In spite of limited promotion and pay rise opportunities, bosses in the Australian Public Service (APS) have reportedly received management guidance which suggested leaders should be aiming to generate loyalty amongst their teams.
According to
The Canberra Times, the APS Commission has said that future public sector leaders can be found on the websites.
The Commission sent out the advice in its Talent Management guide, which
The Times described as a “how-to manual for spotting future Canberra mandarins”.
“Effective organisations are using social media to build a community of individuals interested in their products, their work or in the organisation itself,” the manual read.
“Members of these communities have the potential to turn into high-quality, committed employees.”
“Consider using data from sources such as
LinkedIn, Facebook and other global networks to identify quality candidates.”
However, departments have also been advised to establish “talent councils” to ensure that existing talent is not overlooked.
Managers were advised to keep talented employees “engaged” by not restricting them to a single position or department.
“Identifying and developing internal talent means that an agency is not reliant on the labour market to fill every critical vacancy”, the guide said.
“Engagement does not mean holding on to talented employees in one job role or agency; indeed, talent ‘hoarding’ is likely to have a negative effect on engagement.”
The Times also reported that the Commission said the APS’ cutbacks should not mean managers cannot create a loyal workforce.
“During periods where promotion or transfer opportunities are limited across the APS, agencies should carefully consider whether acting assignments or new projects are suitable for keeping high-potential employees committed to the APS,” it said.
