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Federal Recruitment Initiatives

The Federal Government is seeking new and creative ways to recruit and retain technical employees, many resources are being used for this effort. Government faces stiff competition when recruiting for areas such as cyber security, information assurance, engineering, information technology, science and math.

With the variety of critical jobs needing to be filled, highly qualified applicants must be properly assessed. The most important selection factor is the ability to perform the duties of the position without undue influence for favoritism or political beliefs and/or values. A process that is fair, systematic and consistent must be used to perform data collection; applicant qualifications can then be compared to job performance ability. A fair and open process fosters the hiring of the most qualified candidates that are capable of performing the task(s) at hand.

Recently, the Federal Government has bolstered its hiring process, focusing on common sense and efficiency. Time to hire has been reduced, resumes and cover letters can now be forwarded in lieu of large application packets, and information on websites is current and user friendly. Furthermore, they improved candidate status and /or selection notifications.

Hiring goals are being achieved through the use of a more favorable and simplified hiring process. Further, current employee retention efforts are being targeted to ensure career opportunities, growth, professional development, training and more are offered in the form of programs, coursework, and mentoring.

Finally, feedback mechanisms and opportunities are being provided on a continuous basis to ensure a vehicle for critical information and communication is established between the agency and the applicant. To date, data obtained from potential and/or new hires help shape and define future hiring strategies, assessments, analysis, processes and procedures. With the Federal Government taking both hiring and retention more seriously, much improvement has been made; disconnects are being addressed, gaps are being closed, and processes are being refined resulting in a more sound, holistic approach to hiring and retention of the most highly skilled, desirable applicants and employees.

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About The Author

Dr. Donna Day is a Manager at the Department of Defense, where she has been for more than 30 years. With a background in Information Assurance, Customer Engagement and Marketing, more recently she has been studying Cyber security Policy and Management at the University of Maryland, University College (UMUC). She earned her Doctor of Management, Master of Business Administration, and Master of Science Degree in Technology Management at UMUC and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing at the University of Baltimore. Dr. Day is also an Adjunct Professor at Norwich University in Vermont, where she teaches Cyber security, Critical Infrastructure and Information Assurance courses to a myriad of students, worldwide, from across the intelligence community. A published author, Baltimore Ravens fan, and life-long learner, she enjoys writing, traveling, cooking, and most importantly, spending time with her family and friends.