Change Is in the Wind for HR Management

Consider the old adage, What goes around, comes around. Often, this refers to political appointees who return to government when their party is elected. The other interpretation is that appointees bring back policies that were developed the last time their party was in power. While long-term change does occur, its often at glacial speed because of the political issues associated with implementing it. As a result, transformational change in policies that govern the federal civil service rarely occurs.

Has this happened with the Obama Administrationthe party of change? It certainly has reversed a number of personnel policies that were adopted by the previous administration, many at the urging of employee unions. In the article Human CapitalThe Most Critical Asset, published in the Spring 2008 issue of The Public Manager, I identified a number of areas of focus for the new administration.

HR Change

First, the president appointed a well-known and experienced executive as director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). John Berry took office after serving as assistant secretary for policy, management, and budget at the Department of the Interior, as an aide to Congressman Steny Hoyer working on federal employment issues, and, most recently, as director of the National Zoo. Berry has been an effective spokesman for change in federal personnel policy, but has not had time to advance many of his proposals.

The largest group of supporters for HR change is comprised of the federal employee unions, such as the employee-management cooperation. Gaining broader support in Congress will be necessary to change laws pertaining to such issues as pay and performance.

Finally, gaining traction with the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and department and agency heads (for example, improving skills of managers to lead others and using employment and workplace flexibility such as teleworking) is absolutely essential.

Grade: A-

Employee-Management Relations

The next issue is employee-management relations. Building trust between these two groups will help create the environment necessary to improve pay and performance or implement greater workplace flexibilities. Berry has done well in his dealings with the unions, but has yet to convince many agency leaders to consider these options.

Grade: B+

Performance Accountability

Performance accountability is another area of interest. No doubt this is one of the most critical issues the administration must address, at both employee and agency levels. Among other things, well-functioning programs in these areas will improve public trust in governmentas long as these systems are transparent.

Efforts are underway to work with Congress, OMB, and the agencies to make improvements. OPM has not yet succeeded in convincing employees the value of performance accountability, essentially because the level of trust between employees and managers is still low. (For more details, see results of OPMs Human Capital Surveys at www.opm.gov/surveys/index.asp.)

Recently Berry convened a conference on pay reform. If a broad enough range of individuals was invited and heard, it is possible that a plan for pay reform (tied to accountability) can be crafted.

Grade: B- (but with a bulletas they say in the music business)

Agency Executive Leadership

There have been calls for a number of changes in executive leadership from members of Congress and the Senior Executives Association, among others. It is too early to understand how the administration will approach this issue.

There is little doubt, however, of the critical need to build continuity in leadership by having a good pipeline of potential managers and executives, as well as providing them with training and development opportunities to prepare them for advancement.

As a sign of his commitment to improving leadership development, Berry has established a single focal point within OPM to handle all issues related to the Senior Executive Service (SES)activities previously were split among three OPM divisions. This process takes commitment that transcends political changes and support (time and money) to do it right.

The administration also should focus on the current group of managers and executives: What is being done to help them perform better? Again, this involves a commitment of time and money, with responsibility falling on agencies and their highest level of leadership. OPM will provide guidance, but cannot force agencies to comply.

Grade: B+

Talent Management

The fifth issue is talent management simplifying the hiring process, making it more transparent, and making regulations and policies more flexible to meet individual needs of agencies.

Berry has done a great job providing leadership in this area, but now agencies must produce recruitment materials and processes that are in tune with OPM changes, such as reducing the paperwork requirement for applications. They are not doing so well.

Grade: A-

Work Life

The next issue relates to quality of work life, and there is much to discuss. Steve W.T. OKeeffes article Telework Tango: Take Two, From the Top offers a cogent article on teleworking, which not only is a quality of work life issue, but also one related to continuity of operations during emergency situations. Robert D. Childs, Gerry Gingrich, and Michael Piller address ways to attract the Millennial Generation, including the use of new technology, in their article, The Future Workforce: Gen Y Has Arrived.

Baby Boomers might find it difficult to learn about these new technologies, but I suspect most of them greatly value the perspective, hard work, and intelligence the Millennial Generation is bringing to government. This is an area where leaders should allow a thousand flowers to bloom (within IT security limits) and get on the bus or get out of the way. Its difficult to grade Berry and OPM on this so early, but comments made by Berry indicate that he values these changes.

Grade: Too early to tell

Leadership

Finally, there is an overarching issue the administration must address: leadership. Leadership is difficult to measure and hard to describe. It relates to the interest and ability of an individual to promote appropriate change and provide the culture and environment in which change can succeed.

With regards to this important issue, Berry projects a strong role, setting expectations for all agencies and their leaders. He has promoted a significant number of changes that will take time to implement and are likely subject to possible changes by others in the administration, members of Congress, and additional stakeholders.

But fresh winds are blowing from the Theodore Roosevelt Building, home of OPM. This is where Berry shines most.

Grade: A+