National Academies Press: OpenBook

Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce (2011)

Chapter: Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook

« Previous: Chapter 1 - Guidebook Introduction
Page 6
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 6
Page 7
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 7
Page 8
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 8
Page 9
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 9
Page 10
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 10
Page 11
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 11
Page 12
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 12
Page 13
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 13
Page 14
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 14
Page 15
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 15
Page 16
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 16
Page 17
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 17
Page 18
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 18
Page 19
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 19
Page 20
Suggested Citation:"Chapter 2 - Using the Guidebook." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2011. Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/14475.
×
Page 20

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

6Chapter 2: Using the Guidebook This chapter provides an overview of the guidebook’s organizing structures and describes how the guidebook can be most effectively used by transportation professionals. To accomplish this, a summary of the following topics is provided: Recruitment and Retention Topic Areas Used to Organize the Guidebook Overview of Transportation Workforce Pipeline Transportation Workforce Challenges Recruitment and Retention Industry Strategies Transportation Workforce Practices Volume II: Supplemental Materials The purpose of providing these summaries in a separate chapter is to clearly explain how the guidebook was designed, how the separate chapters of the guidebook relate to each other, and to help ensure that users can maximize the complex and multidimensional nature of the information and resources provided. 2.1 Recruitment and Retention Topic Areas Used to Organize the Guidebook In order to organize our searches and findings within our literature review, benchmarking study, and case study analysis, experts on the research team met to establish definitions for the concepts under study. First, they focused on specific content areas within the two major areas of interest: recruitment practices and retention practices. Within these overarching areas, the researchers identified 15 specific topic areas that present the greatest amount of challenge to the transportation industry. Exhibit 2-1 defines the final set of 15 recruitment and retention topic areas—5 recruitment and 10 retention categories. Exhibit 2-1 Recruitment and Retention Topic Areas Used to Organize Guidebook Chapters Recruitment Topic Areas Retention Topic Areas Developing future applicant skills Increasing the number of applicants Screening applicants Promoting existing staff Branding the organization/industry Reducing voluntary turnover Anticipating and managing performance issues Developing internal staff skills Improving culture/climate Leadership development Job classification and design Succession planning Developing knowledge management systems Restructuring benefits and compensation Work-life balance Although each of the recruitment and retention topic areas has an important and specific focus, all categories are inter-related. Thus, an organization which struggles in one area is likely to struggle in other areas. Similarly, a strategy used to improve one specific area is likely to indirectly improve multiple areas. For example, a practice that is designed to help brand the transportation industry as an attractive career choice will likely also increase the number of applicants and help to reduce voluntary turnover. The 15 recruitment and retention categories were used to organize data collection during all project tasks and are used as the major organization mechanism for this guidebook. A full guidebook chapter is dedicated to each topic area.

2.2 Overview of Transportation Workforce Pipeline The transportation workforce pipeline consists of the major career stages through which an employee might progress before, during, and after their employment at a transportation agency. The graphic in Exhibit 2-2 highlights these career stages and dem onstrates that the 15 recruitment and retention categories introduced above influence the entire life cycle of the pipeline. Exhibit 2-2 Transportation Workforce Pipeline Graphic To begin each guidebook chapter, this graphic is presented again with only the topic area under consideration highlighted and the target pipeline career stages emphasized. The intention is to indicate the career stages that are most affected by the challenges, strategies, and workforce practices presented in that chapter. In the following sections, additional information is provided about the challenges, strategies, and workforce practices presented across all chapters of this guidebook. Industry Career Stage s K-12 Comm. Colleges 4 year Colleges Graduate School s Entry-Level Staff Mid-Career Staff Senior Leaders Retirees D ev el op in g Fu tu re A pp lic an t S ki lls In cr ea sin g th e N um be r o f A pp lic an ts Sc re en in g A pp lic an ts Pr om ot in g Ex ist in g St af f B ra nd in g th e O rg an iz at io n/ In du str y R ed uc in g V ol un ta ry Tu rn ov er A nt ic ip at in g & M an ag in g Pe rfo rm an ce Is su es D ev el op in g In te rn al S ta ff Sk ill s Im pr ov in g Cu ltu re /C lim at e Le ad er sh ip D ev el op m en t Jo b Cl as sif ic at io n A nd D es ig n Su cc es sio n Pl an ni ng D ev el op in g K no w le dg e M an ag em en t S ys te m s R es tru ct ur in g Be ne fit s & Co m pe ns at io n W or k- Li fe B al an ce Guidebook’s Overarching Recruitment and Retention Topic Areas T R A N S P O R ATT ION WORKFORCE PIPELINE Using the Guidebook 7

