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Attract and hire the most qualified employees, who reflect the diversity of our country, in the right roles across the Federal Government.
Designated a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal
Goal 1.1
Agencies will efficiently and inclusively attract and hire quality candidates and reduce any systemic barriers by improving the hiring process for all applicants, hiring managers, and human resources (HR) specialists.
This goal is focused on improving the federal hiring process and experience for HR specialists, hiring managers, and applicants. Agencies are exploring the applicant experience, from early career through senior level, including the perspective of applicants with critical skills and from underserved and underrepresented communities. Further, OPM will help accelerate agencies’ ability to conduct barrier analysis using Applicant Flow Data (AFD), which will help inform fair and inclusive hiring processes and reduce any systemic barriers by offering a toolkit to agencies to address common pain points. Recruitment is another area being explored, particularly opportunities for strategic partnerships with organizations that represent, support, and engage underserved communities. Agencies are also aligning these efforts with ongoing initiatives like implementation of Executive Order 14035 on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, the National Security Memorandum on Revitalizing America’s Foreign Policy and National Security Workforce, Institutions, and Partnerships, Executive Order 13932 on Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates, and Trusted Workforce 2.0.
Goal 1.2
Agencies will build equitable pathways into the Federal Government for early career positions, particularly from underrepresented and underserved communities.
This goal is focused on building the early career hires and internships pipeline into the government. Initiatives include improving the intern experience, expanding the pool of available talent, building tools to increase opportunities for hiring managers to convert eligible interns into career civil servants within federal service, and expanding Federal public service apprenticeships. Agencies are exchanging experiences and discussing insights into the business case for investing in interns and early career talent, including the value that internships and early career hiring can provide to candidates and agencies. Agencies are working to surface leading practices with paid internships and early career hires, including efforts to include and support underserved and underrepresented communities.
Goals
Goal 1.1
Agencies will efficiently and inclusively attract and hire quality candidates and reduce any systemic barriers by improving the hiring process for all applicants, hiring managers, and human resources (HR) specialists.
Goal 1.2
Agencies will build equitable pathways into the Federal Government for early career positions, particularly from underrepresented and underserved communities.
Join the action
Attend the Workforce of the Future Webinars
Federal employees: Register HERE to join OPM for a webinar series on the new Workforce of the Future playbook. The Playbook provides concrete actions you can take to build and equip the workforce of the future, like data driven workforce decisions, strategic recruitment; and skills-based hiring and pooled hiring. Upcoming webinars include:
- May 8: Organizational Health and Performance
- May 15: Employee Mental Health & Well-Being
- June 11: Strategic Recruitment
- June 13: DEIA Plays
- June 27: DEIA Plays Office Hours
Looking for an internship?
Explore federal internships and get ready to #GrowWithGov. Your career journey starts HERE.
Members of the workforce: join one of the three cross-agency communities of practices to identify promising practices and potential pilots
Mental Health & Well-Being Community of Practice; the Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCO) Council Recruitment & Outreach Community of Practice; and CHCO Council Employee Engagement Community of Practice; If interested, please reach out to CHCOCouncilCoPs@opm.gov.
Be a part of the Tech and AI Surge!
Interested in bringing your tech and AI savvy to the government? Agencies across government are hiring for a variety of tech talent roles. For example, the Department of Homeland Security just launched a new AI Corps and OPM issued implementation guidance for the new Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program, a program that allows for 6-month to 1-year interagency details of cyber employees to cyber rotations where they can improve and develop knowledge and skills to not only support their own professional growth but also bring new skills back to their home agency. Check out ai.gov for the latest opportunities to join us!
Training for Federal Employees on Skills-Based Hiring!
Are you a federal employee and interested in learning how to design assessments for skills-based hiring? Take this two-part self-paced online training course provided by OPM’s Workforce Policy and Innovation Virtual Training Center. Register HERE.
Federal AI Training!
Federal employees:
- Agencies are pulling together AI training for the Federal Workforce. As more training options become available, in the meantime you can access the 2023 training modules hosted by the AI Community of Practice here.
- Find out how a mindfulness lens can help navigate the opportunities and challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence by attending these OPM webinars on June 26: Mindful Approaches to AI “Making the Invisible Visible” with Tristan Harris, Co-Founder, Center for Humane Technology [Registration Link] and August 14: Mindful Approaches to AI: Navigating AI’s Uncertainty & Anxiety with mindfulness expert Sharon Salzberg [Registration Link].
Leaders
Colleen Heller-Stein
TitleDirector, Office of Human Resources and Acting Chief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of the Treasury
Tracey Therit
TitleChief Human Capital Officer
AgencyDepartment of Veterans Affairs
Success Metrics
Goal 1.1: Agencies will efficiently and inclusively attract and hire quality candidates and reduce any systemic barriers by improving the hiring process for all applicants, hiring managers, and human resources (HR) specialists. Success metrics for Goal 1.1 include:
Increase the number of positions that are enrolled in full, continuous vetting to reduce the burden associated with initial employee background investigations.
Increase the percentage of hiring actions using alternative assessments to replace or augment a self-reported occupational questionnaire.
Increase the percentage of job announcements for which applicants receive notification of their status in the hiring process.
Goal 1.2: Agencies will build equitable pathways into the Federal Government for early career positions, particularly from underrepresented and underserved communities. Success metrics for Goal 1.2 include:
Increase the number of positions agencies make available for early career hires.
Increase the number of eligible interns that are converted into full-time employees.
Increase the number of paid internships.