Government’s workforce transformation playbook

Governments are looking to transform to meet the workforce challenges of a rapidly changing world—whether they’re ready or not. 

Our Canadian workforce of the future survey takes the pulse of Canadian employees’ and employers’ perceptions of return-to-workplace plans and the digital workplace experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our public sector analysis looks at how COVID-19 has affected government employees—and the four key actions you can take to make a lasting difference.

2. Take the lead on employee experience

In a remote work environment, it’s important to focus on how you create a different kind of experience for employees so they stay highly engaged and productive. More than one-third of government employees would prefer a work environment that's primarily/entirely remote. That means working, operating and leading in bold new ways.

This is about leadership thinking outside the box—thinking beyond just providing the right technology and tools to do the job remotely and focusing more closely on the human experience of being a part of an organization. People want to feel valued, heard and know their work is a contribution to a greater purpose.

• Leading differently: There’s an opportunity to equip leaders with the tools and skills they need to lead remote teams. How you engage, motivate and manage performance in people—from a distance—means exercising new leadership muscles. You can move forward by adopting new processes for supporting and leading your teams. Empower them to establish practices that foster trust to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

• Employee retention: The public sector can’t offer all the perks the private sector can, so employee experience becomes an important factor when you’re competing for talent. Flexibility is an attractive factor, and you want to stand out to younger, technologically sophisticated workers. It’s about creating an engaging environment with that sense of purpose.

• Be well, work well: The remote environment is a different animal for many. Those who once thrived in person may not be adapting as quickly. Communication and consistency will be your recipe for success. Embrace the new ways of communicating, with virtual coffees or digital touchpoints, to make sure that teams’ wellness needs are being met.

Canadian employers who invest in their people are better able to succeed in uncertainty. Two-thirds (67%) of Canadian employees reported that having upskilling opportunities made them more productive and confident in their organization’s leadership. This can only be successful through a top-down approach. You need to realize the value employee experience brings to the government processes and how it helps you provide more efficient public services and deliver on your organization’s purpose.

4. Give them the tools and the time

Our survey shows the government lags behind other industries in providing upskilling opportunities to employees, behind only manufacturing and health care. What’s more, four out of five employees believe their performance would improve if they had access to such opportunities.

The first step in transformation is to understand the capabilities that are now required, assess who in the organization possesses them and then provide upskilling opportunities to build and nurture them. It’s also important to support employees to reinforce their newly developed habits, increase digital dexterity and help them excel—whether it’s on site or not. 

Upskilling can seem like a daunting task, with many wondering how to get started. It doesn’t mean teaching everyone something highly technical like coding. Rather, it’s about building data literacy in areas like data analytics and automation so your people can embrace technological trends, stay relevant and solve important problems. By giving them access to the tools and the time to upskill, your employees’ superpowers will emerge, creating a workforce that’s more adaptable, resilient and agile.