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Chapter 1: Guidebook Introduction
Over the past decade, the transportation industry has experienced unprecedented pressure to develop its
workforce due to evolving recruitment and retention challenges (e.g., Cronin et al., 2007, Warne, 2003,
Skinner, 2000). NCHRP Synthesis 323: Recruiting and Retaining Individuals in State Transportation
Agencies found that transportation agencies are struggling to recruit and retain individuals with the right
skill sets and as a result, to deliver quality products and services to their customers (Warne, 2003).
Difficulty in recruitment and retention is a problem that is experienced at all levels and disciplines, and in
both public and private sector organizations. In response to these challenges, this guidebook provides
user-friendly information on specific recruitment and retention techniques that transportation Human
Resources (HR) managers and hiring professionals can use to improve the recruitment and retention of
qualified employees in their organizations.
This introductory chapter provides an overview of overarching transportation workforce challenges, the
project methodology, and the remaining guidebook chapters. Each of these topics is discussed in the
following sections.
1.1 Transportation Workforce Context
Technological, demographic, cultural, and political changes over the last 20 years, while holding great
promise, also have introduced a host of difficulties. More specifically, the issues driving the concern with
workforce development are:
Demographic changes in the workforce
Competitive labor market
New technologies
Demand on the transportation industry
Demographic Changes in the Workforce. The retirement of the "Baby Boomer" generation has been
cited as one of the greatest challenges facing transportation organizations. TRB Special Report 275: The
Workforce Challenge: Recruiting, Training and Retaining Qualified Workers for Transportation and
Transit Agencies, indicates that 50% of the transportation workforce will be eligible to retire in the next
10 years, double the rate of the nation's entire workforce (TRB, 2003). In many cases, those eligible to
retire are the individuals who are most likely to possess specialized knowledge and unique experiences
that are critical for efficient operation of the organization (Rothwell and Poduch, 2004). According to the
American Public Transportation Association (APTA), "Baby Boomers" constitute such a large portion of
the total population that the age 65+ group is predicted to grow at a rate that is four times that of the entire
population, indicating that every one out of five people will be in this group by the year 2030. Thus, while
transportation demand will continue to increase, personnel losses for most transportation organizations
will be significant. Adding further complexity is that the loss of these personnel will also result in core
competency gaps needed to perform mission-critical requirements. An MTI Report entitled Paving the
Way: Recruiting Students into the Transportation Professions, specifically identifies the growing shortage
of professional engineers and planners within the transportation industry. The report points out that the
transportation industry must encourage "more civil engineering and urban planning students to specialize
in transportation while completing their degrees." (Agrawal and Dill, 2009).
The "Baby Boomers'" retirements will result in new opportunities for the next generation. However, the
influx of younger workers into leadership positions presents its own set of challenges. Jobs that were
typically male dominated, such as engineering, are becoming less so (Cronin et al., 2007). APTA notes
that the ratio of working women to working men has increased from approximately .5 to 1 to .8 to 1 from
1
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2 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce
1970 to 1998. Furthermore, according to the U.S. Department of Education, women have been earning
more bachelor's degrees than men since 1982 and more master's degrees than men since 1981. In the
2005-2006 academic year (the most recent year for which data are available), women earned 58% of all
bachelor's degrees and 60% of master's degrees. By 2016, women are projected to earn 60% of
bachelor's, 63% of master's and 54% of doctorate and professional degrees.
At the same time, the number of ethnic minorities in the applicant pool is also increasing. In his
discussion of Transportation in the 21st Century, Robert E. Skinner, Jr., the Executive Director of the
Transportation Research Board stated, "We are becoming a nation of immigrants again. The immigrant
population nearly doubled between 1950 and 1990. A net population growth from immigration of
820,000 per year is assumed in Census Bureau projections through 2035" (Skinner, 2000). A Fortune
report also notes that minority-friendly companies consistently outperform the Fortune 500 index in terms
of financial performance (Colvin and Gunn, 1999). Thus, transportation organizations should rethink their
development and retention strategies to tailor programs to the evolving composition of their applicants
and workforce.
As demographics change in the workplace, employee perceptions of work are also changing. Research
suggests that younger workers, women equally as much as men, are looking for jobs with greater
responsibility. In comparing 1992 with 2008, the 2008 National Study of the Changing Workforce found
two emerging trends that are striking among Millennials (under 29 years old): women are just as likely as
men to want jobs with greater responsibility, a change from 1992 when significantly more men under 29
wanted jobs with greater responsibility (80%) than women under 29 (72%) (Galinski, Aumann, and Bond,
2008). The information is important, because over one-half of participants in one study indicated that lack
of awareness regarding advancement potential has at least some impact on why young people are not
pursuing jobs in transportation (Cronin et al., 2007).
