This document summarizes recruitment issues faced by the public sector and recommendations from previous research. It discusses that the public sector faces challenges such as a slow bureaucratic recruitment process, an inability to attract certain groups like young college graduates, and subjective recruitment practices. Previous studies examined how demographic factors and job qualities influence preferences for public sector work. They found recruitment could be improved by streamlining hiring procedures, improving marketing of government jobs, focusing on organizational culture and a competence-based approach. The document aims to further explore recruitment issues and provide suggestions based on past research to help modernize public sector recruitment strategies.

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Recruitment Issues in the Public Sector
University of Central Florida
By: Marsha Noel
Master of Public Administration Candidate
To: Dean Rogers
PAD 6417: Human Resource Management

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Abstract
In this literature review, a few studies will be reviewed and discusses to better understand
the current discussion on recruitment related issues within the public sector. Also, in addressing
this topic, recommendations or possible solutions will be offered as it may assist in alleviating
those issues. The purpose of this literature review is to further explore recruitment concerns and to
provide recommendations on future research, so as to better public sector recruitment strategies in a
changing society. The significance of this paper is that government entities can benefit from the
overall application of new recruitment methods suggested through previous research. Finally,
this paper adds to the continuing discussion on recruitment as an important topic among
researchers and those within public sector organizations, especially those within the human
resource management field.

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Introduction
Who wants to work for the government? Is the name of a research article by Lewis and
Frank (2002) that explored how an individual’s demographic characteristic and the importance
they placed on different job qualities influence their choice to work in the public sector. If one
examines the past and review the kind of individuals that preferred working in the public sector,
it would mostly include minorities, veterans, democrats, and older Americans than white,
nonveterans, republicans and younger Americans (Lewis & Frank, 2002). Also, research found
that women and college graduates were more likely than comparable men and less-educated
respondents to have government jobs, but no more likely to prefer them (Lewis & Frank, 2002).
In addition, past recruitment strategies used in government were impediments towards attracting
and retaining the “best and the brightest” (Lavigna & Hays, 2004). Some of these issues involved
slow bureaucratic recruitment processes, non-competitive wages and narrow job descriptions
(Lavigna & Hays, 2004). In most recent years, corporate and government recruiters have noticed
a growing change in how Americans search for work, and have strategically concentrated efforts
to expand online recruitment efforts (Selden & Orenstein, 2011). With an ever changing society,
the need for diversity and the hiring of the most talented people, the public sector can benefit
from reviewing and transforming its recruitment strategies to better service delivery and
customer service practices.
In this literature review, a few studies will be reviewed and discusses to better understand
the current discussion on recruitment related issues within the public sector. Also, in addressing
this topic, recommendations or possible solutions will be offered as it may assist in alleviating
those issues. The purpose of this literature review is to further explore recruitment concerns and to

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provide recommendations on future research, so as to better public sector recruitment strategies in a
changing society. The significance of this paper is that government entities can benefit from the
overall application of new recruitment methods suggested through previous research. Finally,
this paper adds to the continuing discussion on recruitment as an important topic among
researchers and those within public sector organizations, especially those within the human
resource management field.
Recruitment Issues & Solutions
There are various reasons why many people may or may not want to work for the
government. Some of these reasons may be due to low salary, bureaucratic organizational
structures, and a lack of extrinsic rewards. A few studies show that, indeed, these reasons are
exactly the kinds of obstacles that recruiters face within the public sector. These obstacles
include a slow bureaucratic process, lack of attraction to certain groups, and subjective,
inconsistent recruitment and selection practices (Farnham & Steven, 2000; Lavigna & Hays,
2004; Catanzaro, Moore, & Marshall, 2010; Lewis & Frank, 2002).
The Bureaucratic Process
With powerful forces acting on government entities, such as globalization, economic
competition, social and political upheavals , technological change, threat of terrorism, and a
quickly changing labor market, the success of any government to respond effectively lay its in
recruitment and retention abilities (Lavigna & Hays, 2004). A slow bureaucratic recruitment
process can impede on a government agency’s ability to work efficiently and respond to the
burdens that governments across the world face. In result, this can make them less appealing to
applicants and further constrain and complicate existing issues. Solutions for alleviating the

