42 percent of millennials want feedback every week.⁵ IT managers need to respond to this expectation. The annual or semi-annual performance review is obsolete; think in terms of weekly sit-downs. Frequent check-ins may seem burdensome to managers used to a different system, but they are a critical retention tool among today’s IT workers.

Millennials live on social media; you’ll need to go there to recruit them.⁶ The Society for Human Resource Management recommends tracking your agency’s reputation on social media and responding to any negative feedback. Highlight your mission of public service to attract community-minded millennials. Be authentic: Encourage rank-and-file employees to participate in the social discussion, rather than leaving the task solely to PR and HR representatives.

Lifelong learning is key to IT employee retention. A learning management system can support retention by creating structured learning paths and learning certifications. It allows IT leaders to combine online and classroom training, and offers role-based access control for administrative responsibilities. LMS drives retention by helping you to help monitor performance and develop the careers of your most valuable personnel.

Effective hiring and long-term workforce planning go hand in hand. The Office of Personnel Management recommends updating your portfolio of positions.⁷ As government modernizes its systems, some job descriptions and titles will evolve and even become obsolete. To keep employees on board for the long haul, make sure you’re hiring the right people for your current needs.