Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges (2009) / Chapter Skim
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A New Tool for Meeting Workforce Challenges P A R T A
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In addition to research reports available from the Transportation Research Board (TRB) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
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Implementation resources span a wide range of functions -- recruitment, employee performance reviews, supervisor training, employee orientation, in-service training, employee mentoring, and career counseling, benefits program design, incentive and advancement programs, succession planning, and knowledge management. 6 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges
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The team identified the key challenges of each class and defined these as workforce needs. The need types currently included in the Workforce Toolkit are strategic planning, organizational development, human resources information systems, retention, compensation and benefits, downsizing/reductions in force, retirement, workforce planning and development, organizational change, leadership development, human resources planning, organizational performance, human resources function, employee conflict, competencies, recruitment, succession planning, outsourcing/contract management, training and development, knowledge management, and performance management.
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This approach was used to enable the entity that ultimately becomes the Toolkit's steward to continue updating and populating the database with useful resource information. Once panel approval was obtained, 8 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges
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The team designed and developed an electronic, hyperlinked site that includes a Web portal for easy access to documents or resources that will be of additional use in addressing workforce challenges within state DOTs. The Workforce Toolkit was built within the following parameters: • Intended scope and audience: The Toolkit is intended to respond to workforce challenges faced by high-level and mid-level managers within a transportation agency.
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Five of the views access a database containing resources selected from web sites, books, publications, university research centers, state DOT practices, and other educational resources selected for their usefulness and relevancy. Two options, Geographic View and State Practices, link to separate databases containing responses to surveys, statistical data or contact information.
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The top 10 issues, which were identified by the research team and reviewed by the research panel are the following: • Strategic workforce planning, • Attracting and retaining talent, • Developing the next generation of leaders, • Downsizing and reduction in force, • Employee conflicts and performance issues, • Improving HR efficiency and effectiveness, • Outsourcing, • Organizational change -- reengineering and reorganizing, • Preserving institutional knowledge, and • Retooling the workforce to meet evolving business needs. The view allows for a further refining of the search by combining the priority issues with needs.
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The Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) view in Figure 2.2 lists the questions identified by the research team as addressing priority issues for state DOTs, including inquiries regarding retirement, recruitment, turnover, downsizing, reorganizing, performance metrics, strategic planning, outsourcing, and data management resources.
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This view searches the database based on specific workforce needs and functions (strategic workforce planning, organizational human resources, compensating and rewarding employees, managing employee performance, and human resources services)
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This view is linked to tables that will contain information from state DOTs regarding knowledge systems and human resources information systems, contact information, links to state DOT web sites, statistics on number of state DOT employees, and information on which states outsource human resources functions and which have labor unions. Much of this data is not yet available.
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Using words entered in the textbox, the Workforce Toolkit searches titles and descriptions to locate relevant sources. As with the views described above, selecting a title retrieves detailed information.
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Additional surveys can be added in the future. 16 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges Figure 2.6.
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These options, in turn, connect the user to the tables which cover the following subjects: • Agency leadership; • Crisis management; • Critical skills identification; • Communication resources; • Education level of professionals; • Employee demographics and work profile, including age, classification and gender of professionals; number of employees by division; years in state employment; years in current position; years to retirement; average number of hours worked per week, and the percentage of employees taking work home; • Employee perceptions regarding pay raises, promotions, morale, and personal pride; • Funding sources and methods; • Human Resources, including competencies, outsourcing, and software usage; • Knowledge management; • Partnerships with other agencies, private sector organizations, non-profit entities, public sector agencies, and universities; • Professional certification, registration, continuing education and certification programs; • Recruiting, including attracting engineers, technicians, IT, and other professionals; • Retention, including employee turnover rates, factors influencing the decision to leave state service, and the likelihood of leaving for the private sector; • Retirement; • Strategic Planning; • Succession Planning; and • Training and Development. Selecting the "Home" option returns users to the home page of the Workforce Toolkit web site shown in Figure 2.8.
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18 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges Figure 2.8.
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Human Resource Function. This refers to any of the basic functional areas of human resources including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, performance management, rewards, discipline, labor relations and work life quality.
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The programmatic and resource allocation results of the strategic plan are reflected in the annual business or operating plans of subordinate units and in employee performance requirements. Organizations that use strategic plans to assure alignment between strategic goals and outcomes and the specific areas of responsibility and accountability of organizations and individuals tend to be more successful than those which do not have a structured process and methods.
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; state DOT; Other State Agency; University Research Center; National Association -- Transportation; National Association -- Public Administration; and National Association -- Human Resources. 22 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges
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Other. Resources that fall outside of these item types.
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, for example, is culled from resources containing information on workforce planning/development, succession planning, and knowledge management. The more specific issues under the general functions narrow the search by need type to eliminate irrelevant topics.
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connects the user to a PDF of the user guide for the Workforce Toolkit site. Workforce Toolkit Use 25 Figure 3.1.
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26 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges Figure 3.2. Data structure for state practices.
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From the main Faceted Search page, the assistant clicks on the drop-down menu for need types and checks recruitment, retention, retirement, knowledge management, training, succession planning, and compensation and benefits as shown in Figure 3.5. Workforce Toolkit Use 27
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Figure 3.4. Finding resources by FAQ.
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Finally, he decides on the type of resources needed to address the situation, and elects to search general resources, methodology/guide/model, case studies, and policy/procedure as shown in Figure 3.9. The human resources director and assistant review the list of resources they have gathered, select the most relevant resources, and use the Workforce Toolkit to find the resources they need.
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Solution. To educate himself about what other state DOTs and public agencies are doing to recruit and retain qualified engineers, the director first uses the FAQ View in the Workforce Toolkit.
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Figure 3.12. Modifying a text search.
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Knowing that the experiences of peer organizations will be useful in helping formulate a new recruiting strategy, the human resources director selects the State Practices view of the Workforce Toolkit. The director selects the first option to access NCHRP Project 20-24(40)
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Figure 3.15. Searching State Practices by study.
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State Practices data tables.
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may need to be refined as workforce challenges continue to evolve. Fundamental to the success of this initiative is ownership by an entity that hosts the site and engagement with the state DOT community that provides an ongoing sense of specific agency needs.
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36 Tools to Aid State DOTs in Responding to Workforce Challenges
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