Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow while Maximizing Productivity Today!

1. Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow while Maximizing Productivity Today! Tyler Robinson & David Uejio Young Government Leaders

2. Young Government Leaders (YGL) • YGL is a professional organization whose mission is to educate, inspire, and transform the current and future leaders of government. • YGL’s membership is comprised of over 2,700 federal employees nationwide from various agencies. • YGL is expanding its research capabilities to tap into the opinions of its members

3. Today’s Goals • What are the prevailing characteristics, perceptions and behaviors of young government professionals? • How do you develop tomorrow’s leaders while accomplishing today’s mission? • We will use the ideal young professional employee life cycle as a tool for this discussion.

4. Why This is Important • 18.3 years – average length of service for GS 14, 15, and SES (12.9 years total workforce) • 56% of GS 14, 15, and SES are over 50 (43% total workforce) • Budgets are getting tighter • There can be generational differences in career perceptions • Employee Skills – Mission Match can help in accomplishing the organization’s mission Survey Data from OPM’s 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/ Data from OPM’s Fedscopehttp://www.fedscope.opm.gov/

5. Young Government Professional Profile • 28 years– Median Age • 2 years – Median Length of Service • GS 11 – Median Grade • Hired through an Intern/Fellowship Program • 82% of those survey entered that way • 70% thought the intern/fellowship was effective or very effective • Highly Educated • 38% with a Bachelors • 60% with a Masters or higher Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members

6. Young Government Professional Perceptions Compared to All Govt Survey Data from OPM’s 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/

7. Young Government Professional Perceptions Compared to All Govt Survey Data from OPM’s 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/

8. Ideal Young ProfessionalEmployee Life Cycle Agency Mission

9. Recruitment • We asked our members how best to recruit top talent. • Getting in front of applicants at universities is most preferred, with budget constraints this isn’t always possible • Advertising to Career Counselors to push OPM’s Pathways Programs may be the best route Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members

10. Recruitment – Pathways • OPM is about to launch the Pathways Program • Pathways will be the best and easiest way to bring in new talent • There are three Pathways • Internship Program • Recent Graduates Program • Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program

11. Recruitment – Internship Program • For Current Students • Replaces SCEP and STEP • May be non-competitively converted to a permanent position

12. Recruitment – Internship Program • Great for managers who want to: • Delegate tasks that are consuming valuable time from more senior employees • Get access to potential employees before they hit the job market • Have a low-risk trial period since interns are not required to be converted to permanent positions

13. Recruitment – Internship Program • Tips for success: • Set expectations early so that the intern does not create unrealistic ones, which can happen with people with little job experience • Sit down and develop an individual development plan (doesn’t have to be a large document) • Follow-up fairly regularly to see how the intern is progressing and if there are opportunities for improving the experience

14. Recruitment – Recent Grads Program • For those who graduated from any degree program within the last 2 year • Effectively replaces FCIP • May be non-competitively converted to a permanent position • Formal training and mentorship requirement

15. Recruitment – Recent Grads Program • Great for managers who want to: • Hire people quickly who have relevant education • Infuse new talent into the organization • Have tasks that can be done by an entry level person • Reduce headcount budget costs (recent grads can come in lower grads)

16. Recruitment – Recent Grads Program • Tips for success: • Have a plan for how you are going to use the recent grad • Help them find a mentor somewhere in the organization • Discuss an individual development plan including what appropriate training they should pursue • Consider whether a short (3-4 month) rotation would be beneficial for the recent grad

17. Recruitment – PMF • For those who graduated from an advanced degree program within the last 2 year • May be non-competitively converted to a permanent position • Formal training and senior level mentorship requirement

18. Recruitment – PMF • Great for managers who want to: • Create a pool of talent that can be used in the future for succession planning • Get high quality employees who have already gone through a competitive hiring process (less than 10% of applicants become finalists) • Have an individual who can start with entry level tasks, but learns quickly so more responsibility can be added

19. Recruitment – PMF • Tips for success: • Help facilitate the PMF finding a senior level mentor • Discuss the rotation requirement early • Discuss an individual development plan including what appropriate training they should pursue • Have frequent contact about how the fellowship is going and help ground expectations for what they were hired to do

