Advertisement
Editor's Pick

High turnover rates are never good, especially during a political transition

In their first 100 days, Labour announced plans to revitalise the economy allowing employers to look ahead. However, there’s a storm brewing that could erase any positive changes implemented across the public and private affairs sector.

This opinion piece was written by Lauren Maddocks, Association Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Policy by Murray. Within the piece, she talks us through the organisations latest report which carefully explores the state of the market.  

Recent findings from our inaugural Policy and Public Affairs Salary & Employment Report revealed several worrying trends, notably, that a quarter of the existing workforce in these markets within local and central government are planning to switch roles in the next six months. The study, based on a survey of over 4,000 professionals, comes at a time when the need for consistency, and a stable workforce is critical. For employers, this heightened turnover amongst a pivotal group is the last thing they need. But why are so many policy and public affairs specialists planning on leaving their roles?

Growing dissatisfaction within local and central government staff could be related to serval factors. However, a core reason for many is likely to be the increased scrutiny and public pressure placed on their roles. It seems the political world is under fire, but this has been more prevalent following several scandals that took place during the pandemic, and this is likely to have had an impact on many policy professionals.

This issue particularly came to head during the summer’s snap election, when the turmoil of the pre-election purdah period and the following months of political transition, may have stretched many professionals to their limits. Within local government specifically, where budgets have been cut for several years under previous leadership, this would be understandable, and many specialists may simply be looking for new, less stressful, opportunities.

These collective pressures placed on public sector policy specialists appear to be a pivotal factor. Almost eight out of ten (78%) of those who said they would seek a move in the next six months suggested they would look for a role outside of local and central government. This means that not only are many professionals planning to leave their current employers, but also the entire market. That means replacing them will be more challenging and makes the issue of retention even more critical for organisations.

Within the next few months, major changes to key industries including healthcare, transport and education amongst others, are anticipated. All of these legal shifts will lead to policy and public affairs professionals becoming increasingly critical to help their employers adapt and embed policies into law. In an already skill-short market, public sector bodies simply cannot afford to lose more people.

If the turnover is as high as expected, there could be significant ramifications and lead to delays in policy launches, or impact employers that are attempting to adapt to a changing legal landscape. One such example is Labour’s plans to raise VAT on independent schools. While controversial in some quarters, this shift is to increase revenue that will be redirected into the likes of the healthcare and education markets. If there aren’t enough policy specialists able to implement legal changes, then there will likely be delays. And then without raising funds from taxation, moves to benefit these other key markets also cannot be launched. Ultimately, a lack of policy and public affairs specialists could have significant repercussions and lead to a spiralling effect that impacts productivity and output across multiple industries. And this is surely not how Sir Keir Starmer envisioned his first months in power.

With this rather challenging market in mind, how can employers convince their key policy and public affairs specialists to stay with them during the key period of the political transition?

The report looked in detail at candidate motivators and identified consistent trends that may be inadvertently pushing staff away. This included a focus on what attracted professionals to their current roles, and what factors they would seek in their next positions. It may come as no surprise but pay ranked as the top factor sought by specialists in both their current and next roles. However, after pay, there were some other interesting findings.

Company culture appears to have grown in value for many. When asked what impact this had on attracting them to their current position, 76% listed it as important, or very important. But when asked what value they would place on culture when choosing their next role, the figure rose to 84%. This suggests that the aforementioned pressure placed on political policy and public affairs teams in recent years has raised the importance many place on their working environment, and connections with their colleagues. For employers, this suggests that harnessing a healthy culture could help to boost organisational retention.

Flexibility is also highly valued by this portion of the workforce. Over eight in ten (83%) policy and public affairs experts in local and central government said flexibility would play a key role in selecting their next job, highlighting that employers that force staff back to the office could be especially impacted. As with culture, the importance of flexibility has grown; only 73% valued this when choosing their existing position, showing how critical these policies have become amongst UK workforces.

As well as delays to policy launches, or negative impacts on productivity rates, heightened turnover has other, less obvious impacts. The loss of institutional knowledge is one and the insights carried by experienced professionals of bureaucratic processes is exceptionally challenging to replace. Change can also affect stakeholder relationships and potentially present challenges for political accountability and transparency. When public sector professionals frequently leave their roles, it can disrupt lines of communication and obscure responsibilities within departments, which makes it difficult to track the progress of policy initiatives and hold individuals accountable for outcomes. Put simply, having stability amongst policy and public affairs teams is always key, but particularly at such a critical time.

Public sector employers are working in a rapidly evolving landscape and can’t afford to stretch their workforces any further. The last thing they need to contend with is heightened turnover amongst a key area of the teams. By taking proactive steps to engage with their employees and identify the root causes of dissatisfaction that may be encouraging many to leave, they stand a better chance of retaining top talent and navigating this challenging period in the UK political landscape.

Images: Lauren Maddocks and Nick Kane

Other features:

Reflections on the first Consumer Regulatory Judgements

Housing strategy – what’s in it for residents?

Emily Whitehouse
Writer and journalist for Newstart Magazine, Social Care Today and Air Quality News.

Comments

Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Help us break the news – share your information, opinion or analysis
Back to top