Better salaries and a more flexible job classification system are key elements in bringing the federal government up to speed with its private-sector competitors in information technology recruitment, according to a new report from the government's Chief Information Officers Council.
Citing the snowballing demand in the U.S. economy for IT workers, the council recommended 13 steps the federal government should take to catch up and remain competitive in the race for IT talent.
Chief among the steps is bridging the pay gap between federal IT salaries and the rest of the marketplace, the report said. Currently, the highest entry-level IT pay available in the federal government is about $36,000 per year. In comparison, private industry starting salaries average about $50,000 annually, said Ira Hobbs, deputy CIO at the Agriculture Department and co-chair of the CIO Council's Education and Training Committee.
"If the federal government is to compete as an employer, [the Office of Personnel Management], in partnership with the CIO Council, must take action to change the pay and occupational structure for IT professionals," said the report, "Meeting the Federal IT Workforce Challenge."
The council endorsed OPM's efforts to study proposed pay flexibilities, such as pay-banding systems. "We're hoping to see pay banding across the federal government," Hobbs said.
OPM is also looking at redefining occupational classifications for IT workers. New job classification standards would allow managers to offer IT workers higher-grade salaries without the traditional management responsibilities required of those jobs. OPM is expected to release a legislative package this summer that will include proposals for a new IT salary schedule and classification system, Hobbs said.
The report also encouraged agencies to explore non-traditional labor markets, regional alliances and online marketing to improve IT recruitment. The council endorsed the idea of waiving federal restrictions on direct hiring and temporary appointments.
The government estimates it will need to add 4,660 new information technology jobs and replace 32,315 IT workers by 2006 to keep its operations running smoothly. The total number of IT jobs in the government was 66,660 as of 1997.
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