The Future of Human Resources in Government

Critical to the success of any organization is its ability to recruit, hire and retain talented professionals, while also grooming the next-generation workforce. Forward-thinking officials at organizations in both the public and private sectors understand that successful execution of these functions requires a strong human resources (HR) support system.

No longer can agencies afford to treat HR as a back-office function focused solely on compliance and paperwork. Instead, the future of HR is about making it a strategic partner that works alongside other departments to build and maintain a thriving workforce.

The rise of cloud-based systems, analytics and other online tools is moving agencies away from paper-based processes into the digital era, and HR must keep pace. Many transaction-based functions, such as time and attendance and payroll are being optimized, and in some cases centralized, to improve efficiencies and reduce costs.

“We’re really looking at the HR directors and the HR executives to be more strategic and have a seat at the table to make sure that they’re really contributing to the mission and goals of the agency,” said James Honchar, Deputy Secretary for HR and Management for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. (His story is featured in the onboarding section of this guide.)

Not only must HR professionals stay up to date on technology and how they enhance workforce management, they must also be in tune with the needs and sentiments of the very people they serve: employees.

To help the government HR community stay current, GovLoop interviewed more than a dozen federal, state and local leaders who represent the future of HR and the trends that are developing in the field. These leaders are applying innovative approaches to traditional processes, such as:

  • Recruiting
  • Hiring
  • Onboarding
  • Employee development
  • Retirement

This guide will help you glean best practices and fresh ideas as you prepare for the future.

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