Leaning into a New Normal: The State of the Federal Workforce

The seismic disruption ushered by the novel coronavirus pandemic has affected practically every workforce, including public servants. Now months into what has become the new normal, it’s clear the federal workday won’t look the same as it once did for quite some time. Telework, with all its technical hurdles and security complexities, continues for many federal employees, challenging agencies to revise their communication practices with staff to suit remote work climates while continuing to foster workplace culture—even digitally. Meanwhile, reopening plans are under way for many federal offices. What do those phases mean for workers? And once employees return, what practices and takeaways from our age of telework will carry over?

In this digital summit, Government Executive and Nextgov sat down with workforce leaders across federal government and beyond to explore lessons learned from the past six months, check the pulse of today, and anticipate priorities of the road ahead.

Agenda

2:00 PM	Opening Remarks
2:05 PM	The Next Phase: Reopened, Hybrid, and Remote Strategies and Management Practices With an accordion effect of schools and businesses closing, reopening, and closing, agencies have found themselves unable to fully reopen offices to resume operations. Now six months into this new normal, return-to-office plans look different for every department. How have government managers evolved in their abilities to manage remotely and maintain morale? How are they continuing to cultivate professional development opportunities for the workforce? And what does the future of government work look like—more pressingly, where is it taking place? Steve Erhart, Chief Human Capital Officer, Department of Energy Dr. Mark Livingston, Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Manpower, Personnel, Training, and Education, Department of the Navy Tom Muir, Acting Director, Administration and Organizational Policy, Department of Defense; Director, Washington Headquarters Services Moderator: Katherine McIntire Peters, Deputy Editor, Government Executive Media Group
2:55 PM	A Session Presented by our Elite Underwriter, WAEPA Maintaining Long-Term Financial Security During a Pandemic M. Shane Canfield, Chief Executive Officer, WAEPA
3:10 PM	A Session Presented by our Elite Underwriter, Salesforce The Future of Work: Tools for the Next Normal Jennifer Ward, VP Solution Engineering, Salesforce
3:25 PM	Onboarding from Afar With agencies working remotely for months on end, what happens to new hires without an office to report on the first day? This session takes a look at the approaches federal leaders are taking to integrate new hires virtually, from providing the technologies and certifications needed to do their jobs to creating an inclusive, welcoming environment, even from miles away. Bridget Dongarra, Program Manager, USA Staffing, Office of Personnel Management CJ Johnson, Talent Lead, Defense Digital Service Joseph Starrs, Director, U.S. Programs, The Fund for American Studies Moderator: Frank Konkel, Executive Editor, Nextgov
4:15 PM	A Session Presented by our Strategic Underwriter, Pluralsight Leading Remote Teams with Data Driven Results Tony Holmes, Practice Lead for Solutions Architects Public Sector, Pluralsight
4:20 PM	Closing Remarks