Public Voices by NEOGOV

“Mission matters, but it cannot carry the job posting on its own.”

More people are applying for public sector jobs, but government agencies are still struggling to fill critical positions. What’s behind the disconnect?

In this episode of Public Voices by NEOGOV, hosts Nicole Carlson and Doug Shoemaker welcome Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America, to explore findings from NEOGOV’s 2026 Public Sector Hiring Trends Report. From hiring bottlenecks and changing candidate expectations to better communication and the role of AI, they discuss practical ways agencies can improve the hiring experience.

GUEST:

Caitlin Lewis - Executive Director of Work for America, a nonprofit dedicated to making public service a more desirable, accessible, and stable career path. Her career spans the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, including roles at New York City Hall, the USDA’s White House Liaison Office, and mission-driven organizations focused on social impact and government innovation.

HOSTED BY:

⁠Nicole Carlson⁠ - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization’s HR department.

⁠Doug Shoemaker⁠ - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on ⁠YouTube⁠, Spotify, and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with an AI-supported platform. Learn more at ⁠https://www.neogov.com/⁠

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV. In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson take on the kind of fear that quietly costs organizations more than almost anything else. Not the dramatic kind, but the everyday kind that shows up as "we don't have the budget," "the timing isn't right," or "that's just how we've always done it."

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, they get into why staying quiet costs more than money, how to make change feel less permanent and less scary, why someone has to champion an idea, and how psychological safety opens the door for better ideas to surface.

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.
Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with an AI-supported platform. Learn more at https://www.neogov.com/

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Most wellness programs live on a poster. This chief made his department actually live it.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV. In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson sit down with Chief Danny Thompson of the Waukesha Police Department, one of public safety's most passionate voices on wellness and resilience.

He shares why officers are trained to handle a crisis but never to recover from one, the personal turning point that changed how he leads, and how being vulnerable as a chief is what makes wellness real for everyone else.

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, Nicole and Doug get into breaking the stigma around mental health and what it actually takes to build a resilient agency from the top down.

If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24/7. Call or text 988.

GUEST:
Chief Danny Thompson, Waukesha Police Department. A 29-year veteran of the Milwaukee Police Department before becoming Chief in Waukesha in 2020, Chief Thompson is one of public safety's most passionate advocates for officer wellness and resilience.

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.

Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with an AI-supported platform.

Learn more at https://www.neogov.com/

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV.

In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson dig into the Top 5 Public Safety Workforce Trends of 2026 and what the report calls the readiness gap, the widening space between what agencies are asked to do and the capacity, systems, and processes they have to do it.

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, they get into why staffing has permanently changed, how culture makes or breaks recruiting, the difference between a recruiting problem and a hiring problem, and why most agencies admit they are not ready for the change they know is coming.

📊 Want the full report? Register for the live breakdown, Top 5 Public Safety Workforce Trends of 2026: Unpacking the Report: https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/5484958/862499E699916729A61C02A7F0F179F7

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.

Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

You see what needs to change at work. Your leader doesn't. So what do you actually do?

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV.

In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson make the case that culture is not set by the person in the corner office alone. Everyone shapes it, and you do not need a title to start. Fresh off Doug's talk on organizational culture at the Real Time Crime Center Association conference, they get into the difference between culture by default and culture by design, why good ideas so often hit total silence, how a single rejection can stick with someone for years, and the small everyday moments that quietly build trust from the ground up.

HOSTED BY:

⁠Nicole Carlson⁠ - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.⁠

Doug Shoemaker⁠ - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on ⁠YouTube⁠, Spotify, and ⁠Apple Podcasts⁠.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Ignite 2026 is almost here. Here is your behind-the-scenes look at what to expect, and why you will not want to miss it.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV. In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson are joined by Jessica Tyler and Alycia Conrad for a look inside Ignite 2026, NEOGOV's annual user conference, happening in Orlando October 21 to 23 with an out-of-this-world space theme.

