Elevated departure rates during political transformations are always unfavorable
In the current political landscape of the UK, retaining policy and public affairs specialists in the public sector has become a critical task. With disruptions in lines of communication and obscuring responsibilities within departments, it can be challenging to track the progress of policy initiatives and hold individuals accountable for outcomes.
To address this challenge, employers should focus on several key strategies. First, providing stability through clear governance and thoughtful planning is essential. In times of political change, public sector organizations must manage reforms carefully with robust governance structures and allow sufficient time to establish policies and procedures. This helps specialists navigate the transition with clarity and confidence rather than uncertainty and chaos.
Second, fostering strong stakeholder relationships and internal collaboration is crucial. Specialists value roles enabling them to engage diverse stakeholders and collaborate cross-functionally, such as with legal, compliance, and communication teams. Encouraging and supporting these connections can increase job satisfaction and feelings of impact.
Third, emphasizing rapid, tactically agile response capabilities is another retention strategy. Retention is supported when specialists have opportunities to apply their political savvy and crisis communication skills in a dynamic environment. Empowering them to lead rapid response initiatives keeps the work engaging and critical.
Fourth, offering professional development and growth opportunities is another important factor. Providing avenues for advancement or acknowledgement of expertise in public affairs reinforces commitment to the organization. Roles combining policy tracking, compliance, and advocacy give specialists a broader skill set, improving retention.
Fifth, addressing workload and resource constraints actively is vital. The public sector often faces staffing and administrative pressures exacerbated by political transitions and reform efforts. Mitigating burnout by managing workload and communicating practical guidance helps retain staff.
Sixth, maintaining messaging consistency and support is essential. Supporting specialists with clear communications, aligning their work with organizational strategy, and facilitating sensitivity in handling political issues reduce stress and turnover risk.
These combined practices contribute to retaining public affairs professionals who bring critical policy knowledge and stakeholder engagement expertise during politically volatile periods. They also ensure continuity in public service functions despite increased turnover pressures.
While not explicitly detailed in the search results, common HR best practices such as competitive compensation, recognition, and inclusive workplace culture further support retention but should be adapted to public sector constraints.
Change can affect stakeholder relationships and potentially present challenges for political accountability and transparency. Major changes to key industries including healthcare, transport, and education are anticipated in the next few months, making policy and public affairs professionals increasingly critical for employers.
The loss of institutional knowledge due to high turnover in policy and public affairs teams can be challenging to replace. Employers that fail to address the root causes of dissatisfaction encouraging many to leave may struggle to retain top talent. With the Policy and Public Affairs Salary & Employment Report revealing that a quarter of the existing workforce in local and central government are planning to switch roles in the next six months, the need for effective retention strategies has never been more urgent.
Flexibility is highly valued by over eight in ten policy and public affairs experts in local and central government. Following several scandals during the pandemic, policy professionals have been under increased scrutiny and public pressure. Growing dissatisfaction within local and central government staff could be related to several factors, but increased scrutiny and public pressure are likely to be a core reason.
Pay is the top factor sought by policy and public affairs specialists in both their current and next roles. If the Labour's plans to raise VAT on independent schools could be delayed due to a lack of policy specialists able to implement legal changes, it underscores the importance of retaining these professionals. A lack of policy and public affairs specialists could lead to delays in policy launches and impact employers attempting to adapt to a changing legal landscape.
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. The turmoil of the pre-election purdah period and the following months of political transition may have stretched many policy professionals to their limits. This heightened turnover amongst policy and public affairs specialists is particularly concerning for employers.
If the turnover is as high as expected, it could have significant repercussions and lead to a spiraling effect that impacts productivity and output across multiple industries. Company culture is increasingly important for many policy and public affairs specialists, with 84% valuing it when choosing their next role. Employers must prioritize creating a positive and supportive work environment to retain their valuable policy and public affairs professionals.
- Local government departments need to implement clear governance and thoughtful planning to manage reforms effectively, ensuring specialists navigate transitions with clarity.
- Encouraging collaboration between different departments and stakeholders, such as legal, compliance, and communication teams, can increase job satisfaction among specialists.
- Rapid, tactically agile response capabilities are key to retaining specialists, especially those with political savvy and crisis communication skills.
- Professional development opportunities that allow specialists to advance or broaden their skill set can help boost retention.
- Managing workload and communicating practical guidance can help prevent burnout and retain public sector staff during politically volatile periods.
- Consistent messaging and support can reduce stress and turnover risk among specialists, while aligning their work with organizational strategy is essential.
- Competitive compensation, recognition, and an inclusive workplace culture are common HR best practices that support retention but should be adapted to public sector constraints.
- Major changes in key industries like healthcare, transport, and education will increase the importance of policy and public affairs professionals.
- The loss of institutional knowledge due to high turnover can be challenging to replace, making retention strategies more urgent.
- Eight out of ten policy and public affairs experts value flexibility in their roles, especially in light of increased scrutiny and public pressure during the pandemic.
- A positive company culture is crucial for retaining policy and public affairs professionals, with 84% valuing it when choosing their next role.
