inability to hire required staff directly impacts agency operations, often leading to heavy workloads and burnout, further exacerbating attrition and the need to fill vacancies . . . Many agencies have indicated that key drivers of attrition are retirement and limited opportunities for advancement and professional development.”
Attrition results in a loss of institutional knowledge, subject matter expertise, and gaps in leadership, making knowledge management and succession management all the more important, it said.
“The lack of institutional knowledge can contribute to inadequate documentation and siloed work practices. Providing staff with training and growth opportunities improves employees’ abilities to meet agencies’ missions and contributes to retaining skilled employees. Training, growth opportunities, and knowledge management contribute to succession planning. Succession planning allows agencies to preserve institutional knowledge and transfer experience to the new employees, which enables agencies to rely on their subject matter experts. Succession planning better prepares agencies when attrition and retirement occur,” it said.
Apart from personnel issues, the report also cites government-wide issues with financial management, procurement management, grants management, homeland security, pandemic-related fraud, disaster preparedness and response and dealing with the effects of climate change.
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