“I think the public sector has a lot of bad word of mouth, but I think there is good work experience to be had,” she said.

Government and corporate recruiters visited Carleton University to attract top students at the 2007 Winter Career Fair.

A negative reputation among students is not the only challenge currently facing employers in the federal government.

According to a recent report, many senior executives in the public service are approaching retirement age, but those next in line are also in their fifties. Nearly 60 per cent of public service employees are more than 45 years old.

In the report, the Advisory Committee on Senior Level Retention listed recruitment as one of the federal government’s top priorities to renew the public service and retain senior level executives.

Bouncing back from 'less than stellar'

The committee also recommends that the public service overhaul its “less than stellar” recruitment model and its image. The government, it says, needs to stress that employees can make a difference.

Senior executives in the public service need to understand “what motivates the best of today’s recent graduates and make sure that, for them, public service is a career that is consciously considered, not unconsciously rejected,” Privy Council Clerk Kevin Lynch said in his speech to 1,000 bureaucrats in Vancouver on Feb. 18.

The government must also contend with stiff competition from the private sector to recruit graduates.

Video: What do students want? Carleton students weigh their career options. Requires FlashPlayer

“I’d say public service is not their first choice. [Students] think it is boring and has little excitement or appeal,” Pia Chin said in an email. As a co-op coordinator at Carleton University, Chin helps business students find work placements upon graduation.

She said her students perceive the private industry as involving fieldwork that is exciting, and not just sitting in a cubicle all day.

“I think students get this impression from either their parents, family or friends who have worked in one or both sectors and have shared their war stories,” Chin said. Pop culture often depicts glamorous private sector jobs that may also affect students’ perceptions.

Danielle Gray, a fourth year political science student at Carleton, is working on a student contract for the government. She said the public service offers good opportunities to students, but the application process can last up to a year and some students cannot afford to wait.

The government can also be hard to get into, adds Jen Clavel, a financial officer at Agriculture Canada and recent university graduate.

Time for innovation

Next . . .

The government must hire a large number of staff simply to replace those retiring in the next five years.

Department leaders need to take charge and personalize recruitment efforts, not delegate the task, Lynch said. He called for new recruitment and retention models.

The Privy Clerk also launched an initiative to hire 3,000 university students for permanent positions this year, reducing the reliance on casual, temporary and term offers.

The public service has already substantially improved its recruitment strategies and increased its presence on campuses, says Lorraine Anderson, senior employment relations officer at Carleton.

Federal departments participate in more career fairs and presentations year-round. In previous years, departments recruited for only four to five weeks in the fall, missing students graduating in January, she says.

But, stepping up recruitment on campuses may not be enough to attract today’s graduates, says Cogliati. The government may have to replace the entry-level jobs they offer to students with innovative programs.

Export Development Canada currently offers a rotational program to students. Three eight-month postings keep new recruits busy and challenged. Students want to see the end result, she says.

Chin echoed this belief, “I think a student's ideal job is one that offers plenty of growth –
especially those with a fast track to upper management positions. I don’t think this generation is into paying their dues or working their way to the top the way previous generations did.”

Related Links Advisory Committee on Senior Level Retention and Compensation report Privy Council Clerk Kevin Lynch’s speech Public Service Commission of Canada Carleton University Career Development & Co-operative Education