ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THE BEST PEOPLE IN THE CIVIL SERVICEBEST PEOPLE IN THE CIVIL SERVICE

PProf. dr. sc. Ivan Koprirof. dr. sc. Ivan Koprićć

Law Faculty of Zagreb UniversityLaw Faculty of Zagreb University

About the projectAbout the projectWorkshops in Sarajevo, Podgorica, Belgrade, Skopje,

Prishtina, Tirana and Zagreb, 6-21. 10. 2008.

Components:1. Collecting regulations, statistic and other data, reports,

strategic and other documents

2. Structured interviews with managers responsible for Human Resources Management

3. Filling in of questioners by officials in charge for certain aspects of HRM

Collected 114 questioners in total, some are still expected (Albania 17, Bosnia and Herzegovina 16, Montenegro 8, Croatia 25, Kosovo 18, Macedonia 10, Serbia 20)

About projectAbout project II. II.Expectation: there are certain difficulties in attracting

and retaining the best people in civil service, when competing with private and other sectors

Purpose: identifying realistic situation, exchange of experiences and orientation for future

Experience of managers and evaluations of civil servants at statistically relevant sample

Key initial issues: a) 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?

b) What are the best people, i.e. later the best servants that we want to attract and retain?

Reasons for difficultiesReasons for difficulties ((external and external and internalinternal))

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

Options for improvementOptions for improvement

Improvement of economic situationWeaker attracting power of other sectors Improvement of legislativeStrengthening of public relations and building of

positive picture of civil service Politics free civil service and professionalizationAppropriate administrative education of all levelsStrengthening of ethical standardsLearning about HRM and improvement of HRM

practiceBuilding of good, stimulating and proactive

organizational cultureWork improvement, raising work motivation

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

Indications of situation: bitter-sweet world

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 senior professional 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

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 measuresCooperation of all players, from HRM service to academic

community Correct defects Change advantages, at least their orderAct more in terms of marketing and show advantages of

work in civil service – changing the public perception

Areas for solution finding Setting in order the civil servants system

60% of respondents believes that extrinsic 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 favoring development in central institutioni)

Organization of a Union

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

LessonsLessons