Developing the Leaders of Tomorrow while Maximizing Productivity Today!

Tyler Robinson & David UejioYoung Government LeadersDeveloping the Leaders of Tomorrow while Maximizing Productivity Today!

Young Government Leaders (YGL)YGL is a professional organization whose mission is to educate, inspire, and transform the current and future leaders of government. YGLs 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 membersTodays GoalsWhat are the prevailing characteristics, perceptions and behaviors of young government professionals?

How do you develop tomorrows leaders while accomplishing todays mission?We will use the ideal young professional employee life cycle as a tool for this discussion.

Why This is Important18.3 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 tighterThere can be generational differences in career perceptions Employee Skills Mission Match can help in accomplishing the organizations mission

Survey Data from OPMs 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/Data from OPMs Fedscope http://www.fedscope.opm.gov/ Young Government Professional Profile28 years Median Age2 years Median Length of ServiceGS 11 Median GradeHired through an Intern/Fellowship Program 82% of those survey entered that way70% thought the intern/fellowship was effective or very effectiveHighly Educated38% with a Bachelors60% with a Masters or higher

Based on a 2011 survey of YGL membersYoung Government Professional Perceptions Compared to All GovtSurvey Data from OPMs 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/

Young Government Professional Perceptions Compared to All GovtSurvey Data from OPMs 2011 Employee Viewpoint Survey http://www.fedview.opm.gov/

Ideal Young ProfessionalEmployee Life CycleAgency MissionSlightly different than your typical lifecycle since promotion is the end goal not retirement8RecruitmentWe asked our members how best to recruit top talent.Getting in front of applicants at universities is most preferred, with budget constraints this isnt always possibleAdvertising to Career Counselors to push OPMs Pathways Programs may be the best route

Based on a 2011 survey of YGL members9Recruitment Pathways OPM is about to launch the Pathways ProgramPathways will be the best and easiest way to bring in new talentThere are three PathwaysInternship Program Recent Graduates Program Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program10Recruitment Internship ProgramFor Current StudentsReplaces SCEP and STEPMay be non-competitively converted to a permanent position

11Recruitment Internship ProgramGreat for managers who want to:Delegate tasks that are consuming valuable time from more senior employeesGet access to potential employees before they hit the job marketHave a low-risk trial period since interns are not required to be converted to permanent positions

12Recruitment Internship ProgramTips for success:Set expectations early so that the intern does not create unrealistic ones, which can happen with people with little job experienceSit down and develop an individual development plan (doesnt 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

13Recruitment Recent Grads ProgramFor those who graduated from any degree program within the last 2 yearEffectively replaces FCIPMay be non-competitively converted to a permanent positionFormal training and mentorship requirement

14Recruitment Recent Grads ProgramGreat for managers who want to:Hire people quickly who have relevant educationInfuse new talent into the organizationHave tasks that can be done by an entry level personReduce headcount budget costs (recent grads can come in lower grads)

15Recruitment Recent Grads ProgramTips for success:Have a plan for how you are going to use the recent gradHelp them find a mentor somewhere in the organizationDiscuss an individual development plan including what appropriate training they should pursueConsider whether a short (3-4 month) rotation would be beneficial for the recent grad

16Recruitment PMFFor those who graduated from an advanced degree program within the last 2 yearMay be non-competitively converted to a permanent positionFormal training and senior level mentorship requirement

17Recruitment PMFGreat for managers who want to:Create a pool of talent that can be used in the future for succession planningGet 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

18Recruitment PMFTips for success:Help facilitate the PMF finding a senior level mentorDiscuss the rotation requirement earlyDiscuss an individual development plan including what appropriate training they should pursueHave frequent contact about how the fellowship is going and help ground expectations for what they were hired to do

19EngagementEngaged 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. GallupEmployee engagement has evolved from the concept of satisfaction. Engagement occurs when Satisfaction, Motivation and Effectiveness intersect. Essential Components of Employee EngagementEngagement OPM Engagement Index

Engagement OPM Engagement IndexEngagement and Retention are highly correlatedThose who are considering leaving, not for retirement have an engagement index score that is almost 40 points lower than those wanting to stay

Engagement How To RetainWe asked our members how to retain employees after they are done with participating in the Pathways ProgramManager and Burnout did not receive wide support

Based on a 2011 survey of YGL membersEngagement What Young Folks WantWe asked our members what they would like to see included in the recent grads pathway

Based on a 2011 survey of YGL membersDevelopment5 Development Strategies that wont break the bankMentorshipsJob ShadowingBrown Bag LunchBook ClubProfessional Organizations

Development Mentorships Senior-to-Junior StyleIn this type of mentorship, an up-and-coming leader is advised and counseled by a more experienced individualThe relationship is based on developing the junior individual, but often the senior individual learns and benefits just as much from the mentorship79% 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 CrosbyBased on a 2011 survey of YGL membersDevelopment Mentorships - Why? Mentoring is importantMentoring is flexibleMentoring is effectiveMentoring is scalableMentoring builds depthEveryone has a transferable commodity: knowledge. Sharing your unique expertise and making introductions for someone creates a lasting legacy. - Marsha BlackburnDevelopment 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 ListeningIdentify a couple of stretch goalsCreate a mentor development planMentors with the best attitude see the work as an opportunity to expand and deepen individual and organizational learning. - Lois J. ZacharyDevelopment Job ShadowingGenerally short term, 1 day to a week The shadowing employee learns through observationCritique, analyze, and discuss with shadowing employee to provide an even deeper learning opportunityCan be a long term rotation (few weeks to a few months)Employee learns by observation and by doingLook for opportunities within or outside your organization to expose new employeesThink about swapping employees so work isnt backlogged muchEvery man who observes vigilantly and resolves steadfastly grows unconsciously into genius. - Edward G. Bulwer-LyttonDevelopment Brown Bag LunchEncourage a relaxed atmosphere of sharingBenefits both the speaker and the audienceA key feature of the Brown Bag Lunch is having a group question and answer sessionIf 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 ShawDevelopment Book ClubCan be any type of book your team find interestingBuilds a knowledge base and can improve team camaraderieCan have pre-designed discussion questions or a free flowing discussion opportunityEncourage 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 MontaguDevelopment Professional OrganizationsProfessional organizations are present in almost any fieldYGL and Federal Managers Associations are but two of themEncourage employees to find one or more organizations to get involved withThese organizations can provide networking, training, advocacy, and encouragement to membersThe more you lose yourself in something bigger than yourself, the more energy you will have. - Norman Vincent PealeQUESTIONS?Ideal Young ProfessionEmployee Life CycleAgency MissionSlightly different than your typical lifecycle since promotion is the end goal not retirement34NOTESKEY TAKEAWAYSOPMs New Pathways Program is a great recruiting toolSetting expectations early will enhance the experienceRegular feedback is keyEngagement, Satisfaction, and Retention are all interrelatedQuality Work Assignments & Career Advancement Opportunities are highly desiredTo engage young employees create opportunities to learn by doing and from more senior staffTry: Mentorships, Job Shadowing, Brown Bag Lunches, Book Clubs, and Professional OrganizationsEach tool can be used for a different purpose and requires different levels of time and commitmentDiscuss what works best for your team before executing