Problem in Public Safety Management

When looking at Public Safety Management and the many problems that managers face throughout the differing agencies, a problem of great concern that continues to stand out amongst them is the retention of their employees.  Throughout this paper some of the questions that are going to be answered regarding retention are: Why is retention a major concern throughout public safety agencies?  What are some of the problems that affect retention?  What are some ways to combat those retention problems?  What plan can be implemented to mitigate the problem of retention?

Why Is Retention A Major Concern?

“Various costs are incurred as a result of employee turnover.  These include out-of-pocket costs for recruiting and training new workers to replace those who leave, and indirect costs such as the extra supervisory time required by new workers and the lower productivity of new employees not fully trained.” (Congress Of The United States Congressional Budget Office, 1986, 27)  Not only is retention a major concern for out of pocket expenses and lost productivity, it also affects the organizational behavior and the ability of the organization to accomplish its mission.  The organization behavior begins to suffer because the rest of the employees in the agency become taxed with increased demands by doing more with less, as well as the decreased ability to utilize time off for family, and vacation. 

What Problems Affect Retention and How Do We Combat Them?

When focusing on the problem of retention, one has to look at the all of the differing factors which can in turn affect it.  Some of the factors that affect retention are; organizational commitment, relocation, leadership (motivation and empowerment), job satisfaction, compensation, advancement, and working relationships.  Some of the causes and reasons that have been identified why federal employees resign or retire can be seen from the study known as “Why Are Employees Leaving the Federal Government?  Results of an Exit Survey,” published in May of 1999 by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board.  In this study 17% of the individuals gave reasons for resigning to be organizational and management issues, 15% were work related issues 9% were working relationship issues.  Some of the issues that fell into these categories were, poor cooperation between upper level management and employees, too little recognition for my work accomplishments, my job did not make good use of my skills and abilities, poor working relationship with my immediate supervisor, etc… (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 1999, 11)

Retention Problem Solutions

The best way to attack the problem of individuals leaving an agency can best be investigated by finding out why they are leaving.  “Clearly employees who resign leave for different reasons then employees who retire.  However, within each of these two major groups there are important subgroup differences.  If Federal managers wish to reduce unwanted turnover in one of these subgroups, turnover-reduction strategies should be focused directly on the reasons for leaving that were most prominent within that subgroup.  Each agency, therefore, would be well-advised to pinpoint its own turnover problems and to target remedies accordingly.”  (U.S. Merit System Protection Board, 1990, 31)  Even though the Air Force Manpower Agency and the U.S. Merit System Protection Board continue to put out a climate survey and exit survey to get employees feedback on their organizational environment as well as why employees are leaving the federal government, some believe that the information obtained is not detailed enough to specific organizations to utilize the information.  In order to get more specific, we may need to develop and implement organizational Exit Interviews, as well as Exit Surveys to answer the questions of why they are leaving specific organizations.  Although you can’t fix a specific problem before you’ve identified it, one can account for the most common retention problems that can be expected. 

One effective way to combat the most common retention problems is by encouraging and training better leaders throughout the fire service to have strong leadership skills rather than solely relying on formal power and management skills.  “Management strives to maintain stability and improve efficiency.  Leadership on the other hand, is about creating a vision for the future, designing social architecture that shapes culture and values, inspiring and motivating followers, developing personal qualities, and creating change within a culture of integrity.” (Daft, 2008, 28)  Some of the other attributes that can be seen in a leader are, “the shift from stability to change and crisis management, from control to empowerment, from competition to collaboration, from uniformity to diversity, and from self-centered focus to a higher ethical purpose.” (Daft, 2008, 27)  

“MPS 2005 results indicate that many Federal employees believe their views are unheard, disregarded, or discouraged. For instance, 17 percent of survey participants disagreed with the statement “I am able to openly express concerns at work” and 22 percent disagreed with “My opinions count at work.” (U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 2007, 38)  Another solution to

public safety manager’s retention problem would consist of building a stronger bond with public safety personnel.  “Effective leaders know that you first have to touch people’s hearts before you ask them for a hand.  That is the Law of Connection.  All great communicators recognize this truth and act on it almost instinctively.  You can’t move people to action unless you first move them with emotion.  The heart comes before the head.” (Maxwell, 1991, 101)  Once public safety managers have effectively built a rapport with their personnel, there could be a sense of belonging and organizational commitment from the public safety personnel that would influence them to stop looking for another organization to fulfill the need of belonging and importance.    “Over and over again, organizations have discovered that taking great care of their employees is also a great way to take care of business.  In other words, what starts at the top has a beneficial trickle-down effect on the bottom line.” (Gandy, 2001, 106)  In other words, if your employee feels like they are being taken care of, then they in effect will have a positive attitude, organizational commitment and will have more job satisfaction.   

