Today’s Morning Buzz is brought to you by Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America. Connect with Caitlin on LinkedIn.
- What I’m watching: “Yellowjackets”
- A hobby I enjoy: Trail running
- Who my pets are: Leo, Australian Shepherd with one blue and one brown eye
Folks in local government know the struggle all too well: How do you attract and retain incredible talent when competing against private sector paychecks?
With retirements accelerating and community needs growing more complex, this isn’t just an HR issue — it’s a threat to local government’s ability to deliver for constituents.
Recruitment struggles aren’t unique to government. But one institution has cracked the code: the United States Marine Corps.
While other military branches have missed recruitment targets, the Marines continue to exceed them — not because they spend more, but because they recruit with purpose and precision.
Here’s the good news: one of their most effective tactics is free, and local governments can borrow it starting today.
The Power of Purpose
You don’t need a big budget to win great talent — you need a story people want to be part of. That’s why the Marine Corps taps its best to become recruiters: people who lead with heart and conviction about why the mission matters.
When Marine Corps recruiters approach potential enlistees, they already know exactly why someone should join, what makes the Corps different, and why it’s worth choosing over easier paths.
Local governments can do the same. You offer a deep sense of purpose, the chance to make a difference, real-world challenges to overcome, and opportunities to grow personally and professionally. The key is communicating this clearly and confidently.
Tangible and Intangible: What Are You Really Selling?
The Marine Corps uses a simple but powerful exercise: it separates tangible benefits from intangible ones.
Here’s how it works:
- Tangible benefits are easy to measure — health insurance, pensions, paid time off.
- Intangible benefits are what you feel — purpose, pride, the impact of serving your community.
Most local government job listings try to include both. But let’s be honest: the intangibles often get buried in vague, generic language.
What if we flipped the script?
Imagine the prototypical city planner job posting: “Seeking a city planner to coordinate zoning, support community development, and manage planning applications.”
Now, reframe it with purpose at the center: “Shape your city’s future. You’ll turn empty lots into vibrant parks, make streets safer for kids walking to school, and breathe new life into the neighborhoods that need it most.”
One lists tasks. The other tells a story.
Even simpler, picture a 9-1-1 dispatcher job description that focuses not just on hours and training, but on courage, quick thinking, and being a literal lifeline in someone’s darkest moment.
By naming these intangibles, you invite people into a story they can see themselves in.
The Benefit Tags Exercise: Making It Real
This is where the Marine Corps’ approach truly shines. When a recruiter meets with a potential enlistee, they lay out plastic “benefit tags” — each printed with a core benefit of Marine service. Some are tangible, others intangible.
The recruit physically ranks the tags in order of importance. Then the real conversation begins around their top choices.
Why this works:
- It pushes candidates to reflect on what truly matters to them
- It sparks authentic dialogue beyond the typical interview script
- It helps people see how service aligns with their deepest values
- It screens out mismatches early, saving everyone time
The key? The recruiter already knows exactly what the Marine Corps offers, and they communicate it with clarity and conviction.
This type of communication is exactly what local governments need to adopt to attract and retain talent.
Your Community Needs You to Tell Its Story
Local government has so much to offer. It brings people joy when they can use their skills to transform the place they call home. We just need to help them see that possibility.
Here’s how you can start right away:
- Define your value: List the tangible and intangible benefits of working for your agency. Use language that is human, accessible and comes from the heart.
- Tell your story: Reimagine job postings, career pages, social media, and interviews to reflect not just what your agency does, but why it matters. Share real stories of impact that are impossible to scroll past.
- Empower team members: Everyone in your organization should be able to answer the question “Why would someone want to work here?” with genuine enthusiasm. Your best recruiters are the people already doing the work.
Local governments don’t have to settle for shrinking talent pools or rising disengagement. By taking a page from the Marine Corps playbook, we can reignite purpose from the very first recruitment conversation.
People are looking for meaningful work. Local government offers it. It’s time we said so — clearly and confidently.