So far the public sector has been cushioned from the impact of the recession, but it now faces £6bn in cuts. Drawing on the experience of the private sector in attracting and engaging employees during the recession to deliver much-needed change could help the public sector minimise the pain of spending cuts. Times have been and remain tough. The new Government's plans to cut spending are immediate; we have reached crunch time and the public sector will be under enormous pressure to create leaner organisations.
Private employers have come out of what we hope has been the worst effects of the recession, having managed to keep many more people in jobs than had been expected. This has been largely down to the flexibility and goodwill of staff who quickly adapted to emergency measures, including pay and recruitment freezes.
Radical thought and new approaches are now the only hope in satisfying the need to reduce costs and minimise the impact on the UK's employment figures. It's a time for entrepreneurial people management. This will be tough but not impossible. Adaptability is not new to public-sector organisations. Habitual restructure and reorganisation means they are adept at handling change, maybe more so than other sectors.
In our view there are four key actions that could make a difference for public employers, in both the short and long term:
Make sure you have a clear strategy
First-class planning and an ability to move quickly both in thought and action are just some of the skills that will be essential for senior managers over the next few years. When it comes to strategy, impact is needed now but not at the expense of long-term vision. With staff costs often the most significant cost for organisations, the immediate knee-jerk reaction may be to cut jobs but there are alternatives such as pay freezes, pay cuts, flexible working, reducing overtime and expenses.
Tap into existing talent pools
The rationale for redeployment is compelling. Realigning skills and expertise to the areas where they can make the most impact is critical to protecting the quality of services provided and, if undertaken successfully, can result in significant cost savings.
Future-proof the organisation
Establishing the ‘new world' requires alignment at an executive level and engagement throughout the whole organisation. Countless studies have provided evidence of the value of engagement. Key to this, of course, is the ability to connect your own role, contribution and development to the success of the organisation. Helping managers and leaders tap into strategies to manage and lead change is a key component of any transformational agenda.
Keeping people focused
Keeping people on track, contributing and focused on key activities are the mainstay of Employee Assistance Services. Providing immediate support, access to counselling via the telephone, online and face-to-face where needed will keep employees living and working well and achieving more at a minimal cost to the employer.
Strong leadership
Finally, strong leadership is going to be crucial. Leaders who can communicate their vision for the organisation with clarity are going to be best placed to steer their organisations through these difficult times.