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negative effects of an ineffective approach (i.e. the bureaucratic process), would be to eliminate
arbitrary rules and regulations that restrict the choices of hiring managers and supervisors, adopt
flexible and appealing hiring procedures and screening applicants quickly (Lavigna & Hays,
2004).
Lack of Attraction
Some organizations may be having a difficult time attracting the right kind of applicants.
In an age where people want to be a millionaire, governments struggle to recruit and retain
highly qualified employees (Lewis & Frank, 2004). In particular governments are finding issues
with gaining young college graduates of diverse races with the motivation and skills that
governments want (Lewis & Frank, 2004). In a study by Lewis and Frank (2004), called Who
wants to work for the government?, a contingency table analysis and logistic regression was
conducted on the 1989 and 1998 General Social Surveys to explore how individual demographic
characteristics and the importance they place on various job qualities influence their preference
for working in the public sector. In this study, researchers focused on four main priorities that
may predispose Americans to public employment, they are: pay, job security, attitudes toward
public service and job opportunities and demographic characteristics. Findings confirm that,
indeed, government is greatly challenged with hiring the best and brightest of the younger
generation (Lewis & Frank, 2004). Furthermore, findings show that job security was a selling
point for public sector employment, positive attitudes towards helping others impacted
preference for government work, those who perceived that government pays better than the
private sector were more likely to prefer government employment and that better-educated
Americans and protected groups (i.e. women, minorities and veterans) were more likely to
choose public employment (Lewis & Frank, 2004). A solution to the aforementioned recruitment

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issues is to improve marketing of government jobs, provide an easier, friendlier, quicker and
more transparent application process. Also, researchers Catanzaro, Moore and Timothy (2010),
suggest that organizational culture has an impact on the attraction and recruitment of job
applicants. In their study both men and women reported stronger intentions and preferences to
pursuing jobs with supportive organizational cultures, even if the salary would be lower.
Supportive organizations include those that value collaboration with other employees, work-life
balance, equity, and supportive and helpful interactions between employees (Catanzaro, Moore
& Marshall, 2010). Organizations that truly practice these values can benefit from attracting top
talent and increase retention of employees who need or desire to have a work-life balance
(Catanzaro, Moore & Marshall, 2010).
Problematic Recruitment and Selection Practices
A problematic issue that governments may face is the practice of subjective and
inconsistent recruitment and selection (Farhaim & Stevens, 2000). These practices were also
connected to the lack of awareness of important key procedural and equity issues (Farhaim &
Stevens, 2000). These practices include selections focused on interviews, application forms and
reference checks that are not well managed by line managers and human resources personnel
(Farhaim & Stevens, 2000). The Farhaim and Stevens (2000) study on the Development and
implementation of competence-based recruitment and selection in a social services department of
West Sussex County Council, located in the United Kingdom, found that there was a need for a
competence-based approach that subsequently became a good fit for the departments overall
human resource strategy and improved workplace performance and reduction of workplace
conflict.

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In addition, the study highlights two areas of focus as it pertains to competence-based
recruitment, which are training and relationship building. In particular, relationship building
refers to a partnership approach that provides efficiency and effectiveness in staff recruitment
and selection between line managers and personnel staff (Farhaim & Stevens, 2000). By using
objective measures in the recruitment and selection process, the West Sussex County Council
can better assure that they are staffed with the best qualified fit people within their organization
(Farhaim & Stevens, 2000).
Conclusion
In conclusion, past research shows the need for new recruitment strategies that can tackle
current and persisting issues discussed in most recent research. These areas of issue include the
use of a slow bureaucratic recruitment process, the lack of attraction that the public sector has
with certain groups, and the problematic recruitment and selection practices that may decrease
the recruitment of great talent into government work. Though governments throughout the nation
must find unique solutions that best fit their needs, there are general and applicable solutions that
must be considered for effective recruitment. These solutions include the removal of unnecessary
rules and regulations on the recruitment process, improved marketing for jobs towards the
younger generation, and the implementation of a competence-based approach to ensure equity
and to avoid any possible violations of the law. Future research can focus on individual
government level recruitment issues, such as those unique solely to local, state or federal level
government entities.

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References
Catanzaro, D., Moore, H., & Marshall, T. R. (2010). The impact of organizational culture on
attraction and recruitment of job applicants. Journal of Business and Psychology, 25(4),
649-662. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/10.1007/s10869-010-9179-0
Farnham, D., & Stevens, A. (2000). Developing and implementing competence-based
recruitment and selection in a social services department: A case study of west sussex
county council. The International Journal of Public Sector Management, 13(4), 369-382.
Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/docview/234414849?accountid=10003
Lavigna, R. J., & Hays, S. W. (2004). Recruitment and selection of public workers: An
international compendium of modern trends and practices. Public Personnel Management,
33(3), 237-253. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/docview/215950958?accountid=10003
Lewis, G. B., & Frank, S. A. (2002). Who wants to work for the government? Public
Administration Review, 62(4). Retrieved March 20, 2016, from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/0033-3352.00193/epdf
Selden, S., & Orenstein, J. (2011). Government E-recruiting web sites: The influence of e-
recruitment content and usability on recruiting and hiring outcomes in US state
governments. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 19(1), 31-40.
doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.net.ucf.edu/10.1111/j.1468-2389.2011.00532.x