We are all watching with great curiosity the current struggletaking place in the private sector as more and more municipalitiesand state governments are asking their employees to assume agreater share of health care costs and looking at ways to reducetheir long term pension and retiree obligations – necessitiesto sustain long term municipal health.

These changes will be perceived as significant take-aways bypublic employees, resulting in significant workforce moral issues.Many public employees feel they have put in years in the publicsector with an understanding that their ‘employment deal’ consistedof lower salaries than their private sector counterparts, butricher benefits. Although recent studies now point out that theaverage salary for a public sector employee is infact greater than their private sector counterpart,the perceptions are what they are and they’re significant.

Employee engagement is not about money, benefits, or things. Youcannot motivate or engage employees long term by “buying” theircommitment. Employee engagement is a mutual commitment betweenand employer and employee where the employer is helping to grow anddevelop its employees and employees are helping the business orentity be successful. This commitment is built through aculture of trust, open and frequent communication, shared visionand goals, and a deep understanding and commitment that “we’re inthis together.”

Money, benefits, and “things” do, however, impact the engagementequation - if employees feel their employer is not being fairregarding money or benefits, this perception of unfairness can andwill foster disengagement.

The issues public sector employees are now facing are those thattheir counterparts in the private sector have had to deal with forsome time. And, although the public sector is quickly looking torectify this situation, there is no doubt that public sectorbenefit and pension reform will take time. This will result ina new definition of social classes: many publicsector employees will retire between the ages 58-65 with lucrativepensions and retiree benefits, whereas many counterparts in theprivate sector will be working well into their 70s. The impact willbe increasing bitterness of private sector employees towards theirpublic sector neighbors, family, etc.

As we’re seeing in many states, including Wisconsin,Pennsylvania, California, and New Jersey, government officials arelooking to accelerate pension and benefit reform. And althoughreform will improve the fiscal picture of these states and reducetheir long term obligations, there will be a cost – increasingranks of the disengaged as public sector employees will view theiremployers as being “unfair."

To continue to engage public sector employees during thesechallenging times, here are some engagement ideas for public sectorofficials:

1. Link your efforts around performance:Remember, employee engagement is not about employee satisfaction.There are some in the public sector who believe their employershould make them satisfied. Remind them that all great teamswork together for a common goal, and this requires a mutualcommitment between government officials or administrators andemployees. The last thing you should want is a school systemor public works department of satisfied but underperformingemployees.
2. Employee engagement starts at thetop: Most studies show that a key employee engagementdriver is the actions of senior leaders. Public leaders mustdemonstrate support for an engaged company culture by personallyliving their company’s values.
3. Engage first-line leaders: The old adage,“employees join great companies, but quit bad bosses” istrue. Are you investing in the development of your “peopleleaders”?
4. Focus on communication, the cornerstone ofengagement: Successful leaders recognize the power ofa robust communication plan, one built on clarity, consistency, andtransparency. At the risk of disputing JackNicholson in Few Good Men, your employees “CAN” handlethe truth.
5. Individualize your engagement: Although oftendifficult with collective bargaining, you should do all you can toget to know your employees, individualize engagement and treatemployees as people with different needs. This isespecially true with the vastly different motivational drivers withour Gen Ys, Xs, and Boomers.
6. Create a motivational culture: Leaderscannot motivate employees long-term; they must create motivationalcultures with an engaged workforce where employees can flourish andmotivate each other.
7. Create feedback mechanisms: You need toask employees what they think; employee engagement surveys are agreat tool to assess an organization’s pulse.
8. Reinforce and reward the rightbehaviors: Employees are incredibly motivated byachievement, not money. But as we mentioned earlier, if thereis the perception of unfairness, money issues candisengage. Focus on recognizing achievement wheneverpossible.
9. Track and communicate progress: Employees areno different than their officials -- they both want to work for a‘winning’ entity. Leaders need to reinforce “line ofsight” by telling their employees where they’re going, how they’reperforming, and where they fit in.
10. Hire and promote the right behaviors and traits foryour culture: Although we place much emphasis on one’seducational background and skills, people generally succeed or failbecause of their behaviors and traits (remember that soft skillscount.)