It's no secret that the federal government needs to attract, recruit and retain young workers to offset an upcoming wave of retirements, nor that it has some trouble doing so. A new report, released this month by the federal Chief Information Officers Council, examined the federal IT job market and found that agencies have some changes to make to attract the "Net Generation," or employees ages 17-31.
As a Net-Gen member myself, I found that many of the study's conclusions reflect my own experience in going through the job search.
The report points out that while several federal agencies were on college seniors' lists of top 10 employers in 2007 -- the State Department, Peace Corps, CIA and FBI -- that number dropped to zero in 2009. Instead, students wanted to work for companies like Apple, Google, Nike and Goldman Sachs, places with sexier images and a (perceived) great work environment. Even the government agencies highlighted in 2007 are those with more intriguing reputations and missions.
These findings ring true to my own experience. I'm a recent college graduate, and when I worked in our career center, very few students came in looking for help applying to federal jobs. Plenty of people were interested in banking, consulting and graduate programs, and a smaller number sought information about nonprofit careers, media and arts, teaching etc. But I can't recall helping anyone prepare for the government application and interview process.
The report points out that the Net Generation is looking for different characteristics in jobs than previous groups, most of which I think are accurate assessments. The key, from my perspective, is engagement in the workplace. I don't want to go to the office, crank out my work, go home and then start all over again -- I like to feel that I connect with my coworkers and managers and that my contributions are important. The numbers back this up. For example, the study found that 39 percent of Net-Gens need daily or weekly feedback on their performance compared with just a quarter of Baby Boomers. And they want to know what is expected of them, how they are performing and how that is related to their pay.
The report also found that Net-Gens see on-the-job and one-on-one training, peer mentoring and group activities as some of the most effective job training opportunities. Interestingly, online materials and classes and video games fell near the bottom, negating the idea that all young adults must be reached only through technology.
As a college senior, I didn't see the federal workplace as offering this kind of flexibility and engagement. That's not to say it doesn't, but rather that Net-Gens aren't aware of it, and they may be turned off by the perception that government jobs equate to bureaucracy, immobility and boredom. As the report points out, few government organizations "live their vision on a daily basis, have communicated it adequately and, of paramount importance to the Net Generation, show current or potential employees how they personally contribute to the vision and mission." Thus, as the report concludes, it's of critical importance that federal agencies 1) offer the opportunities for engagement that the Net Generation demands and 2) communicate that effectively.
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