It has long been recognised that central and local government departments, as well as the public sector more widely, face a challenge in recruiting the technology talent they urgently need to transform services. There are perennial skills shortages in key areas such as software engineering, data and cyber. This acts as a brake on the ambitious modernisation and digitisation plans for the UK’s public services – as well as raising concerns in key areas such as cybersecurity, as the National Audit Office (NAO) recently warned.
The key factor behind this issue is undoubtedly pay, given that base rates of remuneration can be anything from a few percentage points to as much as 40% lower in public sector organisations compared to their private sector counterparts. This clearly creates a recruitment (and retention) challenge.
Hampered by misconceptions
But it is not just about pay. There is a wider perception – what I would describe as a misconception – that the work on offer in government and the public sector is not as exciting, advanced or cutting-edge as that going on in private industry. This belief tends to drive many tech professionals to confine their searches to the private sector, particularly those looking to cut their teeth in key emerging areas such as AI, machine learning and Big Data.
However, while these factors certainly make recruitment harder, there is no doubt at all that the public sector can attract the talent it needs. In my experience, there are four key areas where public bodies can focus their efforts to shift attitudes and bring out all the benefits and strengths of joining a public sector technology team.
1 Communicating a rounded view of pay
Firstly, remuneration. While it is true that permanent and contractor rates are generally higher in the private sector, often the differential is not huge. Many positions come with very attractive and competitive salaries or rates – there are plenty of ‘big earners’ in public sector tech teams. There are also a number of initiatives to pay supplements and premiums to pivotal roles such as data scientists and software developers that are key to transformation efforts. Moreover, a standout strength in the public sector is pension contributions. It’s true that final salary pension schemes are now largely closed to new joiners, but even in the switch to defined contribution schemes the public sector is significantly more generous than the private sector. It is not uncommon for a public sector employer to make contributions approaching 30% of an employee’s salary – far in excess of standard practice amongst commercial businesses where the figure is usually below 10%. This makes a huge difference to the size of the pension pot an individual can build up. It’s a long-term gain rather than being immediately visible in a pay packet – but if this benefit is properly explained and publicised, it can significantly influence some individuals’ thinking.
2 Emphasising the quality and scale of work on offer
Secondly, the quality of work on offer. It is completely wrong to take the view “private sector = cutting edge, public sector = behind the curve”. There are numerous projects in play across the public sector that are right at the leading edge. AI pilots and implementations, cloud-first adoptions, agile and lean methodologies – they are all happening. For example, have you applied for or renewed your passport recently? The Passport Office’s process is fully digitised end-to-end, creating a slick, customer-centric experience that rivals anything on offer from a private business. The Home Office, Cabinet Office, FCDO, devolved bodies including the Scottish government – they are all pursuing ambitious digital transformation programmes that require teams of highly skilled technologists. What’s more, these are projects at scale – to be delivered to hundreds of thousands or millions of users. Internal projects are big too, given that many departments have 10,000+ staff. Maybe it’s time for some technologists working on niche private projects in the mid-market to reconsider? It’s really important for public sector bodies to keep finding ways of talking about the exciting work they are doing, for example by attending cross-sector events and industry conferences, getting the message out there to attract talent.
3 Promoting cultural strengths and sense of purpose
Thirdly, there are strong cultural perks to the public sector. Flexible and hybrid working is widely embraced – while in the private sphere, growing numbers of employers have been increasing their in-office mandates. There is a balance to be struck here clearly, but in most public employers there is still ample scope for individuals find an equation that works for them and the organisation. This can be especially attractive to female technologists, work returners, carers and second careerists. There is also a major cultural factor around purpose. For many, knowing that the work they are doing will have a positive impact on the services available to the population at large – for the public good, rather than for commercial profit – can act as a significant motivator. It’s something that public sector bodies can continue to leverage.
4 Optimising the recruitment process
Finally, another important determinant is the smoothness of the recruitment and onboarding process. In my experience, this is an area where some public bodies have scope to drive improvements. At Harvey Nash, we always discuss this with clients upfront because it can make such a difference to outcomes. Ensuring that the application process is as smooth and digitised as possible, creating a good candidate experience from start to finish, is key. Relatively small tweaks and refinements to the process flow can have surprisingly big results. It is also essential to create alternative entry pathways to reach new talent pools, including apprenticeship schemes and other programmes.
Technology roles in the public sector have a huge amount to offer. Technologists can build a great career that will also be transferable into the private sector later on if they wish. We have placed numerous candidates who have later told us how delighted they are about the move and that they just didn’t realise how much cutting edge and well-remunerated work was on offer. Public bodies need to keep on getting the message out there, fighting misconceptions and balancing up the debate.
