When the Nevada Public Agency Insurance Pool (POOL) was created in 1987, public entities across the country were facing a crisis. Carriers were pulling out of the public sector, premiums were skyrocketing, and many local governments struggled to secure reliable coverage. POOL was born out of necessity and out of a shared belief that Nevada’s public agencies could protect themselves better together than they could alone. That understanding led to the creation of the Public Agency Compensation Trust (PACT) and the launch of Human Resources (HR) services in 1996, followed by the establishment of POOL/PACT HR in 2006.

Those early leaders understood pooling isn’t just about buying insurance, it is about building stability, reducing risk, and supporting the people who keep public agencies running. Today, many of those original champions have retired, and newer generations may only see POOL/PACT as “the insurance provider,” but your membership offers far more.

Pooling Is a People Strategy

While “insurance” responds after something goes wrong, risk management (including HR) helps prevent things from going wrong in the first place. Pooling gives members access to specialized, public-sector HR expertise that would be costly or impossible for some agencies to hire on their own. Through your assigned HR Business Partner (HRBP), every member gains support in areas such as employee relations, compensation and classification, performance issues, and policy development. These are not “insurance extras,” they are risk reduction strategies that protect your agency, your employees, and your community.

Proactive HR Equals Fewer Claims

One of pooling’s greatest strengths is its proactive approach. Instead of waiting for problems to escalate, HRBPs help members identify risks early and resolve issues before they grow. This approach decreases legal exposure, strengthens workplace culture, and helps ensure decisions are legally sound and defensible. And because you and other members consistently provide feedback through surveys, training evaluations, and direct conversations, POOL/PACT HR services evolve to meet your needs.

A Statewide Network at Your Fingertips

Membership also connects you to a statewide network of HR and organizational leaders. Through regional workshops, quarterly roundtables, and our annual HR leadership conference, members share their real-world experiences and practical solutions. For many agencies, especially smaller ones, this peer connection becomes one of the most valuable HR resources available.

The Value That Started It All Still Matters Today

In 1987, pooling provided stability during an unstable time. Today, it still does. The challenges have changed, but the need for shared protection, shared knowledge, and shared support remains just as strong, especially in HR, where decisions carry long-term operational and legal consequences.

At the Center of It All: You

Every improvement, every program, and every success at POOL/PACT has been shaped by its members. Your engagement, your questions, and your commitment to strong HR practices ensure that pooling remains a trusted, effective model for protecting Nevada’s public workforce and the communities you serve.

Pooling works because you make it work.

Across workplaces, many organizations are witnessing familiar signs of burnout, including steady employees withdrawing, increased sick time use, and once-engaged staff appearing overwhelmed. The job may not have changed, but something in their experience has. Burnout builds gradually, particularly in environments characterized by heavy workloads, limited staffing, and increasing demands. HR professionals and organizational leaders play a crucial role in recognizing these early indicators and establishing systems that genuinely support employees.

Building a Culture That Supports Resilience

Burnout extends beyond temporary stress; it is a prolonged state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion caused by pressures that exceed available resources, often leading employees to disengage, lose motivation, or struggle with tasks they once found routine. These realities make proactive organizational support essential. Resilience is the ability to recover from stress and adapt to challenges. It is strengthened when the workplace fosters healthy communication, reasonable expectations, and consistent support. While individual coping skills are essential, organizational culture plays a decisive role in determining whether employees can maintain their well-being and thrive.

1.    Normalizing Conversations About Stress

• Create a safe, open environment where employees feel comfortable discussing challenges without fear of judgment.
• Stay connected through regular check-ins and feedback, including anonymous options when needed, to understand concerns early.
• Respond with empathy and act promptly, using supportive and constructive conversations to address issues before they escalate.

2.    Strengthening Organizational Support Systems

• Make support resources clear and accessible by actively communicating Employee Assistance Program services and ensuring employees know how to use them.
• Provide meaningful flexibility when possible, such as alternative schedules or remote options, to help employees manage demanding workloads.
• Train supervisors to recognize burnout early and respond effectively, ensuring support is visible, encouraged, and consistently reinforced.

3.    Improving Workload and Role Clarity

• Set clear expectations and define essential duties so employees understand priorities and avoid unnecessary stress.
• Regularly review staffing and workload distribution to ensure responsibilities are fair and manageable.
• Leverage technology to streamline repetitive tasks, allowing employees to focus on meaningful, high-value work.

4.    Recognizing and Rewarding Employees

• Offer consistent, meaningful appreciation to strengthen connection and engagement.
• Acknowledge achievements regularly, in meetings, newsletters, or recognition programs, to reinforce positive performance.
• Celebrate both major milestones and everyday contributions, helping employees feel valued and boosting overall morale.

Ultimately, promoting resilience requires continuous attention, not one-time efforts. When organizations respond to burnout early, support well-being openly, and ensure employees have practical tools and reasonable expectations, they create an environment where people can do their best work.

A resilient workforce is steady, engaged, and better prepared to meet the demands of public service, benefiting employees, strengthening organizational stability, and enhancing the quality of service delivered to the community.

For more information, please contact your POOL/PACT HR Business Partner.

It’s been about a month since we wrapped up the 2025 POOL/PACT HR Leadership Conference at the Tahoe Blue Event Center.

