The federal government continues to be an amazing place to work, offering employees seemingly endless opportunities, top quality benefits, and, in many cases, a sense of pride in the mission of the agency.
For many workers, especially those coming straight out of college, the federal government has not been a top landing spot. Jeff Neal, the former chief human capital officer at the Department of Homeland Security recently pointed out on Federal News Network that the federal government employs more than twice the number of workers over the age of 60 than it does under the age of 30, and features just 17 percent of its more than two-million-person workforce under the age of 35.
Neal believes this disparity is the result of years of subpar recruiting efforts, although there are likely many factors at play such as pay, proximity to open positions, or simply failing to match the right person with the right job.
Recruiting Best Practices
At Symplicity, we’ve helped hundreds of organizations – from Fortune 500 companies to leading higher education institutes to non-profits – better manage the recruiting process. After more than 20 years in business, we’ve learned that simply posting a job, reading applications, and interviewing what appear to be the best candidates is not an effective way to bring in the right talent.
As federal agencies look to improve their recruiting efforts, especially when it comes to adding recent college graduates to its workforce, there are certain best practices agencies can follow to ensure hiring managers get the best person for each position.
Target Recruiting Gaps. Federal agencies need to understand where they fail to get the right talent. Are there certain jobs, positions, or employee backgrounds that current systems largely miss? Agencies need to take the time to identify these gaps and create targeted campaigns to go after these types of candidates. Simply waiting for them to apply will not be enough.
Stand Out. Agencies should think about branding and marketing themselves to job applicants. While agencies cannot meet the pay standards of the private sector, they can push unlimited opportunity, the chance to help the nation’s citizens, or the opportunity to serve the country.
Connect with Colleges. If agencies want to hire more young workers just out of school, they need to partner with colleges or work with companies that already have a platform that can do this. By directly reaching college students, federal agencies can place themselves in the conversation for students better than before. It is likely many college students do not know the benefits that come with working in the federal government, and reaching them before they officially enter the job market could help pave the way for later.
The Time is Now
Federal agencies need to adjust recruiting tactics now. The Department of Labor Statistics recently revealed that the unemployment rate in the United States has fallen to its lowest mark since 1969. While this is excellent news for the economy overall, it also means that workers likely have multiple jobs to choose from when deciding where to work. With more options, these recruits have the luxury to wait for that ideal job.
Employers, whether in the private or public sector, as a result must show value to the people being hired. Federal agencies can find these people through modern recruiting practices and tools, which remove the need to sift through endless resumes and instead quickly match like-minded employees and employers.
For those interested in learning more, email info@symplicity.com.