2.3 Transportation Workforce Challenges In each chapter of the guidebook, major workforce challenges facing transportation agencies within the topic area under consideration are presented. For the purposes of this guidebook, “challenges” describe the problems and issues organizations are facing around recruitment and retention of staff. An overview of the 49 workforce challenges discussed across all chapters is presented in this section, see Exhibit 2-3. Exhibit 2-3 organizes the challenges into themes. It also indicates where relationships exist between each challenge and the recruitment/retention topics described in this guidebook. Since all of the challenges are related to multiple topics, the exhibit specifies the relationships and the chapter where more information about the challenge can be found using the following symbols: = Indicates primary relationship to recruitment/retention topic. This is the topic where the challenge has the greatest impact. Thus, decision makers should be sure to address this concern in the development of new workforce practices. This symbol also indicates the chapter where additional information about the challenge can be found. x = Indicates a relationship exists between the challenge and the recruitment/retention topic. In other words, the challenge impacts the corresponding recruitment/retention topic in some fashion and should be considered when developing a related program. 8 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 2-3 Workforce Challenges Matrix Recruitment Topics Retention Topics Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 Ch. 17 Challenges D e v e l o p i n g F u t u r e A p p l i c a n t S k i l l s I n c r e a s i n g t h e N u m b e r o f A p p l i c a n t s S c r e e n i n g A p p l i c a n t s P r o m o t i n g E x i s t i n g S t a f f B r a n d i n g t h e O r g a n i z a t i o n / I n d u s t r y R e d u c i n g V o l u n t a r y T u r n o v e r A n t i c i p a t i n g & M a n a g i n g P e r f o r m a n c e I s s u e s D e v e l o p i n g I n t e r n a l S t a f f S k i l l s I m p r o v i n g C u l t u r e / C l i m a t e L e a d e r s h i p D e v e l o p m e n t J o b C l a s s i f i c a t i o n a n d D e s i g n S u c c e s s i o n P l a n n i n g D e v e l o p i n g K n o w l e d g e M a n a g e m e n t S y s t e m s R e s t r u c t u r i n g B e n e f i t s & C o m p e n s a t i o n W o r k - L i f e B a l a n c e Lack of Planning: Failure to implement recruiting initiatives before a position needs to be filled. Lack of Recruiting Process x x x x x Failure to Adequately Brand the Industry x x x x x Difficult Work Context: Applicants are sometimes not attracted to outdoor, manual labor jobs. Aversion to Manual Outdoor Labor x x x x x x Geographic Challenges x x x x Lack of Flexibility and Autonomy x x x x x x x x x x x x Bureaucratic Hiring Policies x x x x

Exhibit 2-3 (Continued) Workforce Challenges Matrix Recruitment Topics Retention Topics Challenges Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 Ch. 17 Evolving Workforce Trends: Evolving applicant pools make it difficult to identify top talent. Employee Age, Generational Gap x x x x x x x x x x x x x x National Disasters Creating Competitive Labor Market x x x x x x x x x x Lack of Skilled Applicants x x x x Lack of Diversity x x x x x x x x x x Speed of Technology x x x x x x x Aging Workers and Technology x x x x x x x x x Effect of Economic Downturn x x x x Influx of Younger Workers: Difficulty redesigning jobs and policies that attract Generation Y Different Career Decision Making x x x x x x x x x x x x x High Expectations of an Employer x x x x x x x x x x x x x Lack of Learning Opportunities x x x x x x x x Strong Competition: Better compensation elsewhere draws top applicants. Aggressive Recruiting x x x x x x

