County takes on big issue

Manatee County government officials haven't used the word crisis yet, but a situation with its employment levels, or lack thereof, is about to get dicey.

The county estimates an eye-popping 73% of its workforce will leave the county from 2016-2020. That's 830 employees in five years. Some of that comes from an aging workforce nearing retirement. Another reason stems from the fickleness of younger workers, which Manatee County Human Resources Director Rodney Barnes says has led to unusual high employee turnover rates. One more problem: The county's salary structure, admits Barnes, is woefully uncompetitive.

“It's a complex issue, and it's reached a serious level,” he tells Coffee Talk. “We have to hire a lot of people.”

The issue has hit multiple departments. That goes from technical jobs in engineering to EMTs and paramedics to parks and maintenance workers. On dirtier jobs, like parks, the problem, says Barnes, is acute: With the job market improving, people have options. “Why would I dig ditches for $11 an hour in the parks department,” says Barnes, “if I could make $12 an hour at Arby's down the street and work in the air conditioning?”

Barnes says county officials are discovering what many entrepreneurs and business owners already know about younger employees, that they are uniquely motivated. They crave feedback and fun, they want to telecommute whenever possible and they want to work around other young people. Gone are the days when government employees simply wanted benefits, decent pay and a lot of holidays off.

“Younger workers come in looking for the next opportunity,” says Barnes. “They don't come in looking for retirement.”

Barnes says Manatee County commissioners have begun addressing the issue. “These are things you can't fix overnight,” Barnes says. “It will take years.”