1. SHRM Survey Findings: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government
September 25, 2013

2. Introduction
These are the Federal Government survey findings about the ongoing impact of the U.S. and global recession, which began in This is the third year that SHRM has conducted this study, and data are reported for 2010 and 2011 where possible. The results are reported in the following sections:
Skill gaps.
Recruiting challenges.
Recruiting strategies.
Industry-specific results will be reported separately for each of the following industries:
Construction, mining, oil and gas.
Finance.
Health.
High-tech.
Manufacturing.
Professional services.
State and local government.
Overall and California results can be found on our website at
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

3. Skill Gaps
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

4. Key Findings: Skill Gaps Federal Government
What basic skills/knowledge gaps do job applicants typically have? The most common basic skills/knowledge gaps are writing in English (46%), government/economics (38%), mathematics (25%) and reading comprehension (in English) (24%).
What applied skill gaps do job applicants typically have? Over one-third of respondents cited the following applied skill gaps: critical thinking/problem solving (59%), written communications (47%), professionalism (42%), oral communication (41%), teamwork/collaboration (38%) and leadership (37%).
What types of jobs are the most difficult to fill? The top five most difficult positions to fill are scientists (92%), high-skilled technical (82%), engineers (73%), managers and executives (64%), and skilled trades (e.g., electricians, carpenters) (56%).
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

5. In general, what basic skills/knowledge gaps do job applicants have in your industry? Federal Government
Note: Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

6. In general, what applied skill gaps do job applicants have in your industry? Federal Government
Note: Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

7. How easy or difficult has it been to fill the following job categories for full-time, regular positions? Federal Government
Note: This figure represents “Somewhat difficult” and “Very difficult” responses. “Not applicable” responses were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question. *Data are not provided where the sample size is less than 20.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

8. Recruiting Challenges
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

9. Key Findings: Recruiting Challenges Federal Government
Is it difficult to recruit for positions requiring new and different skill sets? Over one-half (54%) of organizations reported that it is somewhat or very difficult to recruit for completely new positions or positions with new duties added that required new and different skill sets. Recruiting difficulty for new and different skill sets has increased from 34% in 2010.
Is recruiting for specific jobs difficult in the current labor market? One-half (50%) of organizations currently hiring full-time staff indicated that they were having a difficult time recruiting for specific job openings, an increase from 35% in 2011.
Why are organizations experiencing difficulty hiring qualified candidates? Nearly one-half (44%) of organizations indicated that candidates did not have the right skills for the job, and 40% said that candidates do not have the needed credentials/certification. Thirty- seven percent of organizations indicated that qualified candidates were not within their salary range or hourly range rate. Three in ten reported that candidates did not have the right work experience (31%) or cited competition from other employers (29%).
Are organizations facing global competition for applicants for hard-to- fill jobs? About one-quarter (22%) of organizations believe they are facing global competition for qualified applicants for jobs they are having difficulty filling, similar to 2011 (28%).
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

10. For the new full-time, regular positions being created by your organization that require new and different skill sets, how easy or difficult do you think it will be or has it been thus far to find qualified individuals for those positions? Federal Government
Note: Only respondents whose organizations were hiring full-time staff for positions with “new duties added to jobs lost” or “completely new positions” that required either “a mixture of new skills and the same types of skills” or “completely new and different skills” were asked this question. Data are not provided for 2011 due to the small sample size.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

11. In general, in the current labor market, is your organization having a difficult time recruiting for specific jobs that are open in your organization? Federal Government
n = 80
n = 153
Note: Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were currently hiring full-time staff were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

12. Comparisons by industry Federal government (50%)
In general, in the current labor market, are you having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of full-time, regular positions that are open in your organization?
Comparisons by industry
Although there is recruiting difficulty across all industries, certain industries are experiencing more difficulty than others.
The high-tech and manufacturing industries are more likely than the federal government, finance, health and state or local government industries to be having difficulty recruiting for certain types of full-time, regular positions.
The construction, mining, oil, and gas and professional services industries are more likely than the federal government and state or local governments to be having difficulty recruiting for certain types of full-time, regular positions.
The finance and health industries are more likely than state or local governments to be having difficulty recruiting for certain types of full-time, regular positions.
Comparisons by industry
High-tech (82%)
Manufacturing (79%)
>
Federal government (50%)
Finance (66%)
Health (65%)
State or local government (52%)
Construction, mining, oil and gas (74%)
Professional services (70%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

13. What are the main reason(s) that your organization experiences difficulty in hiring qualified candidates for full-time, regular positions? Federal Government
Note: n = 75. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

14. What are the main reason(s) that your organization experiences difficulty in hiring qualified candidates for full-time, regular positions? (continued) Federal Government
Note: n = 75. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

15. Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i
Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e., competition from other countries) for talent for hard-to-fill jobs? Federal Government
n = 25
n = 63
Note: Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

