How Local Governments Can Recruit Tech Workers in 2023

The use of digital technology has become a critical aspect of modern public workplaces; allowing local governments to accomplish tasks and goals more efficiently than ever before. Yet, without the proper tech talent, implementing and managing government tech across departments can be close to impossible. And unfortunately, despite massive corporate layoffs of tech employees by the thousands in 2022 and 2023, finding tech talent willing to leave the private sector to join your local government IT department remains difficult.

The technology labor market is currently more competitive than ever, making it difficult for public sector job recruiters to compete with wages, flexible hours, and the newest technology offered by businesses in the private sector.

In this guide, you'll learn why local governments need to double down on hiring tech workers, along with tips for recruiting tech workers, and the ways that governments can benefit from embracing government technology and hiring IT officials. Whether you are a newly elected official or have been working in government leadership for years, continue reading to understand step by step instructions on how to recruit young tech professionals for your local government.

Why Do Governments Struggle To Recruit Tech Talent?

Recruiting quality public sector tech employees can be difficult for local governments due to less competitive salaries and benefits compared to the private-sector. Slow-moving municipal workflows and antiquated processes are also a common turn-off for tech-savvy talent.

Read on to learn the most common reasons that local governments are struggling to recruit the brightest individuals for the job:

Competition With The Private Sector

Pay and benefits in the private sector are more competitive than those offered in government positions, which motivates highly talented individuals to work for private companies rather than local governments. Private sector jobs are also known to grant lots of flexibility to employees as well as attractive remote work options.

How Can Local Governments Collaborate with the Private-Sector? Here are key considerations.

Remote Work Opportunities

Tech jobs can often be done completely remotely, from employees' homes, without any need for them to physically work in an office. Local governments do not always offer this remote, or even hybrid work option, pushing talented tech workers to seek employment for companies that do.

Tech Workers Don’t Want To Use Antiquated Technology

Many governments still use old, out of date, technology that is not enticing to highly skilled and talented IT professionals. Researching affordable government software that can be introduced into your locality will modernize the way every department in your local government runs.

Learn more about GovPilot’s Government Software Solutions Across Departments.

Why Do Local Governments Need To Entice Tech Talent?

Government tech workers are able to modernize the workplace, capitalize on digital solutions, and streamline government workflows to make operations run more timely and cost-effectively.

Continue reading for more information on the positive impact of recruiting tech workers and working with them to embrace government technology:

1. IT Workers Lead Others To Embrace Digital Technology

Highly-skilled IT employees can ensure all government departments have continued success in embracing digital technology. For some government employees, adjusting to digital workflows may not be so easy; IT workers can help others to learn how to do their job by using digital solutions. A modern government IT strategy managed by good talent can also promote interdepartmental harmony within your local government by implementing more streamlined digital communication between departments through the use of the cloud.

Here’s how your government tech workers can Onboard Government Technology in Your Local Government.

2. IT Officials Manage Cybersecurity

Having employees to specifically manage the cybersecurity strategy for your local government is vital because local governments handle important / sensitive information. Modern cybersecurity implementations can protect government / citizen data from being hacked by outside threats. Government data needs to remain safe and secure at all times, including: computer systems, networks, devices and digital programs.

Explore these government cybersecurity resources:

3. Moving Government Workflows Digitally Saves Time and Money

For governments not using government tech, countless hours and dollars are wasted on obsolete workflows that require unnecessary labor and resources.

Working with IT officials to digitize government workflows simplifies everyday operations and streamlines citizen services and other previously slow-moving bureaucratic processes. Eliminating out of date paper-based processes and other time-consuming manual tasks will improve the effectiveness of your entire local government.

What is Government Technology? Read our guide for more information about Govtech.

4. Citizens Expect Digital Services To Be The Norm

In today’s modern digital age, the majority of businesses offer online solutions for common tasks. To simplify workflows and move to eliminate antiquated paper trails, permits, licenses, other government applications should also be moved to a digital format. Government documents can be made available on your newly optimized government website to ease the burden on citizens to complete and handle paper permits, licenses, and applications. Instead, submitting a form to the local government for approval can be done online, with just a few clicks.

GovPilot’s Municipal and County Clerks' Software makes licensing, permitting, and request fulfillment more organized, efficient, and transparent. Learn more about How Permitting Software Works.