Thanks to everyone who joined us, and for those who could not attend, here are some highlights:

• Record attendance: This was our biggest conference yet, with 133 POOL/PACT members in attendance.
• Day 1: Speaker Nick Kittle kicked things off with opening and closing keynotes. He energized us with stories of innovation and transformation, and shared practical strategies on how to make innovation stick instead of fizzle.
• Day 2: Jeff Harry was the star of Day 2, starting off our day with an action-packed keynote showing us how to reap the benefits of play. Attendees were challenged to draw portraits of their neighbors, share compliments and gratitude with their colleagues, and we even heard a few touching stories of the positive impact we can have at work.
• More breakout choices: Repeating concurrent breakout sessions gave attendees more opportunities to see the topics of their choice, including compensation strategies, handling off-duty employee misconduct, improving workplace culture, and more.
• Expanded Expo: This year’s expo featured a variety of HR-focused vendors, including insurance providers, leave-management software, and representatives from SHRM Northern Nevada.
• Capturing the fun: A full-service photo booth added extra excitement to the evening reception. Check out the photos here!
• Shared photo album: Attendees also contributed their own snapshots throughout the event to our online album. It was great to see the conference through the eyes of our members! View the album here.

With the 2025 event behind us, we’re already looking ahead and making plans for next year. The 2026 POOL/PACT HR Leadership Conference returns to the Atlantis in Reno on October 21 – 22, 2026. We hope to see you there!

You know the situation. Your best analyst gets promoted to team lead. Your star payroll specialist becomes a supervisor. On paper, it makes perfect sense. Who better to lead the team than your top performer?

Six months later, their team is struggling, and your new manager looks miserable. What happened?

Here's the uncomfortable truth: being great at a job and being great at managing people doing that job are completely different skill sets. And in public sector especially, people are often promoted into management because it's the clearest path to higher pay, not because they actually want to manage people.

The Reluctant Manager Problem

Let's be clear about what we mean by that. These aren't lazy people or bad employees. They're often your highest performers who:

• Would rather do the technical work than oversee others doing it.
• Accept a management role because it was the only advancement path available.
• Feel guilty saying no to a promotion (or couldn't afford to turn down the raise).
• Are overwhelmed by the people issues and miss the clarity of their old role.

The result? Managers who avoid difficult conversations, micromanage because they don't trust others to do it "right," or disappear into technical work and ignore their team. Meanwhile, their employees may feel neglected and frustrated.

Why This Keeps Happening

The only way up is through management. As structured classification systems are designed for consistency and equity, advancement opportunities for technical experts can sometimes mean if you want a meaningful raise or higher title, you have to supervise people (even if you'd rather not).

We promote based on technical excellence, not leadership potential. The person who's best at doing the work gets the promotion, regardless of whether they have people skills or want to develop them.

We don't prepare people for the transition. Someone gets promoted on Friday and by Monday they're supervising former peers with minimal training. Without support, they can feel unprepared and isolated.

We make it nearly impossible to step back down. Moving back to an non-supervisory position could mean a pay cut and perceived failure. So, people stay stuck in roles they hate.

What to Do About It

Create advancement paths for individual contributors. This is the big one. Develop senior-level positions that don't require supervision: think principal analyst, senior specialist, or technical expert roles with higher pay and status. While this might require classification studies or union negotiation, it's worth it.

Screen for management interest before promoting. Have honest conversations. "This role requires significant time on personnel issues and difficult conversations. Your technical work will drop to maybe 20% of your time. Is this what you want?" Give people permission to say no.

Provide real management training, not a one-day workshop. Ongoing training and coaching on how to delegate, give feedback, have difficult conversations, and develop employees. Make it clear that managing people is a learned skill. (Note: POOL/PACT HR offers a comprehensive four-day Essential Management Skills in the Public-Sector Certificate Program for imminent and current managers.)

Assign mentors. Pair new managers with experienced ones who can provide guidance and reality checks when navigating tricky employee situations.

Refer them to the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The EAP also provides assistance and guidance in career development, career transition, and effective management among many other topics.

Make it okay to change your mind. When possible, create pathways for people to move back to non-supervisory roles without shame or major financial penalty; lateral transfers or restructured roles can help retain strong employees while ensuring their teams succeed.

If You're Already Stuck with Reluctant Managers

Have an honest conversation. Acknowledge the elephant in the room. "I notice you seem more energized by technical work than management responsibilities. Let's talk about what's going on."

Identify what specifically they're avoiding. Is it all of management, or just certain parts? Some people love mentoring but hate performance evaluations. Maybe you can provide extra support in less confident areas.

Set clear expectations and follow up. Make it explicit what the management parts of their job actually are. Hold them accountable for team development, not just technical outcomes.

Be willing to make hard decisions. If someone is truly miserable and showing no interest in improving, it might be time to talk about reassigning duties, developing performance improvement plans, or encouraging voluntary transition. Keeping someone in a management position they're failing at helps no one.

The Bottom Line

The reluctant manager problem is a symptom of a larger issue: we've designed career advancement in a way that forces people into management whether they want it or not.

The solution starts with creating real alternatives for people to grow, earn more, and gain recognition without supervising others. But it also requires being more thoughtful about who we promote, preparing them properly, and making it okay to admit when it's not the right fit.

Here's the thing: not everyone should be a manager, and that's perfectly fine. Some of your best employees will have the biggest impact by staying focused on what they do best. By valuing both career paths, we create an environment where everyone can contribute their best and continue to grow.