This is a big, very big problem in Cyprus. Unfortunately the 80/20 rule becomes a 95/5 here. 5 percent of the people in the public sector do 95% of the jobs. So here are some ideas that could be done to improve how things work:
1. Introduce bi-annual job evaluations so that the work of a public sector employee can be evaluted constantly. If the evaluation of an employee is not satisfactory delay the next pay rise.
2. Terminate the exams for employment in the public sector. Instead, choose candidates based on their experience for the specific position, their academic qualifications and INTERVIEW them! The exams is not the right way to do it because you get to pick the 5-10 highest grades, which are usually people who are studying 24/7 and have no personality, no communication abilities, no leadership abilities.
3. If you still want to have exams, add computer exams in there, you know something like Excel. If you don’t know this is a spreadsheet program provided by Microsoft (sarcasm here).
3. Training, training, training, training, training. At least train them how to be polite and how to smile. Being rude and short does not help anyone when dealing with services.
4. Change the law so a public sector employee can be fired! Especially if they don’t do their job correctly.
5. Terminate all paperwork. In 2009, people use computers! It takes leeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeessssssssssssssss time. No need to copy, no need to physically transfer from one branch to another, no, no, no. Please!
6. Prepare RFQs for consulting and restructuring of the public sector! It might cost some money, but not as much as we lose on “productivity”.