Many believe that for an organization to be successful, the employees need to have job satisfaction and to be productive.  “For employees to be productive, they must feel that the job is right for their abilities and that they are being treated equitably.” (Ivancevich, 2005, p. 12)  In order for employees to feel that the job is right for their abilities a good manager and leader would utilize the assets of individual employees and match them up where their talents and abilities lie.  If an employee has strong abilities in the hazardous materials side of the fire service, then utilize those abilities and empower, assign, and give them a chance to lead in those areas.  The same method could be utilized for individuals that excelled in the medical side, technical rescue or any other facet.  Not only would empowering and utilizing ones assets in those areas be effective, but utilizing employees personal and specific assets such as natural leadership, motivation, communication, and other skills would help benefit the organization and its work environment.

Although this style of management focuses more on individual assets and human capital and less on standardization and interchangeability, it has been shown to be a driving factor in employee job satisfaction.  “Research has uncovered a moderately inverse relationship between satisfaction and turnover.  High job satisfaction will not, in and of itself, keep turnover low, but it does seem to help.  On the other hand, if there is considerable job dissatisfaction, there is likely to be high turnover.” (Luthans, 2006, 145)  Not only do good leaders need to utilize employees’ assets to increase job satisfaction, they also need to be a good motivator. 

“Motivation is the set of attitudes that predisposes a person to act in a specific goal directed way.” (Ivancevich, 2005, p. 56)  For one to be able to motivate and recognize employees, one must understand the secondary needs that the employees in the work group respond to and learn.  Some of these needs consist of the need for achievement, power, affiliation, security, and status.   Some employees are motivated through achievement, affiliation, security and status.  Some of the incentives that may fulfill the employee’s needs and drives differ among each of the motives.  “[For example, the leader of the work group may give feedback to an employee that is a high achiever since] they prefer activities that provide immediate and precise feedback information on how they are progressing toward their goals.” (Luthans, 2006, 163)  Motivation from the leaders in the department or organization is one example of how employees start to build pride and organizational commitment while continuing to be productive and maintaining a favorable work environment?  When motivating and influencing employees to feel equitable, leaders should embody nine specific principles to do the job.  The nine principals consist of, “know the job, know your men, keep men informed, set a good example, make timely decisions, train men as a team, accept responsibility, know yourself, and delegate.” (Hamm, 1967, p. 14)  “A significant way in which leaders can meet the higher motivational needs of subordinates is to shift power down from the top of the organizational hierarchy and share it with subordinates.  They can decrease the emphasis on incentives designed to affect and control subordinates behavior and instead attempt to share power with organizational members to achieve shared goals.” (Daft, 2008, 242)  This can be seen as a perfect example of motivation through empowerment. 

            Empowerment is another leadership skill that could be utilized to help increase organizational commitment, job satisfaction, and ultimately retention.  “Empowerment provides strong motivation because it meets the higher needs of individuals.  Research indicates that individuals have a need for self-efficacy, which is the capacity to produce results or outcomes, to feel they are effective.  Most people come into an organization with the desire to do a good job, and empowerment enables leaders to release the motivation already there.  Increased responsibility motivates most people to strive to do their best.” (Daft, 2008, 243)  Not only do effective leaders empower their employees releasing their self motivation, they also utilize the tool of recognition.

            Recognition can be utilized as a very affective tool for leaders just as it can be seen in the report “Federal Workforce Quality: Measurement and Improvement,” written by the Advisory Committee on Federal Workforce Quality Assessment (1992, 38). “The Committee believes that as Federal civil servants are asked to do more with fewer resources, it will become ever more important for those in charge to demonstrate in word and deed, through actual policies and practices, that these employees are valued, that their work is appreciated, and that their ethnic and cultural diversity is prized for its enrichment of workforce contributions to the public good.”  “Unfortunately, doing more with less often has meant not only working harder and smarter, but with less recognition, support, equipment and assistance.  In difficult economic times it is not only the civil servants salary that is frozen; the budgets for those support systems that facilitate job performance—such as training, equipment, and supplies—are also among the first to be eliminated or sharply reduced.  In the past, even such basics as hot water, heating, and air conditioning have been reduced in Federal buildings in the name of economy.  When such tangible support is withdrawn, it sends the message that civil servants are neither valued by the citizens they serve, nor by their own management.”(The Advisory Committee on Federal Workforce Quality Assessment, 1992, 37)  This is where the need for recognition and acknowledgement of value of employees come into the leader’s arsenal of skills which ultimately lends itself to higher retention.  Some of the different ways award and recognition programs work are by recognizing employees publicly, with cash awards, time off awards, quality step increases, and additional recognition devices set up by organizations such as a plaque or statue.  Unfortunately, far too often these programs are not utilized as a tool for encouragement and motivation, but are only utilized as a reward system for an end of year review.   

