There have been some major changes within the public sector and government -- it can often be hard to keep up with all the latest developments and projects. I've asked Melissa, one of our recruitment consultants, to answer a few questions about what she's been noticing and hearing within the public sector.

What changes and challenges are you seeing in the public sector right now?

What I'm hearing is there seems to be some increase in workloads, and this, combined with limited resources, means that people are needing to put in longer hours to get jobs done. There are obviously a lot of flow-on effects from this – stress levels, health impacts, work-life balance, quality of work – how good a job can you do when you are overworked?

Employees, especially those affected by these changes, can benefit from career management advice – not just for the future, but also how to manage their career (and resources) at present.

There is certainly uncertainty in the workforce at the moment, and some low morale due to redundancies and restructures. At the same time, hiring managers are experiencing a definite surge in the number of responses to jobs advertised -- this is right across the board, and not just in the public sector. But are these applicants the right calibre or quality? Do they have the right skills?

Hiring managers may end up spending a lot of time sifting through applications, so it may make sense to outsource to agencies who can do the initial screening.

What kinds of skills are currently in demand, and which ones do you foresee will be in demand in the future?

Based on what I'm hearing from my fellow consultants, it seems like more and more the public sector will see a need for senior people who can negotiate under demanding situations -- people with great negotiation skills and the ability to liaise confidently between different departments and sectors.

What else is in demand?

• Good Policy people!
• Evaluators
• Managers possessing Leadership skills – its not just about managing, but leading people
• Audit or Quality Analysts
• Financial Accountability and good governance

What interesting new projects are coming up in the public sector?

Here are a few public sector developments that I've been keeping an eye on recently:

• Possibility of merging Immigration with Identity services.
• New legislation in road policing that needs to be pushed through
• More work on NCEA qualifications.
• Push on economic development and work programmes that promote this.

What do you think the biggest public sector news of the week has been, in relation to jobseekers and managers?

Swine flu. You might think I'm kidding, but this could really have an effect on businesses and productivity. There's also been reports of job cuts at more agencies.

What else do you think is valuable to mention?

I'd like to turn that around a bit; I actually have a question for managers within the public sector. I'm interested to know what managers are doing to keep morale up and workers productive. What ways do they recommend to alleviate the pressure of increasing and demanding workloads in the face of less resource? I recently found a great article that may also be of help to managers: The 15 most common mistakes made in an uncertain economy.

I should also say that we at The Johnson Group are always available to help you with any recruitment processes, from screening candidates to undertaking reference checks! We can also talk with workers affected by redundancies regarding career management and advice.

If you'd like to talk to Melissa Alfonso-Cruz about anything in this article, please drop her a line at melissa@thejohnsongroup.co.nz or give her a call on 04 915 1474.