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Industry experience
At AWA we have been working with the public sector for decades. Our experience is both broad and deep – from ministerial departments to local policing. We understand the motivations and the importance of clear messaging around any change in government agencies. We support each public sector organisation we work with in their primary goal to serve the general public and help them to demonstrate fiscal accountability and transparency while working within regulatory constraints.
Industry challenges
Public sector organisations are as large and unwieldy as oil tankers. Consequently, efforts to introduce lasting improvements are hindered by the slow progress of change.
This is further complicated by constantly evolving political agendas. As part of the government’s ‘levelling up’ plans, several public sector organisations have recently moved from London to offices elsewhere in the UK.
These changes come at a time when the public sector is under increasing pressure to cut costs and adopt a more collaborative, performance-based culture that prioritises the delivery of ‘digital first’ results for citizens.
Attracting a younger workforce
Over the next decade, a large number of public sector workers are expected to retire, leading to a significant drain in institutional knowledge.
Many jobseekers perceive the sector to be bureaucratic, poorly paid and lacking in innovation. Some are willing to trade the higher salaries of the private sector for the job security of the public sector. Nonetheless, they retain a desire to enjoy the benefits of hybrid working, which is far more widely on offer in the private sector.
The government is insisting civil servants return to their desks full time in the interest of boosting the economy. This not only fails to acknowledge the wishes of their workforce, but also the impact such an approach will have on recruitment.