Mentionlocal government ITand many people
think of low pay and sleepy backwaters. So why on earth would any
IT professional want to work for alocal authority?
One major factor that attracts people to working in local
government is its perceived security in times of both boom and
bust. "There is a perception that local government is recession
proof," says Adam Stokes, operations manager at The IT Job Board. Even for contractors, local
government can offer more stability. "Public sector contracts
typically last longer," points out Martin Ewings, head of the
Public Services division of recruiter Elan. "The
average length of a contract in the public sector is 11 months, as
opposed to seven and a half months for the private sector."
Many IT staff assume the downside of that security is that local
government IT is moribund: believing it is all about supporting
legacy systems and out-of-date software. While such systems still
exist, Ewings says many councils have shaken off that stereotype
and are working on pioneering developments. That is especially true
for those acting as pathfinders and pilots for projects that will
eventually be rolled out nationally.
Phil Johnson, a strategic account manager with
CBSbutler, which recruits
staff across a broad range of technical disciplines, agrees.
"Developments have to last ten or 20 years, so they have to be near
the cutting edge," he says. "The technology is tried and tested,
but there's a lot of commonality in what is being used in the
public and private sectors now."
Paul Smith, global managing director for IT services at
recruiter Harvey
Nash, adds that the public sector is the only place to find
"the kind of challenging projects that simply don't exist in the
private sector and which look good on your CV, whether or not the
project overall went well."
Yet the pace of life is different. "Local government is often
not seen as being as driven as the private sector, so you can
achieve a
work-life balance that's not found in the corporate world,"
Smith says. "Not everyone wants to work all hours and travel into
London in packed trains some people want to see their families and
get home at a reasonable time." With local authority employers in
every region of the country, working for a council allows you to
work closer to where you live, and to live where you want, offering
employment where you grew up or near to other members of your
extended family.
Moreover, while headline salaries may be lower, the benefits
package is usually very good. Unlike much of the private sector
these days, councils still offer
final salary pension schemes, and Ewings says that is a
significant inducement for many candidates accepting roles in local
government. Holiday entitlement is also often more generous than in
the private sector, especially with additional days off on Bank
Holidays.
Johnson warns, however, that with much of IT in local government
contracted out, many staff considered to be working for councils
are actually employed by the big
outsourcers. In those cases, salaries and benefits are often
more in line with those offered by the private sector.
Another attraction is simply the feel-good factor of working in
the public sector. While contractors are generally motivated by
technology and money, Ewings says people seeking permanent roles
often have a "a desire to work in a role that allows them to feel
they are contributing something to society. Environmental and
social issues come up much more often amongst candidates for
permanent positions."
The salary gap in between the private sector and local
government is most noticeable in the most junior positions, such as
helpdesk staff. "We often see roles advertised at near the minimum
wage," Smith says. "But for projects and more senior roles, the
public sector is suffering as much as anyone else from skills
shortages, and they are having to change their salary levels to
attract candidates."
Moreover, because those more junior roles are poorly paid and
councils can only attract people with relatively low skills or
little experience, they compensate by offering training. "Local
government does a lot of the training in the IT industry - training
that the private sector isn't prepared to do," Smith says. That
makes local government a good place to get a foot in the door for
people starting out or looking to make a career switch.
The emphasis on training and gaining experience doesn't just
apply to junior staff, however. Ewings and Stokes both think local
government employers give IT professionals in all grades more
opportunities to develop a broader range of expertise and
experience than they would find in the private sector.
"The public sector makes the most of its people by moving them
around within the organisation," Ewings says. "There are also many
opportunities to link up with colleagues in other councils on
projects, especially with the move to shared services. And there is
a big focus when local government brings in outside expertise on
transferring knowledge to permanent staff."
Stokes confirms, "In large private sector IT departments, people
tend to have very clearly defined roles. In the public sector, IT
staff may be required to pitch in to many different areas, which
can provide greater job satisfaction." That diversity may refer to
the breadth of technical expertise council IT staff are expected to
acquire, or to the range of business knowledge needed to support
numerous council departments, each with its own operational
challenges.