From Turnover to Tenure: How Local Governments Can Retain the Next Generation.

Local government employee retention is becoming an increasingly important workforce challenge. Attracting talented employees is difficult. Keeping them may be even harder.

Nearly 47% of local government leaders say attracting and retaining younger talent is a top workforce challenge. At the same time, organizations are navigating staffing shortages, changing employee expectations, and the need to prepare the next generation of leaders.

For local governments, this makes retention more than an HR concern. It’s a leadership pipeline issue.

So, what can organizations do differently?

Make the Mission Visible

Local government already offers something many employees want: meaningful work.

But purpose can easily get lost in day-to-day responsibilities. Leaders can strengthen that connection by showing employees how their work contributes to their organization, community, and residents.

Recognition matters here, too. Sharing real examples of impact can help turn everyday responsibilities into a clearer sense of purpose.

Create Room for Employees to Contribute

People are more likely to engage when they believe their ideas and perspectives matter.

That means creating an environment where employees can ask questions, share feedback, challenge existing processes, and offer new ideas without fear.

Leaders don’t need to implement every suggestion. But employees should know their voices are being heard.

Rethink Career Growth

Career development doesn’t always have to mean a promotion.

Cross-department projects, stretch assignments, training, mentorship, and new responsibilities can all help employees develop skills while seeing a future within the organization.

This is particularly important when traditional career ladders are limited.

The question leaders should be helping employees answer is simple:

“What could my future here look like?”

Build Mentorship Into the Culture

Future leaders don’t develop overnight.

Mentorship can help emerging employees build confidence, develop leadership skills, and learn from institutional knowledge that might otherwise disappear as experienced employees retire.

It can also work both ways. Reverse mentoring gives established leaders an opportunity to better understand new perspectives, workplace expectations, and emerging ways of working.

Retention Starts Before Someone Decides to Leave

Local governments cannot build strong leadership pipelines by waiting until positions become vacant.

Retention is shaped much earlier through employees’ everyday experiences: whether they feel connected to the mission, whether their contributions matter, whether they are developing, and whether they can imagine a future within the organization.

The next generation of local government leaders may already be inside your organization. The question is whether you’re giving them a reason to stay and grow.

Want to Dig Deeper in Local Government Employee Retention?

Explore the findings from Government Leadership Solutions’ 2025 State of Local Government Leadership Pipeline Study™ to learn more about the workforce and leadership challenges shaping the future of local government.