Expanding options to recruit, grow, and retain the public health workforce

The public health workforce continues to atrophy due to mass and early retirement, under-funding, slow hiring processes, lack of advancement opportunities, and shifting policies. Organizational research into workforce sustainability is crucial for ensuring a robust, diverse staff capable of delivering essential public health services. We examined career ladders, a potential solution to workforce challenges, through interviews with 10 health departments (HDs) across seven states. Interview participants were recruited from HDs using or planning career ladders held administrative positions, and had a role in the hiring process. Many health department positions have traditionally included steps within certain job classifications that promote pay adjustments with increasing years of service. Career ladder approaches, however, specifically focus on providing opportunities for health continuing education, leadership development, or movement into formal leadership roles. Findings indicate that HDs have begun utilizing career ladders for professional development and critical role maintenance. Career ladders have been applied mostly for retention with limited impact on recruitment and increasing staff diversity. Challenges include civil service requirements, funding limitations, and complex recruitment that might exclude diverse candidates. This study emphasizes the importance of transparent development, engaging front-line staff, offering advancement pathways, and providing insights to enhance workforce recruitment and retention.