Research has also shown that employees--men and women-- are taking routine time away from their job
for the care of their children. For example, in today's workplace, men and women are spending about the
same amount of time with their children under 13 years old on workdays (3 hrs for men, 3.8 hrs for
women). This is 50% more than men did in 1977 (Galinski, Aumann, and Bond, 2008). The number of
employed men (49%) who now say they take most or an equal share of child care responsibilities is also
up from 41% in 1992. This commitment to career and family can lead to feelings of conflict as well. For
example, in the same study, the majority of fathers in dual-earner couples (59%) reported experiencing
some form of work-life conflict, which is up from 35% in 1977. The findings indicate that balance
between work and family is critical for today's worker.
Demographic changes in the workforce, evolving perceptions of work, and the impending "Baby
Boomer" retirement will be essential issues for DOTs to consider as agencies begin to revise recruitment
and retention strategies targeted at the next generation of transportation workers. The programs described
in this guidebook provide direction in addressing these challenges.
Competitive Labor Market. Transportation agencies attract employees with an offer of stable
employment and a variety of benefits packages that include health, retirement, vacation plans, and special
training programs. However, this may not be enough to retain employees in the long term. Warne's
survey of 950 professionals showed that approximately 25% were considering leaving the agency (Warne,
2003). Higher salaries and promotional opportunities offered in the private sector and other fields were
strong incentives in employees' considerations to leave the agency. The workplace culture is also a
significant factor in an employee's decision whether to remain with the agency. This includes such things
as schedule flexibility, professional development training programs to prepare workers for leadership
positions, and educational assistance (Cronin et al., 2007). Skilled leadership, reasonable workloads,
feeling good about their contribution and value to the agency, and rewarding good performance with
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Guidebook Introduction 3
compensation and promotions are factors that are difficult to quantify but are important for employee
retention.
Transportation organizations face many challenges when recruiting high-quality employees as a result of
wage disparities. For example, on average, private sector engineering jobs pay more than public sector
jobs. Reese (2003) found in a survey of younger (below age 35) American Society of Civil Engineers
members that the average annual salary for private-sector engineers is $1,000 higher than the average for
all engineers, while the average annual salary for pubic engineers is $1,000 lower than the average for all.
Results from a survey of DOT transportation employees from Nebraska, Maryland, and Utah early in the
decade, indicated that 25% of respondents were considering leaving because of the potential for a higher
salary or a better opportunity for promotion elsewhere (Warne, 2003). Making matters even more
complex, transportation agencies often compete with each other for qualified engineers. Because the
public sector has financial constraints that limit the ability to match the salary and benefit levels of the
private sector, transportation organizations must be creative in overcoming competition (e.g., through
offering superior career development opportunities, focusing on the contribution transportation makes to
the quality of life and economy in the United States, and providing a positive work environment,
including flexibility in work schedules and other areas that enhance individual lifestyle and priorities
without compromising organization work product, morale, or mission).
The image of transportation jobs also impacts recruitment efforts. It is especially difficult to attract
individuals to entry-level positions, such as highway construction jobs, which comprise a large percentage
of the transportation workforce. The positions are often branded as rigid and seniority-based (Warne,
2003). This perception pushes qualified applicants and employees to competing industries. While the
industry's poor image is often unwarranted, the impact of a poor image underscores the importance of
implementing innovative and effective human resource management practices. Effective strategies are
needed to attract and retain high-performing, productive employees and to ensure the success of the
industry (Cronin et al., 2007).
Furthermore, for engineering, planning, environmental, and financial specialist positions, recruitment
challenges have increased substantially. Many college students are not finding the engineering field to be
as attractive as other professions (Blue et al., 2005). Despite a slight growth in the number of women and
ethnic minorities pursuing engineering degrees, there is still an under representation of these demographic
groups in the field as compared with the general public. Additionally, the curriculum in engineering
programs is often inadequate to match the requirements of engineering practitioner jobs. Thus, finding
individuals for entry-level jobs with the appropriate skill sets to accomplish the work needed in
transportation agencies can be especially difficult. For this reason, this guidebook describes numerous
strategies for overcoming competitive labor markets throughout the recruitment-to-retention spectrum.
New Technologies. New technology has played an important role in how transportation agencies
accomplish their mission. Technology advances in motor vehicle and aircraft production impacted
mobility in the 20th century. In the 21st century, information technology such as computers, the Internet,
Web-based and wireless communications, and advanced control systems has influenced not only what
transportation agencies do but how they plan and conduct projects (TRB, 2003). Transportation agencies
had to begin thinking of technology as a substitute for travel in some cases, allowing for more individuals
to telework and conduct business from almost anywhere (Skinner, 2000).
Increased reliance on technology impacts recruitment and retention in multiple, and sometimes
contradictory, ways. For example, while technology improves efficiency, the use of these devices may
push aging employees out of the workforce as job functions become more "new-age" and complex.
Conversely, utilizing the state-of-the-art tools to streamline work processes may help retain other
employees as certain work tasks become easier. Cutting-edge technologies, likewise, may also help to
