State and local governments are competing for talent in a labor market shaped by new employee expectations, expanding career choices and rapid technological change.
Posting a vacancy and waiting for applicants is no longer enough. Government employers must actively recruit, explain the value of public service and build workplaces where employees can develop new skills and move throughout their careers.
Recorded at the NASPE 2026 Annual Meeting, this episode of State Gov Today explores how state human capital leaders are rethinking recruiting, skills-based hiring, employee development, career mobility and succession planning.
The discussion shows why workforce strategy must extend beyond filling today’s vacancies to building resilient talent pipelines for the decade ahead.
Host George Jackson speaks with:
- Nicole Tucker, Chief Operating Officer, Louisiana State Civil Service
- Kelly Hardwick, State Personnel Director, Mississippi
- Jonathan Patterson, Chief Deputy Director, Civil Service Commission, State of Michigan
- Leslie Scott Parker, Executive Director, NASPE
Competing for Talent in a Changing Labor Market
Leslie Scott Parker says states are no longer simply posting positions. They are actively searching for talent, planning for future workforce needs and building long-term pipelines. That shift requires agencies to present a clearer and more compelling explanation of what a government career can offer.
Jonathan Patterson explains that job announcements must move beyond internal government language. Candidates need plain descriptions of the work, the skills required and the effect the position has on residents.
Traditional benefits such as retirement and insurance remain important, but applicants increasingly ask about leave, flexibility and work-life balance. Hiring has become a two-way evaluation in which candidates expect employers to explain how a role will fit their lives.
Kelly Hardwick says those expectations are particularly important for younger workers, many of whom want their work to have a clear purpose.
Government employers must communicate that public service offers a direct connection to communities and missions that affect people’s daily lives. The old “post and pray” approach cannot meet that expectation. Agencies must recruit intentionally and prepare hiring managers to represent both the job and the organization effectively.
Nicole Tucker notes that remote and hybrid work remain prominent questions for applicants. During the pandemic, public services continued even when many physical workplaces closed. That experience changed how employees think about where work can be performed.
Government agencies must now decide which forms of flexibility are possible for a given mission and communicate those expectations clearly during recruitment.
The panel also explores how hiring managers must change. Hardwick says managers have historically gravitated toward candidates who resemble themselves in education, experience or career path.
Skills-based hiring requires them to look beyond familiar credentials and evaluate whether a candidate has the capabilities needed to succeed. Relevant skills may come from employment, military service, volunteer work, education or community experience.
Parker identifies technology positions as a continuing challenge, but she also emphasizes that agencies can develop many technical capabilities internally when employees have the willingness and capacity to learn.
Tucker adds that governments must distinguish between skills they can build and highly specialized expertise they must recruit externally. The answer depends on the team’s current experience, its ability to train and the urgency of the mission.
Critical thinking, communication, adaptability and problem-solving emerge as essential capabilities across government occupations.
Those durable skills allow employees to learn new technology, move between agencies and respond to unfamiliar situations. For government employers, the challenge is to identify those capabilities during hiring and continue strengthening them after an employee joins the organization.
Developing Careers and Building the Next Generation of Government Leaders
Government’s ability to offer many different careers within one employer can be a major competitive advantage. Hardwick describes state service as a place where a person can build several careers over a working lifetime, moving among agencies, occupations and missions without leaving government.
Tucker says that mobility can be especially valuable for early-career professionals who have not yet chosen a single path.
State government includes attorneys, accountants, technologists, human resources professionals, maintenance workers, correctional officers, transportation specialists and many other occupations. Employees can discover where their strengths and interests align while continuing to serve the public.
Patterson argues that employee development should therefore focus on the whole person rather than only the technical requirements of a current position.
Adaptability, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving transfer across agencies and occupations. An employee may move from information technology to transportation or another operational environment, but those core capabilities remain valuable.
Shorter job tenure also changes succession planning. Parker notes that younger employees may leave and later return when their priorities change.
States can benefit by maintaining relationships and creating reasons for former employees to consider public service again. NASPE helps states compare approaches, share research and learn from peers facing similar workforce pressures.
Michigan approaches succession planning by building leadership capacity throughout the workforce rather than informally selecting predetermined successors.
Patterson explains that merit-system requirements make broad development especially important. Employees can demonstrate leadership from any role, and unions help ensure that development and advancement follow established principles.
Louisiana similarly emphasizes leadership skills for individual contributors, supervisors and managers. Tucker says employees should have opportunities to develop before they formally enter management.
Building a strong workforce means creating a larger group of people who are prepared to lead, even when they are not yet pursuing a specific promotion.
External partnerships are another essential part of the talent pipeline. Patterson says universities and community colleges influence how students understand career possibilities.
Government agencies must become trusted employers that provide positive internship, student-assistant and entry-level experiences. When educators and career counselors understand the range of public-sector occupations, they are better positioned to refer students to government opportunities.
Hardwick also encourages human capital leaders to look beyond the HR profession. Legal professionals, transportation agencies, regional leaders, community organizations and other partners may see barriers that HR teams miss.
Recruiting problems are not always solved by higher pay. Honest feedback can reveal problems in job design, location, flexibility, communication or workplace experience that agencies can address.
Looking ahead, Parker identifies adaptability and agility as defining capabilities for government HR organizations.
Technology, job classifications and workforce expectations are changing quickly. The agencies that build the strongest workforces will connect technology, communication and strategy while remaining prepared to adjust as missions and talent needs evolve.
Key Takeaways
- Government recruiting now requires active outreach, plain-language job descriptions and a clear explanation of public service’s purpose and benefits.
- Skills-based hiring should recognize capabilities gained through work, education, military service, volunteering and other experiences.
- Career mobility is a major public-sector advantage because employees can pursue multiple occupations and missions within state government.
- Succession planning should build adaptable leaders throughout the workforce rather than focus only on predetermined successors.
- Universities, community colleges, professional networks and community organizations can strengthen long-term government talent pipelines.
- Adaptability, communication, critical thinking and problem-solving will remain essential as technology and government occupations change.