Excellent organizations recruit and retain excellent employees. Historically, the Service has drawn employees largely from individuals who had a direct connection with and understanding of the natural world. Future employees may have spent less time outdoors and more time with electronic media than those who have historically been attracted to the Service. Many of these prospective employees may not naturally think of government or the Service as a place to have a career. The Service needs to develop and execute innovative approaches to find and recruit the best and brightest of future employees. These employees should reflect the full diversity of the American people.
Recommendation: Establish, communicate and track the current baseline and future goals for employee recruitment and retention, especially within specific functions where recruitment has been problematic.
The Refuge System should recognize and plan for the growth of specialized groups in the workforce. Multidisciplinary work is becoming less common as natural resource management becomes more scientific and expertise more focused. The Refuge System has identified a need for more specialized scientists in areas such as climate change, hydrology and invasive species, among others. It has also identified a need for expertise in non-science areas such as environmental education, public-use planning, asset management and business management.
Recommendation: The Refuge System must develop effective strategies for recruiting and deploying specialists as a fundamental part of its workforce planning efforts.
In the past, the Refuge System has also encouraged and even required employees to physically move to achieve certain positions. While a breadth of experience is important, especially to employees competing for senior level management positions, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for employees to relocate. The increase in the number of dual career families as well as recent economic trends in the housing market has significantly impacted employee mobility. The Refuge System should continue to encourage employees to gain a diversity of experiences during their careers; however, there must also be career ladders and opportunities that can enable employees to achieve higher graded positions without relocating.
Comment below and/or move on to next section of Chapter 5 - A Diverse and Inclusive Workforce
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As noted, “multidisciplinary work is becoming less common as natural resource management becomes more scientific and expertise more focused…”
This suggests a desireable trend when in reality there are MANY problems that result. While there will always be a need for experts of various fields, we desperately need interdisciplinary thinkers who are capable of bridging the gaps between science and policy, research and management, and the MANY different disciplines that are increasingly specialized (and too often pursued in relative isolation).
I would sugget some emphasis on ensuring a broad integrated workforce to ensure that these specialized pieces are coordinated into some systematic whole. We already have many specialized fields and the flow of information and communication is too often ineffective. We need technical experts but WE ALSO NEED INTERDISCIPLINARY LEADERS!
Hiring specialists on national wildlife refuges is a great concept. Employees who specialize in one species or habitat type are likely to be the quintessential experts for their areas of expertise, and therefore invaluable assets. Sadly, with declining budgets, and so few employees on staff, we need generalists to cover all the bases.
“Future employees may have spent less time outdoors and more time with electronic media than those who have historically been attracted to the Service.”
We need to stop always referring to young people as nothing but vidoe-gamers and texters. Though I believe the statement above is true, today’s youth will be more technologically advanced, but I have heard this so many times that I fear we are creating a sometimes false reputation of youth. I am a generation Xer, I didn’t grow up with the electronics available now (I didn’t have internet or a cell phone during high school *gasp*). I really didn’t know anything about wildlife biology until college where I met people majoring in wildlife science and I decided to take the plunge. I had some exposure to the outdoors growing up, but not alot (I had never heard of a refuge until college). My point is, I developed the passion as an adult that led me to finish two wildlife degrees and get a job in refuges. I fell in love with the mission of the USFWS and the refuge system at the age of 22. People seem so worried that we will not have enthusiastic nature lovers in the future, but I think most of the people we attract have that enthusiasm, whether it is developed at 8 or 25 years old. I went to one of the “America’s Great Outdoors” listening sessions and the youth that spoke out were impassioned about conservation and climate change. They were angered at kids who spent most of their time in virtual reality rather than experiencing real life in the outdoors. Several commented on the “disnification” of youth – meaning that the only information about nature and animals some kids (and adults) have comes from Disney movies or parks. This is something that happens to some people, which is why it is important to ensure that our course requirements for biology and management positions will provide the knowledge and understanding we are seeking for our employees. One day, I hope to be in a position to hire some of these youth, and I want to come to the table with a positive outlook for our future employees. I refuse to think that the person I am interviewing probably spent more time texting than fishing and therefore would not make a good refuge employee. I don’t want anyone hiring young recruits to have this ingrained in their mind. I don’t think it’s fair. We need to have a more positive outlook and continue to engage youth in refuge activities.
And by the way, we could definitely use more tech support and GIS specialist at refuges!! Maybe the video-gamers would be great for these positions!
“The Refuge System should continue to encourage employees to gain a diversity of experiences during their careers; however, there must also be career ladders and opportunities that can enable employees to achieve higher graded positions without relocating.”
Does this mean more 5/7/9 positions, or maybe an 11/12/13? How about when an employee takes on more than is expected like doing details or filling in for higher graded positions while empty, that person could get an upgrade.
If the Refuge System of the future is going to “become known as a workplace that welcomes employees from all backgrounds”, this goal will have to go hand in hand with the statements following recommendation 5.17 with regard to providing career ladders and opportunities that can enable employees to achieve higher graded positions without relocating. I can only speak from my own experience in a Hispanic culture but in my extended family my frequent relocating to different, remote refuges has been frowned upon as “outside the culture”. I was fortunate enough to go through Stepping Up To Leadership a few years back, and my carefully thought out decision to postpone relocating, for family reasons, and “step up” in place, was met with disbelief and disapproval from the class coaches. This will need to be a cultural change, aided and abetted by leaders all the way to the top. Until this cultural shift is consciously made in the Refuge System, it may be difficult to recruit and retain outstanding Refuge employees and leaders from other cultural backgrounds.