The Future of Public Human Resource Management

Abstract

The evolution of public human resource management (PHRM) has been at the forefront of public administration research for the past two decades. Human resources in the public sector has changed from a focus on developing employee hard skills (e.g., education, training) to advancing a more soft skill approach in the workplace. The emphasis on soft skills takes a closer look at the development of interpersonal relationships (e.g., employees and managers, employees and peers) as well as self-improvement. A soft skills approach pursues managing employee behavior through motivation, commitment, and professional development. As such, the focus is on individual development as an important element to overall organizational well-being. The Volcker Alliance highlighted the importance of soft skills for the future of public service in their recent report, “Preparing Tomorrow’s Public Service.” Results from a survey conducted by the Alliance highlight the significance of soft skills such as commitment (75% of survey respondents expect to stay in government for the long term) and motivation (71% believe they are making good progress in fulfilling their professional aspirations) in the development of future public service leaders. These respondents—a diverse group of regional, governmental, and educational professionals across the United States—also underscored how important these same soft skills are in promoting high-performance government. Mindful of the challenges facing the public workforce, a better understanding of these soft skills and the role of research in advancing evidence-based practice should be a cornerstone of future PHRM research and practice. Advancing dialogue on human resource development for a future generation of public servants will entail: (a) empowering public servants to achieve a meaningful contribution; (b) appreciating the role behavioral science can play in eliciting meaning; and (c) understanding the role diversity plays in a demographically changing world.