Exhibit 2-3 (Continued) Workforce Challenges Matrix Recruitment Topics Retention Topics Challenges Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 Ch. 17 Aggressive Wage Competition x x x x x x x Competing on Benefits x x x x x x Failure to Invest in Talent Pipeline x x x Leadership Issues: Supervisors do not know how to sell the organization. Interviewing Skills x x x x x Poor Employee Performance x x x x Misperception of Industry: Applicants do not see certain jobs as having career advancement potential. Anti-Public Sector Sentiment x x x x x Misperceptions of the Job x x x x x x x x x x x x x Lack of Workforce Planning x x x x x x x x x x x x Misperceptions of the Advancement Potential x x x x x x x x x x Misperceptions of the Gender/Cultural Barriers x x x x x x x x x x x Applicant Issues: Challenge to know who is legitimately qualified versus who is misrepresenting their qualifications. Difficulty Finding Applicants with In- Demand Skills x x x x x x x x x x

Exhibit 2-3 (Continued) Workforce Challenges Matrix Recruitment Topics Retention Topics Challenges Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 Ch. 17 Transportation Issues x Impact of Children x x x x Applicant Trust after Layoffs x x x x x x x x x Difficulty Ensuring Continuity of Organizational Resources: Failure to plan for customary turnover within an organization. Lack of Knowledge Transfer x x x x x Lack of Career Path/Succession Planning x x x x x x x x Demanding Work Environment: Retaining employees in manual, outdoor labor jobs. Short-term Turnover x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Public Sector Challenges x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Retaining a Diverse Workforce x x x x x x x x x x x x x Evolving Workforce Structures: Institutional knowledge leaving with retiring employees. Fleeting Institutional Knowledge x x x x x x Changes in Policy and Technology x x x x x x x x x x x Generational Issues: Teamwork between generations is strained by different worldviews. Lack of Organizational Commitment x x x x x x x x x x x Differences in Job Expectations x x x x x x x x x x x x x

Exhibit 2-3 (Continued) Workforce Challenges Matrix Recruitment Topics Retention Topics Challenges Ch. 3 Ch. 4 Ch. 5 Ch. 6 Ch. 7 Ch. 8 Ch. 9 Ch. 10 Ch. 11 Ch. 12 Ch. 13 Ch. 14 Ch. 15 Ch. 16 Ch. 17 Tough Competition from Related Industries: Better compensations draws top employees. Better Compensation and Responsibility x x x x x x x x x Better Location x x x x x x x Leadership Issues: Supervisors do not know how to provide customized feedback. Difficulty Choosing Leaders x x x x x x x x Lack of Training for Leaders/Supervisors x x x x x x x Deficiency in Top Management Support x x x x x x x x x x Training Issues: Difficulty designing the right type and amount of training that engages, challenges and retains employees. The Cost of Training x x x x x x x x x Difficulty Providing Sufficient Quality Training x x x x x x x x x Failure to Apply Training x x x x x x x x Failure to Update Training x x x x x x x x

