Recruitment, Mortality, and Meaning: A Brave New Conversation for Local Government

Regardless of your personal beliefs whether you view life through a spiritual lens, a scientific one, or something in between one indisputable truth remains: our time on this earth is finite. It’s a truth that transcends politics, religion, and ideology. Whether we have a year, a decade, or thirty years left, none of us truly knows how long we have. And that uncertainty brings with it a profound and urgent question:

What do we want to do with the days we have?

This isn’t just a philosophical musing to be tucked away for quiet moments. It’s a call to action. It’s a challenge to rethink how we live, how we work, and how we lead. And for local government employers, it’s an invitation to connect recruitment with something deeper: the human desire to live meaningfully. In a sector built on service, impact, and community, we have a unique opportunity to speak to that desire. Local government isn’t just about policy and process it’s about people. It’s about shaping the places we live, protecting the vulnerable, building infrastructure that lasts, and creating opportunities for others to thrive. It’s about legacy.

And yet, too often, our recruitment messaging focuses on the transactional: job descriptions, pay grades, pension schemes. These things matter, of course but they don’t stir the soul. They don’t speak to the deeper motivations that drive people to choose public service in the first place.

What if we were brave enough to change that? What if we started our recruitment conversations not with “what’s the role?” but with “what do you want your time to mean?” What if we acknowledged mortality not to be morbid, but to be honest and used it to inspire people to choose work that aligns with their values, their passions, and their desire to leave a mark?

This is not about fear. It’s about freedom. The freedom to choose work that matters. The freedom to spend your days doing something that brings joy, fulfilment, and purpose. The freedom to look back and say, “I helped build something that lasted.” Local government can offer that. We just need to say it out loud.

Why Mortality Should Shape Recruitment Conversations

In professional settings, mortality is often the elephant in the room. It’s seen as too personal, too heavy, too existential something to be left for late-night conversations or private reflection. But what if we were brave enough to bring it into the workplace dialogue? Not to be morbid, but to be honest. Not to unsettle, but to inspire. Because when we acknowledge the brevity of life, something shifts. We begin to strip away the noise and focus on what truly matters. We start asking deeper questions not just what do I do for a living? but why do I do it? What impact am I having? Does this work align with the kind of life I want to lead?

This is where local government has a unique and powerful offering.

In a world increasingly driven by profit margins, algorithms, and shareholder value, local government stands apart. It offers people the chance to contribute to something bigger than themselves. To shape communities. To protect the vulnerable. To improve infrastructure. To drive sustainability. To make decisions that ripple outward and touch lives.

This is work with meaning. Work with legacy. Work that matters.

And yet, we don’t always communicate that clearly enough. Our job adverts often default to the functional: responsibilities, qualifications, salary bands. Important, yes but not transformative. They don’t speak to the heart. They don’t tap into the deeper motivations that drive people to choose public service.

If we want to attract people who are motivated by purpose, we need to speak to purpose. We need to be bold enough to say: “Life is short. Make it count. Come and do something that matters.”

This isn’t about fear it’s about clarity. It’s about helping people see that their time is precious, and that local government offers a way to spend it wisely. It’s about inviting candidates to reflect on their values, their aspirations, and the kind of legacy they want to leave behind.

By shaping recruitment conversations around mortality not in a sombre way, but in a life-affirming one we can unlock a deeper connection with potential candidates. We can help them see that local government isn’t just a job. It’s a chance to make their days count.

A Recruitment Strategy Rooted in Purpose

Imagine a recruitment campaign that doesn’t begin with bullet points and bureaucracy, but with bold, human questions:

• What do you want your legacy to be? 

• How do you want to spend your time on this earth? 

• Are you ready to do something that matters?

These aren’t rhetorical flourishes. They’re invitations powerful prompts that encourage candidates to pause, reflect, and consider the deeper meaning behind their career choices. In a world saturated with noise, speed, and surface-level engagement, these questions cut through. They speak to the soul.

This isn’t about guilt or pressure. It’s not about romanticising public service or painting it as a moral obligation. It’s about offering clarity. It’s about helping people see that local government isn’t just a job it’s a platform for purpose. A place where values and vocation can align. A space where people can use their time to build, protect, improve, and inspire.

We need to be bold. We need to be upfront. We need to say:

“This work matters. And so does your time. Let’s make both count.”

This kind of messaging doesn’t just attract talent it attracts the right talent. People who are driven by impact. People who want to leave things better than they found them. People who understand that fulfilment doesn’t come from titles or perks alone, but from knowing that your work has meaning.

A recruitment strategy rooted in purpose doesn’t ignore the practicalities it enhances them. It reframes the offer. It says:

“Yes, we have competitive benefits. Yes, we offer flexibility. But more than that, we offer the chance to do work that matters.”

This is especially powerful in local government, where the outcomes are tangible. You can walk through a park you helped fund. You can see a family rehoused because of a policy you shaped. You can watch a community thrive because of a programme you delivered.

Purpose isn’t abstract here. It’s visible. It’s real. And it’s time we made that the centrepiece of our recruitment strategy.

The Human Connection at the Heart of Public Service

Recruitment is more than filling vacancies. It’s more than matching CVs to job descriptions or ticking boxes on a person specification. At its best, recruitment is about building relationships, fostering belonging, and creating space for people to do work that resonates with their sense of purpose. Local government is uniquely placed to offer this. It’s not just a sector it’s a community. It’s where people come together to solve problems, support one another, and shape the places they call home. It’s where values like fairness, compassion, and service aren’t just words on a wall they’re lived, daily.

By embracing conversations around mortality not in a sombre or fearful way, but in a life-affirming one we can tap into a deeper motivation. We can help candidates see that local government is a place where they can make a difference, leave a legacy, and find joy in service. We can show them that their time, energy, and talents will be valued not just for what they produce, but for the impact they create. This is the human connection at the heart of public service. It’s what makes the work meaningful. It’s what turns a job into a calling.

Final Thought

In the end, recruitment is about people. And people are driven by meaning. Let’s be brave enough to talk about what really matters. Let’s move beyond the transactional and embrace the transformational. Let’s help people choose work that honours the time they have work that reflects their values, their hopes, and their desire to make a difference. Because in local government, every day can be a day well spent.