ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

1. ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE Prof. dr. sc. Ivan Koprić Law Faculty of Zagreb University

2. About the project Workshops in Sarajevo, Podgorica, Belgrade, Skopje, Prishtina, Tiranaand Zagreb, 6-21. 10. 2008. Components: Collecting regulations, statistic and other data, reports, strategic and other documents Structured interviews with managers responsible for Human Resources Management Filling in of questioners by officials in charge for certain aspects of HRM Collected 114 questioners in total, some are still expected (Albania 17, Bosniaand Herzegovina 16, Montenegro 8, Croatia 25, Kosovo 18, Macedonia 10, Serbia 20)

3. About project II. Expectation: there are certain difficultiesin attracting and retaining the best people in civil service, when competing with private and other sectors Purpose: identifying realistic situation, exchange of experiencesand orientation for future Experience of managers and evaluations of civil servants at statistically relevant sample Key initial issues: Is the staff fluctuation bad by itself? How long should the best people be retained? What to do with those who do not produce the best results anymore? What are the best people, i.e. later the best servants that we want to attract and retain?

4. Reasons for difficulties(external and internal) Bad economic situation Competitiveness of other sectors (private, civil, international, local) Bad legislative Bad social valuing of public administration Politicizing Weak and inadequate educational preparation Lack of strategic vision in the Civil Service Low ethical standards Bad practices in Human Resources Management Bad organizational culture, atmosphere, work conditions Job dissatisfaction

5. Options for improvement Improvement of economic situation Weaker attracting power of other sectors Improvement of legislative Strengthening of public relations and building of positive picture of civil service Politics free civil service and professionalization Appropriate administrative education of all levels Strengthening of ethical standards Learning about HRM and improvement of HRM practice Building of good, stimulating and proactive organizational culture Work improvement, raising work motivation

6. Motivation: civil service between necessary evil and will for self-realization Individual factors Existential necessity Desire for power and privileges Opportunity for professional development Job satisfaction Self-affirmation and self-realization Organizational factors Good salary and possibility for promotion Opportunities for gaining privileges Interesting work Good work conditions Organizational loyalty Cohesive organizational culture Social circumstances Labour market situation Permanence and security of job Work for public interest

7. Indications of situation: bitter-sweetworld Advantages when working in the Civil Service (motivation) Job security (58%) Regular salary (28%) Professional development (8%) Some drawbacks Dissatisfaction with situation in the Civil Service (for example 49% believes that highest ranking professionals are not given adequate attention; 56% do not see educational or other strategy of creating able people for senior professional positions; and no less than 87% feels that public servants work is very important for social community and citizens) Criteria for promotion to seniorprofessional positions are not objective enough (this is the standpoint of no less than 44% respondents) Relatively weak organizational culture (45%) Politicizing (47% believes that politicians can significantly influence the existence of servants in the civil service; same goes for interviews-neglecting of profession, removals, appraisals, obedience and hierarchy) Insufficient number of rewards for good and penalties for bad civil servants Insufficient appreciation of HRM by managers

8. Solution finding: thorny road ahead From short-term to long-term measures Stop recruitment based on political, national, family or other connections (23%) Pay better the best quality work in the civil service (15%) Shape new educational programs specialized for human resources management in higher educational institutions (12%) Undertake complex and linked measures Cooperation of all players, from HRM service to academic community Correct defects Change advantages, at least theirorder Act more in terms of marketing and show advantages of work in civil service – changing the public perception

9. Areas for solution finding Setting in order the civil servants system 60% of respondentsbelieves thatextrinsic motivation is more important, which points to the need to set in order the de-motivating salary and promotion system so far, and basis for this is the system of classification 49% feel that the salaries are not sufficiently based on results, and 55% feel that salaries are significantly influencing better work. Improvement of HRM practice 4/5. position in ranking measures – centralization, and 6 position de-centralization of performing HRM tasks Study trips abroad (28%) + rotation (11%) Strengthening of merit system Decrease political influence Strengthen professional-proactive attitude of civil servants (45% believes that office-reactive attitude has more bearing; 4/5. position in ranking measures) Development and education (37% responses are favoring postgraduate studies and 25% are favoringdevelopment in central institutioni) Organization of a Union

10. A more simplified motivational approach and broader, systematic approach There is nothing so practical as good theory. Nothing could replace creativity of good practitioners. Practice does not pose question about purity of concepts and beauty of ideas, but about usefulness of solutions in concrete circumstances. Contacts: ikopric@pravo.hr; ikopric@inet.hr Lessons