Managing public personnel: what’s involved?

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Public personnel management involves compliance with laws and political awareness. HR managers handle staffing, retention, training, and controversial policies. They manage budgets, hiring, and firing while following guidelines and considering ethical use of taxpayer funds. They also handle labor relations, diversity, and performance reviews.

The management of public personnel involves compliance with the laws governing the public sector and awareness of the political implications of the work. HR managers for public organizations also manage staffing, recruiting, employee retention, and training needs. They deal with controversial employment policies, such as drug testing and sexual harassment. Public personnel management professionals take responsibility for budget constraints in the public sector. In essence they manage everything from hiring to firing within the policies set by the governing body and applicable law.

Local and national laws and regulations for government employees typically vary by region and require government employee management to keep pace with changes. HR leaders also follow guidelines set by elected or appointed boards, balancing organizational philosophy with the day-to-day functioning of the HR department. They need awareness of the political implications of their actions.

Public personnel management employees often work for elected bodies, which means that their employee management may be open to public scrutiny. Most civil servants receive public funds for their work, and their wages and benefit packages may be available for review. HR managers typically consider the ethical use of taxpayer funds when performing their jobs.

They could deal with labor relations and the collective bargaining process. Another area involved in public personnel management might include a program for hiring underrepresented classes of people to meet employment quotas. Even in areas where quotas don’t exist, managers might try to create diversity in the workplace to avoid criticism.

The personnel budget of a public organization usually constitutes the largest expenditure for the agency. Managers usually take responsibility for meeting budget constraints while increasing staff productivity. They could use the technology to save tax dollars in the HR department. If the agency suffers from lower tax contributions, executives may be forced to implement a reduction in strength through layoffs.

Public sector HR managers determine staffing needs and prepare hiring materials to attract qualified candidates for employment opportunities. They may be personally involved in the interview process for high profile positions within the agency. After selecting the ideal candidates, the personnel manager typically makes a commitment to retain employees who are considered valuable public officials.

Training and benefits programs usually fall under the responsibility of HR department heads. They also periodically conduct performance reviews and goal out discipline. Managers commonly consider the legal and political issues that might arise when a resolution is needed. A precise set of steps, often called progressive discipline, may be required by law. The process may become more complex where employee labor associations exist.




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