20. Engagement “Employee engagement has evolved from the concept of satisfaction. Engagement occurs when Satisfaction, Motivation and Effectiveness intersect.” – Essential Components of Employee Engagement “Engaged employees are passionate, energetic, and dedicated to their job and organization.” – OPM Employee Viewpoint Survey “The world's top-performing organizations understand that employee engagement is a force that drives performance outcomes. In the best organizations, engagement is more than a human resources initiative -- it is a strategic foundation for the way they do business.” – Gallup

21. Engagement – OPM Engagement Index

22. Engagement – OPM Engagement Index • Engagement and Retention are highly correlated • Those who are considering leaving, not for retirement have an engagement index score that is almost 40 points lower than those wanting to stay

23. Engagement – How To Retain • We asked our members how to retain employees after they are done with participating in the Pathways Program • Manager and Burnout did not receive wide support Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members

24. Engagement – What Young Folks Want • We asked our members what they would like to see included in the recent grads pathway Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members

25. Development • 5 Development Strategies that won’t break the bank • Mentorships • Job Shadowing • Brown Bag Lunch • Book Club • Professional Organizations

26. Development – Mentorships • Senior-to-Junior Style • In this type of mentorship, an up-and-coming leader is advised and counseled by a more experienced individual • The relationship is based on developing the junior individual, but often the senior individual learns and benefits just as much from the mentorship • 79% of YGL members believe mentorships are effective or very effective “Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen, and a push in the right direction.” - John Crosby Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members

27. Development – Mentorships - Why? • Mentoring is important • Mentoring is flexible • Mentoring is effective • Mentoring is scalable • Mentoring builds depth “Everyone has a transferable commodity: knowledge. Sharing your unique expertise and making introductions for someone creates a lasting legacy.” - Marsha Blackburn

28. Development – Mentorships - Tips? • Consider your personal motivation. • Clarify what you are looking for in a mentoring relationship. • Get comfortable with the mentoring skills you may need to draw on. • Coaching, Facilitating, Goal Setting, Feedback, and Listening • Identify a couple of stretch goals • Create a mentor development plan “Mentors with the best attitude see the work as an opportunity to expand and deepen individual and organizational learning.” - Lois J. Zachary

29. Development – Job Shadowing • Generally short term, 1 day to a week • The shadowing employee learns through observation • Critique, analyze, and discuss with shadowing employee to provide an even deeper learning opportunity • Can be a long term rotation (few weeks to a few months) • Employee learns by observation and by doing • Look for opportunities within or outside your organization to expose new employees • Think about swapping employees so work isn’t backlogged much “Every man who observes vigilantly and resolves steadfastly grows unconsciously into genius.” - Edward G. Bulwer-Lytton

30. Development – Brown Bag Lunch • Encourage a relaxed atmosphere of sharing • Benefits both the speaker and the audience • A key feature of the Brown Bag Lunch is having a group question and answer session “If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples, then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” - George Bernard Shaw

31. Development – Book Club • Can be any type of book your team find interesting • Builds a knowledge base and can improve team camaraderie • Can have pre-designed discussion questions or a free flowing discussion opportunity • Encourage employees to examine what they have read and appreciate the different opinions shared “No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting” - Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

32. Development – Professional Organizations • Professional organizations are present in almost any field • YGL and Federal Managers Associations are but two of them • Encourage employees to find one or more organizations to get involved with • These organizations can provide networking, training, advocacy, and encouragement to members “The more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have.” - Norman Vincent Peale

33. QUESTIONS?

34. Ideal Young ProfessionEmployee Life Cycle Agency Mission

35. NOTES

36. KEY TAKEAWAYS • OPM’s New Pathways Program is a great recruiting tool • Setting expectations early will enhance the experience • Regular feedback is key • Engagement, Satisfaction, and Retention are all interrelated • Quality Work Assignments & Career Advancement Opportunities are highly desired • To engage young employees create opportunities to learn by doing and from more senior staff • Try: Mentorships, Job Shadowing, Brown Bag Lunches, Book Clubs, and Professional Organizations • Each tool can be used for a different purpose and requires different levels of time and commitment • Discuss what works best for your team before executing