2.4 Recruitment and Retention Industry Strategies “Strategies” refer to the methods and solutions being used across organizations to address workforce challenges. In each chapter of the guidebook, major workforce strategies being implemented at transportation agencies related to the topic area under consideration are presented. An overview of the workforce strategies presented across all chapters is given in Exhibit 2-4. This exhibit organizes the strategies under the recruitment and retention topic areas. In addition, it indicates the chapter where more information about the particular strategy can be found in the guidebook. Exhibit 2-4 Summary of Major Recruitment and Retention Strategies and Chapter Location Recruitment Strategies by Topic Areas Retention Strategies by Topic Areas Chapter 3: Developing applicant skills - Developing internship or fellowship programs - Partnering with schools for youth development - Developing student curriculum and educational academies - Sponsoring scholarships Chapter 4: Increasing the number of applicants - Expanding the recruiting horizon - Hosting career days - Implementing employee referral programs - Tailoring advertising efforts - Considering non-traditional hires - Advertising in foreign languages - Partnering with source organizations to increase numbers - Integrating with source organizations - Harnessing technology - Utilizing social networking Chapter 5: Screening applicants - Preparing hiring managers to screen - Using multiple interviewers - Integrating human resources in the hiring process - Screening for eligibility - Screening for competency - Screening for “fit” Chapter 6: Promoting existing staff - Recruiting existing employees - Developing employees and maintaining employee career paths - Creating a job rotation program - Developing a staffing plan Chapter 8: Reducing voluntary turnover - Removing obstacles to employee growth - Rewarding citizenship behaviors - Keeping former employees close - Rewarding employees - Taking care of employees - Focusing on retention early and learning from mistakes Chapter 9: Anticipating and managing performance issues - Providing meaningful performance feedback - Evaluating organization and job fit in the recruitment process - Implementing workforce planning and hiring the best people - Utilizing realistic job previews (RJPs) - Mentoring and coaching employees Chapter 10: Developing internal staff skills - Using job rotation - Offering off-site and higher education training opportunities - Offering certification-type programs - Tailoring training opportunities to build competency - Using technology to support training Chapter 11: Improving culture/climate - Improving the work environment - Engaging the community - Surveying and interviewing - Engaging the employees Chapter 12: Leadership development - Providing leadership training - Implementing leadership development to support specific demographic groups - Emphasizing follower development in leadership training - Mentoring and coaching leaders 14 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 2-4 (Continued) Summary of Major Recruitment and Retention Strategies and Chapter Location Recruitment Strategies by Topic Areas Retention Strategies by Topic Areas Chapter 7: Branding the organization/industry - Advertising the strengths of the organization - Getting involved in the community and advertising it - Using real employees in advertisements - Making the jobs appealing - Capitalizing on social networking technology - Improving image as “diversity friendly” - Using a comprehensive marketing campaign - Communicating a message and targeting an audience Chapter 13: Job classification and design - Creating dual career tracks for managers and technical experts - Emphasizing job enrichment - Creating advancement within positions Chapter 14: Succession planning - Implementing a succession planning program - Establishing diversity goals Chapter 15: Developing knowledge management systems - Creating people-focused knowledge management systems - Implementing communities of practice Chapter 16: Restructuring benefits and compensation - Researching competitive compensation - Supplementing with alternative benefits packages Chapter 17: Work-life balance - Improving existing work schedule - Allowing flexible schedules and days off - Establishing a breadth of policies to support different employee needs - Allowing telework for high performers 2.5 Transportation Workforce Practices The “workforce practices” presented within this guidebook are specific examples of real-world practices designed to address the workforce challenges facing transportation organizations. In each guidebook chapter, case study summaries of notable workforce practices are presented along with a listing of other example workforce practices that are being used by organizations to address the challenges discussed. The practices provided also indicate how the strategies presented in each chapter are being implemented within specific transportation agencies. An overview of the case study summaries presented across all chapters is provided in Exhibit 2-5. This exhibit organizes the case study practices under the recruitment and retention topic areas, and it indicates the chapter where more information about the particular practice can be found in the guidebook. Additionally, Exhibit 2-5 identifies the job type (i.e., administrative employees, engineers, maintenance employees, or general staff); the Return on Investment (ROI) (i.e., a short-term [0 to 3 years]; a mid-term [4-10 years]; or a long-term workforce solution [11+ years]); and the generation (i.e., younger, older, or workers of all ages) that is most relevant for each case study practice. These designations allow Human Resource (HR) professionals and hiring managers to quickly know which chapters and workforce practices are most relevant based on individual agency needs (e.g., need for a short-term solution for engineers). Using the Guidebook 15

