Postal workers are a critical part of our country’s infrastructure. Without civil servants like the ones who service our postal system, our supply chain would crumble. Postal workers keep items moving from one place to another. They keep our economy pumping and provide access to needed supplies and materials.
So during a time when essential postal workers are being tested in novel, challenging ways, how can those who manage benefits for civil servants fill the gap for the current benefits offered?
The Challenges of Civil Service
While the types of jobs that fall under the umbrella of “civil service” are varied, the challenges those in the public sector face when it comes to hiring are similar to those in the private sector. Namely, how to attract top talent.
While jobs under the heading of the civil service sector are varied, the challenges that hiring managers face when filling open positions are similar to those in the private sector: Employee retention, quality talent attraction, and encouraging applications in a competitive marketplace.1 Additionally, a lack of awareness surrounds which positions are available in the civil sector and the additional requirements one must complete to apply for them (civil service exam requirements, for example). This stacks the odds against hiring managers in need of quality candidates.
However, there is hope. To stand out as an attractive employer to applicants, postal worker hiring managers should seek ways to provide competitive total compensation packages. While direct compensation often cannot be altered on an individual basis, looking at total compensation from the angle of perks and benefits can be the positive tipping point for candidates considering entering the civil service.1
Bridging the Gap with Benefits
Bracketed pay scales are often set at an organizational level for transparency. However, offering benefits that bridge the insurance gap can be a way to attract and retain talented, committed individuals.1 Hiring managers and benefits coordinators can offer postal worker employees options when it comes to their life insurance policies and other similar benefits. This allows postal workers to make their total compensation as robust as they desire.
Postal workers are critically needed in post offices and processing centers around the country. It’s imperative hiring managers are equipped with the tools they need to attract and retain qualified talent to fill these roles. By considering the power of additional benefits to fill the insurance gap, prospective postal workers will be encouraged to enter this field — and stay in these essential roles.
Benefits for employees can be enhanced in many different ways. Reach out to a benefits expert familiar with the civil service sector for more specific information.
- The Balance Careers, Civil Service Employment: Working for the Government, 2019
Categories: Insurance, Group Life