Merit Systems Protection Board Releases Report on State of the Federal HR Workforce

The May 2020 U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) Office of Policy and Evaluation research brief entitled the State of the Federal HR Workforce: Changes and Challenges provides an overview of how Human Resources (HR) in the federal government has evolved over the last 25 years to become a consistent high-risk area for the federal government, based on oversight assessments. The research brief examines the expectations that customers of the federal HR system have and barriers to making HR offices and staff more consultative.

The report references a 1993 MSPB report which explains that while managers generally consider HR staff to be “hardworking and courteous,” both managers and HR staff express concerns regarding:

·       Complex and ineffective HR policies. Both managers and HR staff believed that HR policies were too complex, yet failed to prevent merit system abuses;

·       Poor use of time. Too much HR time and attention was devoted to administering rules and regulations, and too little on finding solutions and addressing strategic issues;

·       Understaffing;

·       HR staff capability. While a majority of managers rated HR staff positively, over half believed that service delivery was impaired by “lack of sufficient skill” among HR staff; and

·       The ability of HR to function as consultant and advisor.

While the report outlines changes that have been made since the 1990s to HR functioning in government, it notes problems still persist and, in some ways, have regrown over time as HR functions are increasingly focused on compliance rather than consultation with agency leaders.

“Closeness is also relevant to the vision of HR specialists as strategic business partners. To be effective in that role, HR staff must understand the agency mission and the challenges that line managers face in recruiting, selecting, developing, and managing people,” the report explains. “In recent years, the Federal Government has moved away from providing HR services onsite. Many Federal agencies have consolidated HR offices into locations that are not co-located with the managers they serve. In the 2016 Merit Principles Survey (MPS), we asked managers about the location of their servicing HR office. Although approximately one-third of supervisors receive HR services from within their own building (onsite), most reported that HR staff were offsite. The days when a manager could walk down the hall and discuss HR questions and issues in person are apparently over.”

The report also noted a decrease in shadowing opportunities due to perceived deficiencies in HR service and coordination.

The divide between HR offices and management has resulted in increasingly mixed views about HR outcomes and staff. The report notes that most agency leaders believe that HR staff are essential to their mission and organizational success, agency leaders view the knowledge of their HR staffs more positively than they view their effectiveness, and finally, views towards HR vary across functions.

The report also dives into barriers to transforming the HR workforce. These include the complexity of HR laws and regulations, a lack of training for HR staff, losses of leadership and expertise, and a lack of HR workforce and success planning, among others.