Exhibit 2-5 Case Study Practices Matrix Program Job Type* ROI** Generation*** RECRUITMENT Ch. 3: Developing Future Applicant Skills Oregon DOT College Internship Program (CIP) Engineers Short- to Mid- term Younger Minnesota DOT Seeds Student Worker Program Engineers Short-term Younger Ch. 4: Increasing the Number of Applicants The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Civil Engineering Scholarship Program Engineers Short- to Mid-term Younger Minnesota DOT Community Advisors on Recruitment and Retention Solutions (CARRS) All Short-term All Ch. 5: Screening Applicants Pennsylvania DOT Civil Engineer Training (CET) Program Engineers Mid-term Younger Ch. 6: Promoting Existing Staff North Carolina DOT Supervisor Academy All Short-term All Ch. 7: Branding the Organization/ Industry Iowa State University's Institute for Transportation (InTrans) Go! Magazine All Short- to Mid-term Younger Washington State DOT Branding through Social Media All Short-term Younger RETENTION Ch. 8: Reducing Voluntary Turnover Regional Transportation District (RTD) Champions of Transit Program All Short-term All Missouri DOT Employee Solutions at Work (SAW) Program All Short-term All Ch. 9: Anticipating and Managing Performance Issues Minnesota DOT Individual Competencies for All Mn/DOT Positions All Short- to Mid-term All Virginia DOT Downsizing Substitution Program All Short-term All Ch. 10: Developing Internal Staff Skills North Carolina DOT Transportation Supervisor Conference (TSC) All Short-term All 16 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 2-5 (Continued) Case Study Practices Matrix Program Job Type* ROI** Generation*** Ch. 11: Improving Culture/Climate City of Annapolis DOT (ADT) Inter-Office Committee (IOC) All Short-term All South Carolina DOT Rehabilitation Program Maintenance Short-term All Ch. 12: Leadership Development Maryland SHA Advanced Leadership Program (ALP) All Short-term All Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Joint Workforce Investment (JWI) Program All Short-term All Ch. 13: Job Classification and Design Minnesota DOT Transportation Specialist Series (TSS) Maintenance Short-term All Pennsylvania DOT Position Analysis Workbooks (PAWS) All Short- to Mid- term All Ch. 14: Succession Planning Minnesota DOT Succession Planning All Long-term Older Pennsylvania DOT Succession Planning All Long-term Older Ch. 15: Developing Knowledge Management Systems Virginia DOT Knowledge Management Program All Mid- to Long- term All Ch. 16: Restructuring Benefits and Compensation Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) Medical Opt-Out Program All Short-term All North Carolina DOT Competency-Based Pay Program All Short- to Mid- term All Ch. 17: Work-Life Balance Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Alternative Duty Location Administrative Short-term All *Job Type refers to whether the practice is specifically designed for administrative employees, engineers, maintenance employees, or general staff. **Here Return on Investment (ROI) refers to the time period when a strategy is expected to yield benefits i.e., the short term (0 to 3 years), mid term (i.e., 4-10 years) or long term (i.e., 11+ years). Though a strategy may be designed or intended to deliver substantial benefit in the short term, and is shown as such here, many strategies have cross-cutting long-term benefits. ***Generation refers to whether the practice is specifically relevant for younger, older, or workers of all ages. Using the Guidebook 17

2.6 Volume II: Supplemental Materials The files for Volume II are located on the TRB website at http://trb.org/Main/Blurbs/164747.aspx and present supplemental material related to the 15 recruitment and retention practices previously discussed. The materials provide in-depth information related to the real-world, innovative recruitment and retention practices that are referenced in the following guidebook chapters. These programs are being used by transportation agencies as well as organizations in related fields facing similar workforce challenges. The materials are designed to provide readers with detailed information related to implementing the example workforce strategies discussed within each guidebook chapter. Specifically, Volume II provides full case studies and one- to two-page summaries of example workforce practice. These two resources are described below. Full Case Studies. The full case studies presented in Volume II expand upon the case study summaries provided in each of the remaining Volume I chapters. (See Exhibit 2-5 for a full list of case study programs.) The information presented in the full case studies is organized into six broad topic areas: Organizational and Interviewee Background Information Practice Background Implementation Maintenance Transferability Conclusion Exhibit 2-6 displays the organization scheme found within each case study. These case studies are designed to allow agencies to learn more about each notable workforce practice and give them valuable information necessary to implement a similar practice in their own agency. Exhibit 2-6 Case Studies Organization Scheme Organizational and Interviewee Background Information Interviewee(s) Position(s) and Responsibilities Organizational Personnel Size Organizational Workforce Demographics Practice Background Practice Summary Name and Acronym Goals and Purpose Issue(s) the Practice Originally Intended to Address Current Recruitment and Retention Challenges Criteria Used and Data Collected to Realize Condition/Severity of the Problem Anticipated Results of Practice Implementation Actual Results of Practice Implementation Benefits from Practice Alleviated Workforce Issues 18 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Exhibit 2-6 (Continued) Case Studies Organization Scheme Implementation Implementation Leader Achieving Organizational Buy-In Level of Buy-In Obtained Communication to Employees Training to Familiarize Employees Tools to Facilitate Delivery Time to Implement Practice Implementation Costs Documentation of Practice Implementation, Maintenance and/or Success Maintenance Length of Practice Existence Participants Target Job Type Target Audience Reaction from Employees Positive Reactions Negative Reactions Criteria Used to Evaluate Strengths and Weaknesses Evaluation Results, Reasons for Success/Failure, and Recommended Criteria Practice Results Impact on Agency Operational and Maintenance Performance Pros of Practice Cons of Practice Contextual or External Factors Impacting Success Factors Facilitating Success Factors Inhibiting Success Transferability Temporary vs. Long-Term Solution Usefulness in Various Economies Impact of Future Transportation Trends on Practice Success Transferability to Other Organizations Documentation Available to Other Organizations Conclusion Lessons Learned and Recommendations Practice Innovativeness Practice Website Contact Information Note: Some case studies may not include every heading or subheading due to the inability to collect some information for a case study. Using the Guidebook 19

