Work in the public sector? What US civil servants want from their jobs is changing.

Three reasons government workers stay ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌   ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

TODAY'S NEWS. TOMORROW'S INSIGHTS. A daily newsletter from McKinsey & Company   Edited by Belinda Yu   Editor, Atlanta What government workers want In the news • A tough job. US elections have grown so contentious that there's a shortage of election officials before the November midterm elections. One in three poll workers and other officials has quit because of concerns over their safety, according to one senior leader in election security. Attacks over the validity of the 2020 presidential election have led people to verbally abuse, harass, and even make death threats against officials. More support for election workers is needed, including greater funding for safety training, says one expert. [The Hill] • Seeking public servants. At all levels of government, a scarcity of workers in the US is starting to affect critical services such as disaster-relief efforts, water treatment operations, and public transit. Lackluster salaries and difficult working conditions make it tough for agencies to compete with the private sector when recruiting workers, says one senior economist. From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to June 2022, more than 600,000 workers in state and local governments left their jobs, according to federal data. [Governing] US civil servants who were planning to leave cited a lack of career development, unhappiness with leadership, and compensation as their top reasons for leaving. On McKinsey.com • What US civil servants want. A lack of US public sector workers is felt in long airport security lines and ongoing teacher shortages. Increased funding for infrastructure and other projects will likely create more jobs at a time when the public sector already lags behind the private sector in the race for talent, explain senior partners Scott Blackburn and Nora Gardner and their coauthors. McKinsey's survey of 1,500 government workers reveals that compensation, meaningful work, and workplace flexibility are the top three reasons US civil servants stay in their roles. • Craving meaning. Today's employees are looking for purpose. In fact, 40% of survey respondents said that meaningful work is what keeps them committed to the civil service. And when it comes to providing meaningful, purposeful work, governments have a significant advantage. A well-crafted job description that emphasizes these qualities could help the next generation embrace public-sector work. See a two-phased approach to attracting, developing, and retaining talent in the public sector. Explore the research Was this forwarded to you? Sign up here. Or send us feedback—we'd love to hear from you. Follow our thinking This email contains information about McKinsey's research, insights, services, or events. By opening our emails or clicking on links, you agree to our use of cookies and web tracking technology. For more information on how we use and protect your information, please review our privacy policy. You received this email because you subscribed to the On Point newsletter. Manage subscriptions | Unsubscribe Copyright © 2022 | McKinsey & Company, 3 World Trade Center, 175 Greenwich Street, New York, NY 10007