More outsiders needed for mid-level government jobs, report says

The government must hire more mid-career professionals from the private sector to avoid a major gap in skills between the middle and senior levels of the federal workforce, according to a new report from a nonprofit group. Of the 48,000 job vacancies at the GS-12 to GS-15 levels posted during fiscal 2001, nearly half were closed to candidates from outside the federal government, according to a report from the Partnership for Public Service, a nonprofit group trying to improve the government's recruitment and retention record. Of the more than 60,000 positions filled at the same GS levels in fiscal 2000, just 13 percent of competitively selected hires came from outside the government. "The government is filled with competent, talented people, but we need to make sure that we are drawing from the largest talent pool available," said Max Stier, president and chief executive officer of the partnership. "If nothing is done to bring talented, mid-career professionals into federal service, government will face a serious skills gap in the near future." According to the report, which was based on statistics from the Office of Personnel Management and the Merit Systems Protection Board, most federal jobs filled from outside the government are for entry-level positions, at the GS-5 or GS-7 grades. Downsizing during the 1990s left the government with "too thin a bench" to fill senior-level positions with talented people, the report said. The government needs to advertise more, streamline the hiring process, create new incentive programs and design competitive pay and benefits systems, if it hopes to develop a more diverse and experienced workforce, the report said. Poor workforce planning and a belief that nonfederal candidates lack the relevant experience to work in a mid-level government position could be responsible for the government's reluctance to recruit outsiders, the report suggested. At the same time, promoting current federal employees may also be administratively easier than conducting an open competition, the report said. For example, veterans preference is not a factor in the internal merit promotion process. The report acknowledged that attracting mid-career professionals is difficult because applicants do not always have easy access to information on federal jobs, sometimes harbor negative attitudes toward the government and may be turned off by real and perceived gaps in pay between the public and private sectors. In fact, there are so many obstacles to recruitment at the mid-career level that it requires the efforts of all involved to turn the situation around, Stier said. "It's a challenge that requires activity on many different levels: The political leadership needs to make people aware of the opportunities public service offers, government managers need to fully utilize the available tools, and the public needs to support investments in civil service," he said. New initiatives would bring fresh talent and ideas into government, while motivating current employees, the report said. For example, a fellows program modeled on the prestigious Presidential Management Intern program and targeted at mid-career professionals inside and outside government would allow employees to work at different agencies for two years. The government could also modify existing job exchange programs between the public and private sectors to allow part-time participation. This would help overcome the reluctance of employers to give up their employees for long periods of time, the report suggested. Stier said the report's recommendations also apply to current mid-level federal employees. "We are advocating an overall strategy that will make the work experience better for the existing workforce." Initiatives like the fellows program, which would be available to current employees as well as outsiders, would boost workforce morale, he said. A recent report from the Merit Systems Protection Board found that employees, managers and unions doubt that the merit-based promotion process produces the best candidates for jobs. Government needs to learn how to market itself, Stier said. "Government has a great job to offer; the fundamentals are there," he said. "But to attract and retain a talented workforce, the government and its stakeholders need to find ways to maximize that potential."