By now, many people have heard of the “Great Resignation,” and its impact in both the private and public sector. With government workers already often in short supply, leaders in the public sector must make a change and improve their workplace culture, or the employees they have could quit and go elsewhere.

If you are either a manager in a government position or a current or potential employee, then you must know what you deserve when it comes to a fair and positive work environment. Let’s talk about current challenges and how leadership can make a change.

Public Sector Work Culture Needs a Boost

As mentioned, there is a negative trend in the public sector right now. Work culture is not what it should be, and because of that and other factors, employees are harder to motivate than ever. Public sector jobs include some very important offices, such as the armed services, public transit, family service agencies, and more, so if there are issues, they could impact the employees as well as the civilians that they serve.

It used to be that people were climbing over one another to get a government job due to the idea that there was good pay, plenty of time off, and there was a certain level of esteem that came with the positions. But over the last several years, that mind frame has changed. Right now, the people in our country are often at odds with one another based on their politics and beliefs, and those prevailing negative attitudes about government make fewer people want to apply for those positions, and it makes the people who currently work for the government feel less excited about their positions.

However, that is not the only negative issue. Public sector jobs also often see frequent leadership changes, a lack of financial incentives, and little room for error when it comes to the work. On top of that, there is typically an older workforce, and when younger people join in, there can be a disconnect and lack of communication that can make it hard to work together.

With all this said, it is important to remember that your office doesn’t have to fall in line with these negative trends. You just need to change your culture.

Factors That Influence Culture

While the leaders in government positions may believe that a pay hike and an extra day off during the year will make their employees happy, there is more to it than that. While a blanket approach is a start, you really need to pinpoint the issues with your particular department, and many surprising factors influence work culture of which you may not have been aware.

For instance, the education level of your employees can make a big difference. Many millennials enter the workforce with college degrees, while the older employees have learned more from being on the job. So there can be an issue as non-graduates might judge those that don’t have experience, and younger people may think that the education makes them better. To improve this culture problem, the manager needs to ensure that everyone knows that they are appreciated and that as a team, every contributor is special in their own right.

One way to do this is to have a meeting with all team members when there is a new project about to start. Go around the room and ask for everyone’s ideas. Don’t leave anyone out and remember that there are not bad ideas, just ideas that may need an adjustment. Management should also use communication methods that they know that all members can use so no one is ever left out.

Another factor that makes a difference is resource scarcity and how much things cost within your community. If the cost of essential items rises but the employees still earn the same salary, then the difficulty to make ends meet could create a negative work environment. Managers can also improve workplace culture in this scenario by thinking about how they can make a change for the better. For instance, in this new digital world, leadership must work with technology to offer employees flexible options like remote work. Another idea is for management to work with vendors to make your supplies less expensive so you can pay the employees more.