At a time when many veteran legislative staff are reaching retirement age, staff retention is a high priority for hiring managers.
NCSL assembled a group of legislative staff directors from 10 states to exchange ideas regarding staff retention. Some executive branch staff and experts from The Pew Charitable Trusts also provided perspectives. In addition, some of the examples shared below come from an April 2024 NCSL survey of staff retention strategies used by legislative HR directors. The survey was anonymous and confidential, so not all the comments are attributed. Rather, they serve as general examples for all legislatures.
A Focus on Retention
Organizations that focus on employee retention reap many benefits, including:
- Deeper institutional knowledge and better continuity: Employees with institutional knowledge gained by years of employment can mentor and pass along expertise to more junior staff.
- Greater efficiency: Tenured employees have acquired and fine-tuned the skills needed to perform their jobs efficiently, leaving time for higher-level work along with the day-to-day functions.
- Stronger employee morale: Employees who appreciate the work culture and feel valued by an employer are more likely to stay in their positions and refer others to work for their employer.
Unlike the private sector, state governments are not driven by profit margins and may have constrained budgets. This reality necessitates other approaches to retain employees. The discussion of legislative staff directors and survey results unearthed the following three tactics: creating opportunities for leadership development and career growth; offering workplace flexibility; and showing staff appreciation.
1. Create Opportunities for Leadership Development and Career Growth
Employees who believe their talent and experience are valued and who see opportunity for advancement tend to stay with organizations longer. For legislatures, focusing on career growth is one retention strategy. Creating leadership opportunities for employees with one to three years of experience helps develop management skills early in staff careers. Legislatures do this in a variety of ways, including mentorship programs and leadership development training.
Fellowship programs are one way some states mentor junior staff. These programs bring together a bipartisan cohort of legislators, legislative staff, community leaders, nonprofit directors and others who participate in immersive fellowship programs. The Edgar Fellows Program in Illinois and Leadership Georgia are examples of such programs. Bringing together a broad range of participants, the programs encourage communication and collaboration among participants from both inside and outside of state government. This allows an exchange of ideas and perspectives that might not otherwise be possible and positions the legislative staff participants to learn while showing their leadership skills.
Another state pairs staff with newly elected legislators. In this liaison role, staff assist the new members with questions ranging from capitol logistics to policy research, and they serve as go-to contacts within the agency. Members gain valuable knowledge through their staff contact and, in return, the staff gain leadership experience working with members.
Legislatures also provide professional development opportunities to improve retention. In the Oklahoma Senate, legislative staff may attend conferences, professional development seminars and continuing education during the interim. Another state provides access to LinkedIn Learning for staff to gain or refresh job skills.
2. Offer Workplace Flexibility
A collection of shared values, perspectives and practices, workplace culture can boost morale and help retain employees. One state legislature recently completed a market compensation study for staff. It showed that while salary and bonuses might be lagging the market, the benefits offered—including health insurance, vacation, compensatory time and pensions—made the total compensation package attractive to employees.
A workplace that offers flexible work schedules, including work from home, can have a positive impact on employees’ work-life balance. Many employees look for flexibility regarding the work location and required work hours. Particularly when a legislature is in session, remote work may not be possible for state legislative positions. However, legislatures can offer flexibility in other ways, such as permitting remote work during interims. Similarly, allowing a hybrid schedule during session—for example, letting staff to work from home on days without business on the floor—could be another option.
In states with a part-time legislature, the interim, when fewer staff are needed on-site and in-person, may provide an opportunity to allow staff flexibility in scheduling. Some legislatures set committee meeting dates for the interim several months in advance to allow staff to plan vacations and take compensatory time they earned during the regular session. For example, staff could be allowed to work remotely on some days. The Kentucky Legislative Research Commission allows staff to work four 10-hour days in return for an additional day off each week.
3. Show Staff Appreciation
When employees feel valued, they are more likely to stay with an employer and be more productive in their work. Tracking employee satisfaction and relating the information to retention can be difficult, but some states have found unique ways to measure it. In one state, agency heads use pulse surveys to take the temperature of employees, asking them how they feel about opportunities for advancement and career growth. Other legislatures use periodic one-on-one meetings with supervisors and annual performance reviews to gauge employee satisfaction.
One state’s research commission hosts a staff retreat for administrative, committee and legislative assistants. These staff members are typically unable to attend conferences, and the retreat gives them an opportunity to participate in professional development in a convenient setting. The goal is to strengthen relationships among the staff and show appreciation for their hard work. The retreats also allow employees who are not eligible for telework to participate in one professional development day each month during the interim period. With manager approval, they may complete this training at an off-site location.
Employers can enhance employee satisfaction through small gestures at little cost. For example, the Montana Legislative Services Division provides staff with a small stipend or allowance for cellphones. They also allow staff to up to 90 minutes per week to exercise during work hours. Providing employees the opportunity to get to know each other over meals is another way to improve satisfaction and create connection. The Wyoming Legislative Service Office shows its appreciation of staff during session by providing catered lunches, snacks and a coffee bar.
Legislatures also show staff appreciation through recognition of dedication and hard work, ranging from special lapel pins associated with years of service to hosting celebrations or announcing work anniversaries.
Staff retention will continue to be a hot topic for legislatures. Creating opportunities for leadership development and career growth, workplace flexibility and staff appreciation have proved to be successful.
Selena Saucedo is a senior policy specialist in NCSL’s Center for Legislative Strengthening.