Filling The Void

Joe Rulison- Executive Chair and Co-Founder

April is National County Government Month, and this year, our partners at the National Association of Counties (NACo) are shining a spotlight on one of the most pressing challenges counties are facing today: workforce development.

In my 2025 outlook, I highlighted an additional challenge for public entities: finding and hiring skilled talent to fill vacant positions. This has become a significant strain on public entities and organizations of all sizes.

In recent years, little effort has been made to establish clear career pathways in public service for younger generations, particularly Millennials and Gen Zers. This has led to a noticeable gap in the public workforce.

To address this issue, I recommend that public officials consider targeting second-career professionals, those in the 55 to 75 age group. These are experienced, reliable, and disciplined people, with a strong desire to remain active, engaged, and eager to secure competitive compensation and benefits.

In addition, public entities can tap into another highly qualified talent pool: newly retired individuals and former federal government employees.

The opportunity is there to fill open public positions. The next step is actively recruiting and persuading them to apply.