Hiring
Updated
GSA official put on leave for social media post saying veterans’ preference in federal hiring is hampering tech recruiting
A government workforce expert told Government Executive that many hiring rules, including veterans’ preference, have become “procedural hurdles rather than achieving the intended outcome” because they haven’t been updated in decades.
Staffing cuts are leaving federal statistical agencies stretched thin
The Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census Bureau have been hard hit by staffing cuts, and experts say replacing lost expertise won't happen overnight.
Pentagon closes cyber apprenticeship applications early after receiving over 15,000
A Defense Department official told Nextgov/FCW that the agency is “rolling out additional apprenticeship positions over the next few weeks.”
The biggest story in the federal workforce cuts isn't how many left, it's who wasn't replaced
COMMENTARY | The data suggest the workforce reduction reshaped not just the size of government, but the expertise available to carry out its work, one expert argues.
IRS missed hiring goals for 2026 tax season, which watchdog says impacted service performance
The tax agency temporarily reassigned hundreds of employees to cover the gaps in staffing.
Pentagon launches ‘War Force’ initiative to onboard tech talent
The new recruitment effort was started in partnership with the Office of Personnel Management and operates under that agency’s larger Tech Force program.
OPM’s new suitability authority blurs the line between hiring vetting and employee discipline
COMMENTARY | A change allowing suitability actions for post-appointment misconduct could reshape how agencies respond to issues uncovered through continuous vetting, but the Office of Personnel Management’s willingness to use it will determine whether it becomes a routine tool or a rarely used exception.
Agencies look to AI to improve hiring and build workforce skills
The chief human capital officers also emphasized the importance of improving the skillset of the mid-career workforce.
Unions urge court to force ruling in ‘loyalty question’ lawsuit
Three months after a hearing on whether to block federal agencies from asking four politicized essay questions of every federal job applicant, a federal judge still has not issued a decision.
After year of pushing employees out, OPM embraces familiar recruiting playbook
In order for agencies to attain top talent, Office of Personnel Director Scott Kupor pointed to job websites specific to college students, multi-agency position postings and tech recruiting programs — all strategies that the Biden administration also employed.
OPM moves to allow agencies to promote workers faster
Officials said the nearly 80-year-old requirement that federal employees serve in their current positions for at least one year before they may be promoted is “outdated.”
Featured eBooks
Tech Force set out to hire 1,000 technologists last year. It’s onboarded 10 so far
The effort is meant to infuse the government with young engineers, cyber and data workers. It follows the loss of almost 20,000 technology workers through the Trump administration’s efforts to downsize the workforce last year.
Nuclear waste oversight at risk as staffing vacancies mount, watchdog warns
After a wave of departures tied to the Trump administration’s deferred resignation program, nearly half the positions in the Energy Department office overseeing nuclear cleanup sit empty, including many critical safety and engineering roles.
Why federal agencies still need to defend hiring standards
COMMENTARY | The Trump administration may be pulling back on disparate-impact enforcement, but agencies still face lawsuits, scrutiny and pressure to prove hiring standards are tied to the job.
Exclusive
'Going to be a s***show': Parks, Interior struggle to hire temporary staff ahead of busy season
The department fell well short of its goals last year and is failing to keep pace with even that level of hiring.
Feds wary of skills-based hiring survey after 15 months of attacks
The combination of a lack of outreach around a newly deployed survey of federal workers’ skillsets with the recent flood of layoffs, purges and reorganizations has made some reluctant to participate in the bipartisan initiative.
Growing agency talent is critical for modernization, Transportation’s IT head says
“When there is support and excitement, then you can do magic,” Pavan Pidugu, the Transportation Department’s chief digital and information officer, said about engaging personnel across the agency to drive meaningful IT modernization.
After reductions, VA chief says facilities can 'hire where they need and what they need'
Those facilities must still operate within overall staffing constraints, however.
From bowling repairs to zoology, Trump admin consolidates job titles affecting 5,000 feds
The impacted employees will not lose their jobs and OPM says it will help them be more agile.
FAA sets records in effort to hire gamers as air traffic controllers
The agency received over 12,000 applications in less than two days, making the effort “wildly successful,” according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