5. Manage Inspections From a Mobile Application

Government inspection software makes digitized, cloud-based inspections and streamlined field services a reality for local governments. When paired with GovPilot's platform, the GovInspect App enables on-site inspections in real-time from the field on a government mobile device. Inspection records are automatically uploaded to and accessible from the government cloud.

This tech lessens workloads for IT workers in your locality and allows them to spend their time working on more pressing tasks.

Here are more government inspection resources:

6. Government Cloud Is Cyber-Secure & Makes Data Accessible

Operations of your local government will be secured through the use of the government cloud, which digitally stores government data and keeps this documentation protected from cyber threats thanks to automated data back-ups.

IT employees will be enticed to work for your government knowing the data is secure and that operating systems across departments are consolidated to one simplified government IT management platform.

7. IT Workers Will Pay Attention To Technology Trends

Technology trends typically start to combat problems or simplify tasks. IT workers are able to make sure your local government can keep up with technology trends and changes to ensure the most efficient workflows.

Learn more about how HR officials can recruit new tech talent through GovPilot’s Local Government Human Resource Guide and government human resources software.

Best Practices For Hiring Tech Talented Government Employees

Hiring tech talented government employees can transform your local government to work more efficiently and cost-effectively. There are many important considerations to remember when you hire government tech talent, which can be a potentially challenging task. Read on for some of the best hiring practices for tech talented IT employees:

Pay Attention To Tech Companies Making Layoffs

Major tech companies such as Amazon or Google have already announced that major layoffs in 2023 are leaving thousands of tech professionals jobless. Ensure your locality is in the best position to entire tech talent by paying attention to the tech market, and then try to attract recently laid-off officials via LinkedIn recruiting.

Consider Ways To Modernize Local Government Benefits

Enticing talented individuals to apply for positions within your local government IT department can be difficult due to the competitive and often high salaries offered for private sector tech jobs. Local government benefits, such as competitive health packages and remote work options, are a creative way to attract highly-motivated, bright tech talent. Your local government should be offering extensive and top-of-the-line benefit packages to new employees in order to compete with private sector wages.

Learn more about How to Use Benefits to Attract Government Workers.

Highlight That Your Government Has Modern Government Software

When recruiting government tech workers, it is important that you emphasize how your local government embraces modernity rather than antiquated tech and computer system storage. Tech professionals will be excited to take roles in workplaces that are up to date on modern technologies for them to work with.

Offer Remote or Hybrid Work Options

The technology field is one of the few that uniquely allows workers to completely fulfill their job duties remotely. Offering remote work opportunities is a creative and easy way to add perks to the job, and entice young professionals to apply for open positions. Make sure you are well versed on the jobs that can be done remotely, and How To Offer Remote And Hybrid Work Opportunities.

Learn more about Public Sector Recruiting and How to Hire Talented Government Workers.

How To Retain Government Tech Workers

Once you have been able to successfully recruit tech workers, retaining your government employees is just as important of a task. Local governments have to make the effort to modernize their workplaces in order to provide adequate resources for public sector IT employees.

Your locality must leverage cloud-based systems to give tech workers a high-quality tech system to work with. To learn more about how GovPilot can help in embracing modernity, book a free demo.

Recruiting Tech Workers FAQ’S

1. Why is it difficult to recruit tech workers in government?

Government jobs are often viewed by the general public as mundane or boring, immediately making these available tech jobs seem unenjoyable. When paired with the competitive salaries of private sector jobs, it is hard to entice workers to join the public sector. Local governments must make their workplaces more enticing to young tech professionals in order to recruit government IT officials more successfully. If you can successfully recruit talented tech workers it will improve your municipal workflows enough that more you can attract people and businesses to your community.

2. Why do local governments need IT workers?

IT workers are a vital part of a modern local government. Tech workers provide leadership and guidance in implementing digital technology into local government operations, maintaining government tech in each department, and ensuring that government data remains secure. Ensure your government is looking to hire disabled community members for tech jobs.

3. How can local governments find and encourage tech workers to onboard?

Pay attention to major tech companies laying off IT employees and entice them to join the public sector with extensive benefits packages and updated, high-speed government technology. Utilize your government social media account on LinkedIn and other job sites to scope out potential tech talent and highlight the benefits of public sector work.

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How Local Governments Can Recruit Tech Workers in 2023