16. Comparisons by industry Federal government (22%)
Do you believe that your organization is facing global competition (i.e., competition from other countries) for talent for hard-to-fill jobs?
Comparisons by industry
Organizations in the high-tech industry are more likely than those in the finance, health, manufacturing, professional services and state or local government industries to believe that they are facing global competition for talent for hard-to-fill jobs.
Organizations in the construction, mining, oil, and gas and federal government industries are more likely than those in the finance, health and state or local government industries to believe that they are facing global competition for talent for hard-to-fill jobs.
Organizations in the manufacturing industry are more likely than those in the finance and state or local government industries to believe that they are facing global competition for talent for hard- to-fill jobs.
Organizations in the professional services industry are more likely than those in state or local governments to believe that they are facing global competition for talent for hard-to-fill jobs.
Comparisons by industry
High-tech (33%)
>
Finance (5%)
Health (6%)
Manufacturing (15%)
Professional services (14%)
State or local government (4%)
Construction, mining, oil and gas (22%)
Federal government (22%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

17. Recruiting Strategies
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

18. Key Findings: Recruiting Strategies Federal Government
What strategies is your organization using to deal with recruiting challenges for full-time, regular positions? The most common strategies reported by organizations are expanding advertising efforts (45%), offering more flexible work arrangements (39%), expanding training programs to help improve skills of new hires (37%), collaborating with educational institutions (35%), using social media to find passive job seekers (35%), expanding the search region (34%) and increasing retention efforts (34%).
Have organizations been hiring workers from outside the U.S. for jobs that have been difficult to fill? Sixteen percent of organizations have hired workers from outside the U.S., and 3% are considering hiring workers from outside the U.S. These results are consistent with findings in 2011.
Have organizations been hiring U.S. veterans for jobs that have been difficult to fill? Most organizations (87%) reported hiring U.S. veterans, and 2% are considering or have plans to hire veterans in the next 12 months. These findings are similar to 2011 results.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

19. What strategies is your organization using to deal with recruiting challenges for full-time, regular positions? Federal Government
Note: n = 71. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

20. What strategies is your organization using to deal with recruiting challenges for full-time, regular positions? (continued) Federal Government
Note: n = 71. Percentages do not total 100% due to multiple response options. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

21. Has your organization hired any workers from outside the United States in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill? Federal Government
Note: Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

22. Comparisons by industry Federal government (16%)
Has your organization hired any workers from outside the United States in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by industry
The high-tech industry is more likely than the construction, mining, oil and gas; federal government; finance; health; manufacturing; professional services; and state or local government industries to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
The construction, mining, oil and gas; health; manufacturing; and professional services industries are more likely than state or local governments to have hired workers from outside the U.S. in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
Comparisons by industry
High-tech (50%)
>
Construction, mining, oil and gas (26%)
Federal government (16%)
Finance (16%)
Health (29%)
Manufacturing (24%)
Professional services (24%)
State or local government (11%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

23. Has your organization hired any U. S
Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill? Federal Government
Note: Percentages may not equal 100% due to rounding. Respondents who answered “don’t know” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations were having a difficult time recruiting for certain types of jobs were asked this question.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

24. Comparisons by industry Federal government (87%)
Has your organization hired any U.S. veterans in an attempt to staff key jobs that have been difficult to fill?
Comparisons by industry
The federal government is more likely than the finance, health, high-tech, manufacturing and professional services industries to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
The construction, mining, oil, and gas and state or local government industries are more likely than the finance, high-tech and professional services industries to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
The manufacturing industry is more likely than the finance and professional services industries to have hired U.S. veterans in an attempt to recruit for hard-to-fill jobs.
Comparisons by industry
Federal government (87%)
>
Finance (40%)
Health (57%)
High-tech (47%)
Manufacturing (60%)
Professional services (43%)
Construction, mining, oil and gas (70%)
State or local government (71%)
Note: Only statistically significant differences are shown.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

25. Demographics
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

26. Demographics: Organization Staff Size Federal Government
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

27. Other Demographics Federal Government
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only, or does it operate multinationally?
Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same.
20%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location.
80%
U.S.-based operations only
60%
Multinational operations
40%
n = 221
n = 222
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or by both?
What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices.
39%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices. 3%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices.
58%
Corporate (companywide)
47%
Business unit/division
32%
Facility/location
21%
n = 182
n = 181
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

28. SHRM Survey Findings: The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies
Survey Methodology
Response rate = 8%
234 randomly selected HR professionals from the federal government in SHRM’s membership participated in this survey.
With small sample sizes, the response of one participant can affect the overall results considerably; this should be noted when making interpretations of the data, particularly when interpreting small percentage differences.
Survey fielded August 28-September 14, 2012
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

29. About SHRM Research
For more survey/poll findings, visit
For more information about SHRM’s Customized Research Services, visit
Follow us on
Project leader:
Tanya Mulvey, survey research analyst, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Alexander Alonso, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research
Evren Esen, manager, Survey Research Center, SHRM Research
Kenya Newby, coordinator, research programs, SHRM Research
Copy editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013

30. About SHRM
The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world’s largest association devoted to human resource management. Representing more than 250,000 members in over 140 countries, the Society serves the needs of HR professionals and advances the interests of the HR profession. Founded in 1948, SHRM has more than 575 affiliated chapters within the United States and subsidiary offices in China and India.
The Ongoing Impact of the Recession—Federal Government Agencies ©SHRM 2013