They get into what makes Ignite different, how it has grown over 25 years, the can't-miss sessions and surprises, and why it is worth the trip whether you are a longtime customer or a first-timer.

🚀 Register for Ignite 2026: https://www.neogov.com/ignite

GUESTS:

• Jessica Tyler, Director of Public Sector Strategy, NEOGOV
• Alycia Conrad, Director of Growth Marketing, NEOGOV

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.
Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Everyone is talking about AI. But what about the part of the job a machine can never do?

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV. In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson take on the conversation happening at every conference and on every customer call, and argue we are missing half the story. The tools have real value, from cutting paperwork to spotting patterns in data.

But nobody calls 911 to say they won the lottery. When someone is having the worst day of their life, the human element is the whole job, and that is the part AI cannot replace.

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, Nicole and Doug get into where AI genuinely helps, what should never be handed to a machine, and how leaders who feel behind or overwhelmed can figure out where to start.

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.
Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

What does poor communication actually cost? Not the theory of good communication, the receipts.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV, a podcast built for public sector leaders, HR professionals, and public safety personnel who want real conversations about the work they do every day.

In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson get specific about what poor communication actually costs. Not the theory of good communication, the receipts. They each bring a real story where things went sideways, a major system transition that left out the people who knew the work, and a proposal that spiraled into days of frustration over an assumption that turned out to be completely wrong.

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, Nicole and Doug get into why breakdowns keep happening, the difference between sending information and actually communicating, and how a little clarity and a few regular conversations build the trust that holds up when it matters.

HOSTED BY:Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV, a podcast built for public sector leaders, HR professionals, and public safety personnel who want real conversations about the work they do every day.

In this episode, host Nicole Carlson sits down with Rebecca Butka, an HR consultant with the State of Wyoming, for a Public Voices Spotlight. Everyone talks about wanting a positive workplace, but you can't just tell people to be positive. Rebecca makes the case that the real skill underneath it is listening, hearing people out when they're frustrated, and showing them the situation is bigger than any one person.

Rebecca shares the story that shaped how she works, why frustration is usually a sign someone cares, and how listening first changes the way people show up. It's an honest look at the human side of public sector HR.

GUEST:Rebecca Butka - HR Consultant, State of Wyoming.

HOSTED BY:Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.

Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.

Welcome back to Public Voices by NEOGOV, a podcast built for public sector leaders, HR professionals, and public safety personnel who want real conversations about the work they do every day.

In this episode, hosts Doug Shoemaker and Nicole Carlson trade their summer reading assignments and grade each other's picks. It's the back-to-school book club, and here's the twist: none of the books they brought are about HR or law enforcement. The point is that the ideas that shape how you lead often come from outside your field.

Drawing on nearly 20 years in public sector HR and three decades in law enforcement leadership, Nicole and Doug get into vulnerability as courage, why fear can have a voice but never the wheel, how to tell the work that energizes you from the work that drains you, and why you don't need a title to make an impact.

📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED:

• Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
  
• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

• Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell
  
• 
  What to Do When It's Your Turn by Seth Godin

Also mentioned: Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara and ⁠The Time You Have (In JellyBeans) by  ⁨Ze Frank⁠

HOSTED BY:
Nicole Carlson - Former public sector HR Director with nearly 20 years of experience, starting as a dispatcher straight out of high school and rising through the ranks to lead her organization's HR department.

Doug Shoemaker - 30-year law enforcement veteran who served as police chief at multiple agencies and spent over a decade leading public information and media relations.

New episodes every Tuesday on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.

SPONSORED by NEOGOV: Helping government HR and public safety agencies work smarter with AI, automation, and configuration. Learn more at NEOGOV.com

The views and opinions expressed by our hosts and guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of their employer or any government agency. This podcast is produced by NEOGOV and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any governmental entity. Any references to products or services reflect personal experiences and are not official agency endorsements.