            To sum up all of the attributes that a great leader should have in order retain their organizations employees as well as provide a “commitment—oriented management system,” would be to follow Mr. Gary Dressler’s recommendation from the Academy of Management. (1999, May) “Commit to people-first values: Put it in writing; hire right-kind managers; walk the talk.  Clarify and communicate your mission: Clarify the mission and ideology; make it charismatic; use value-based hiring practices; stress values-based orientation and training; build the tradition.  Guarantee organizational justice: Have a comprehensive grievance procedure; provide for extensive two-way communications.  Create a sense of community: Build value-based homogeneity; share and share alike; emphasize barnraising, cross-utilization, and teamwork; get together.  Support employee development: Commit to actualizing; provide first year job challenge; enrich and empower; promote from within; provide developmental activities; provide employee security without guarantees.” (Dressler, 1999, 8-9)   

Retention Solution Program

Some of the benefits of having a good Retention Solution Program in place will be seen by reducing costs of an agencies budget for recruiting and retraining, decrease the amount of overtime being paid for vacancies, as well as decreasing the amount of lost production time with new hires getting acclimated.  Some of the problems that affect retention consist of organizational commitment, relocation, leadership (motivation and empowerment), job satisfaction, compensation, advancement, and working relationships.  Employees need to have strong leaders working amongst and above them, who can motivate, empower, and encourage which will in turn solve some of the problems that affect retention by increasing employee job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and improving working relationships.  With leaders effectively utilizing all of the skills and tools outlined, some of the reasons why employees leave the federal government will be eliminated, thus increasing the retention rate as well as building a stronger, better work environment.  

A Retention Solution Program should start with a specific exit survey that will be utilized to gather information on the reasons why personnel are leaving the organization.  This would allow leaders and managers to be able to identify any possible deficiencies and to develop plans to specifically combat some of the main reasons why past individuals left. 

Another tool that will be utilized in the Retention Solution Program is an organizational climate survey that is specific to the organization.  This would need to be utilized with anonymity so that individuals can feel free to give information without reprisal.  This can give upper management a picture on where the organization is and its climate through the eyes of the employees.  Management could then utilize the information to correct any deficiencies as well as give further training to the lower level leaders and managers therefore preventing future retention problems.

 Another area of the Retention Solution Program is to set up a career development plan that lined up the goals and avenues of each employee.  This would help each employee have an idea of what training is going to be available to them from the organization, and when to expect it.  This part of the program would stimulate more of the organizational commitment from each employee since they will feel like they’re being valued and taken care of.  Once the career development plan had been set up, the leader/supervisor could then rate the employees on what assets and goals each individual had and target specific special duties towards that area.  Personnel performing special duties that they are matched up with as well as given empowerment to manage the special duty will help nurture the job satisfaction and empowerment factor. 

One other way to increase job satisfaction would be by utilizing a more effective mutual aid agreement.  Fostering a better partnership with neighboring fire departments in order to negotiate and effectively utilize an automatic aid agreement or mutual aid agreement would help increase call volume to slower departments.  Not only would it increase job satisfaction to the slower department personnel that aren’t able to utilize their job skills on a regular basis, but it would also increase the employees feeling of being equitable, as well as their knowledge, skills, and ability. 

Another part of the Retention Solution Program would be to utilize more regularly the awards and recognition program that is already in place in the department.  Start utilizing them as recognition for positive accomplishments and exceptional performance and this will help motivate others to want that same recognition and award.  Positive reinforcement and motivation could be utilized to encourage employees to perform better rather than to force them to perform better. 

One of the last but most important parts of the Retention Solution Program is to continue to give training on the qualities of leadership that is expected and wanted throughout the organization.  One way to accomplish this would be by gathering resources and texts on leadership and management and requesting those in leadership roles to continually utilize them to help make a difference and better work environment.  With the Retention Solution Program targeting many of the different factors that influence retention it would stand to reason that it couldn’t be anything but successful in increasing the retention rate.