Example Practice Summaries. In addition to the case studies, the supplemental materials provide one- to two-page summaries of other example practices within each recruitment and retention topic area. These summaries provide high-level information about the practice, as detailed in Exhibit 2-7. Exhibit 2-7 Example Practice Summaries Organization Scheme Practice Title Lead Organization Practice Description Program Purpose Recruitment Retention Targeted Participants Job Type Audience Other Notable Factors ROI Economic Influence Innovativeness Resources Website Source Note: Not all one-page summaries include every category due to the inability to collect that information for a practice. 2.7 Summary This guidebook was designed to be a practical tool that transportation leaders can use to address recruitment and retention challenges. The information provided in this chapter is intended to clarify how the guidebook is organized. The chapter can also serve as a point of reference so that answers to specific questions relating to only a segment of the transportation workforce can be found quickly. In the following chapters, detailed information related to each of the 15 recruitment and retention topics areas is presented. 20 Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce

Next: Chapter 3 - Developing Future Applicant Skills »
Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce Get This Book
×
MyNAP members save 10% online.
Login or Register to save!
Download Free PDF

TRB’s National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Report 685: Strategies to Attract and Retain a Capable Transportation Workforce includes straight-forward, implementable practices that transportation Human Resources (HR) managers and hiring professionals can use to help improve the recruitment and retention of qualified employees in their organizations.

The report provides information on workforce challenges, industry strategies, and detailed descriptions of noteworthy practices within each of 15 recruitment and retention categories.

Volume II: Supplemental Material is available online as an ISO image, which can be used to produce a CD-ROM. Volume II includes an introductory document summarizing the content of the supplemental materials and provides full case studies and summaries of other example practices related to the recruitment and retention practices.

Links to the ISO image and instructions for burning a CD-ROM from an ISO image are provided below.

Help on Burning an .ISO CD-ROM Image

Download the .ISO CD-ROM Image

(Warning: This is a large file and may take some time to download using a high-speed connection.)

CD-ROM Disclaimer - This software is offered as is, without warranty or promise of support of any kind either expressed or implied. Under no circumstance will the National Academy of Sciences or the Transportation Research Board (collectively “TRB’) be liable for any loss or damage caused by the installation or operations of this product. TRB makes no representation or warrant of any kind, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, including without limitation, the warranty of merchantability or the warranty of fitness for a particular purpose, and shall not in any case be liable for any consequential or special damages.

  1. ×

    Welcome to OpenBook!

    You're looking at OpenBook, NAP.edu's online reading room since 1999. Based on feedback from you, our users, we've made some improvements that make it easier than ever to read thousands of publications on our website.

    Do you want to take a quick tour of the OpenBook's features?

    No Thanks Take a Tour »
  2. ×

    Show this book's table of contents, where you can jump to any chapter by name.

    « Back Next »
  3. ×

    ...or use these buttons to go back to the previous chapter or skip to the next one.

    « Back Next »
  4. ×

    Jump up to the previous page or down to the next one. Also, you can type in a page number and press Enter to go directly to that page in the book.

    « Back Next »
  5. ×

    To search the entire text of this book, type in your search term here and press Enter.

    « Back Next »
  6. ×

    Share a link to this book page on your preferred social network or via email.

    « Back Next »
  7. ×

    View our suggested citation for this chapter.

    « Back Next »
  8. ×

    Ready to take your reading offline? Click here to buy this book in print or download it as a free PDF, if available.

    « Back Next »
Stay Connected!