What training strategy to attract and retain agents?

The public sector is facing an unprecedented vocations crisis. Between recruitment difficulties and the departure of agents towards other horizons, training is one of the ways to make the civil service attractive. Insights from Nicolas Chevalier-Roch, specialist in local authority management.

1 in 4 new civil servants abandon their position. This is what a study by the General Directorate of Administration and Civil Service reveals, published in February 2023. This decision is final each time. It finds its origin in the feeling of immobility that the administration conveys. And at the end of this failed experience, those who resigned no longer considered working in the public sector at all.

This observation, associated with numerous difficulties in recruiting, led the Ministry of the Civil Service to launch a major consultation of civil servants at the start of the 2023 school year. The result is a “Civil Service +” plan which gives pride of place to training of agents in view of the problems identified in recent years.

Manager training

One of the first points mentioned in the consultation is management problems. They are part of the overly rigid organization of administrations. Too scrupulous respect for established organizational charts is harmful to both efficiency and professional comfort. It would therefore be necessary promote functional management and a reflection on processes.

Furthermore, in the absence of a link with HR departments, managers can hardly value individual efforts. This is an essential point to strengthen within the public service. This can be done both by better integration of HR services into all managerial issues. They are still too often confined to the sole issues of recruitment and payroll. Especially since the “Public Service +” plan provides a certain number of tools to facilitate the reward for personal efforts. These are both:

• taking into account personal efforts in the compensation component of remuneration;
• and better personalization of agent processing.

But it is above all the lack of managerial skills that is singled out. Indeed, it is not enough to be a manager to know how to manage teams on a daily basis.

The challenge, in a framework often experienced as too rigid, is to know the reality of the room for maneuver. This is essential to carrying out your duties without feeling like you are walking on eggshells with every decision. The objective? Quite simply so that the manager can manage.

Strengthened support in relations with users

Rising expectations and demands from citizens, growth in violent acts... Agents encounter difficulties in their relationships with users. This is another major point identified during the consultation and which resulted in a major action plan against violence (barometer, indicators for monitoring violence against civil servants, measures strengthening the protection of public agents and the sanctions of their attackers). But this phenomenon also says a lot about the complexity of working in contact with the public.

This is why skills in terms of communication and conflict management have to be strengthened by training. Whether it’s learning how to conduct an interview with a user. To adopt a reassuring posture or to construct a clear and convincing argument.

For example:

These are all interpersonal skills and know-how that are essential both for the professional well-being of the agent in contact with users and for the users themselves.

Improved quality of life at work through training

Too often forgotten in the public sector, the issue of occupational health is nevertheless essential. In 2023, despite some improvements, territorial agents remained overall dissatisfied with their quality of life at work. This is what the latest barometer carried out jointly by the Gazette des communes and the Mutuelle nationale territoriale underlines. Thus, almost one in two consider that their quality of life at work is decreasing. And three out of four feel stress related to their profession.

This observation is all the more important since, at the same time, civil servants feel that their workload continues to increase.

Whether it is physical or mental health, public employers therefore benefit from strengthen their QVCT policy (quality of life and working conditions).

Two Vigilant point :

1 – Don’t forget the sedentary workers

Indeed, the absence of particular physical constraints does not mean zero risk. As proof, public health messages on the importance of having at least 30 minutes of physical activity per day. However, musculoskeletal risks are often absent from single documents concerning these agents. However, the use of digital tools can cause tendonitis or carpal tunnel syndrome. Likewise, poor posture in front of the computer can cause back pain. Finally, the office environment itself is not always free from any risk of exposure to hazardous substances.

2 – Do not underestimate the risk of burnout which have multiplied in recent years in the public sector

Indeed, the number of administrations convicted in court has exploded. A sign that this issue needs to be taken more into account. This risk must be analyzed through the prism proposed by the INRS (National Institute for Research and Security). Among the most common factors in the public service, we can find:

• Poor definition of objectives
• The numerous interruptions during work
• Tensions with users
• Confrontation with the suffering of others

Thus, QVCT could be the subject of training for managers, HR service agents and agent representatives (social committee). Among other objectives: fight against job abandonment and absenteeism, strengthen the brand image of public recruiters.

HR training to develop greater flexibility

Joining the civil service is often synonymous with a long career. A notion that is increasingly difficult to conceive for most young people entering the world of work. For many in-betweens, it's impossible to spend your whole life doing the same thing. A feeling all the more legitimate as careers lengthen with life expectancy.

However, the public service is rich in diversity. Diversity of sectors of activity, between health, education, justice, local authorities, etc. But also, diversity of responsibilities and expected skill levels. Without forgetting that you can work throughout France while remaining a civil servant. But these qualities are difficult to perceive as each administration has tendency to operate in isolation. Indeed, HR departments think about their constraints and the services they have to manage. And, often, do not support prospects for development outside this framework. To escape from this logic, the ministry calls on all administrations to work in building loyalty at the level of the entire public service. In addition, professional development advisory services (CEP) are now in place at the administration level.

Better integration of new digital tools

The average age of civil servants is between 3 and 5 years higher than in the private sector. This partly explains the difficulty of the digital transition in the public sector. Indeed, the over-40s suffer almost 3 times more from illiteracy than the under-25s. And in the civil service, more than 50 % of employees are over 45. Unfortunately, the unmet need to work with digital tools is one of the reasons why younger people are not joining the civil service.

This is why the consequences of aging on the digital transition of the public sector must be better taken into account by public managers.

Fortunately, the efforts implemented in recent years to strengthen the digital transition of public services are starting to bear fruit. This is the case with the digitalization of most procedures, but also with theintegration of artificial intelligence (AI) in certain processes. AI is already helping tax inspectors verify the assets declared by taxpayers. Other AI tools are currently being tested to improve the targeting of public aid to the poorest households. And, since October 2023, 1,000 volunteer agents have been testing the AI-assisted response to requests from citizens.

However, these developments require a important support, supported by an adapted training plan. Another track: strengthen the role of tutoring and mentoring to facilitate the transfer of skills between agents. The idea? That new employees share their knowledge of new digital tools with their elders. This is the principle of reverse mentoring.

What you need to remember: training is one of the responses to the unprecedented vocations crisis that the public service is going through. By investing in skills development, it can not only revitalize its workforce, but also equip them with the essential know-how to restore quality public service. Above all, we must not forget anyone along the way: whatever the level of responsibility, age, mission... all agents must see, if not new career prospects, the omen of fulfillment daily professional.