Nuclear agency sets pace in hiring

As interest in nuclear energy started to heat up in 2005, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission braced for change. The demand for electricity was increasing worldwide, and people were looking for alternatives to fossil fuels.

A nuclear renaissance was on the way.

To many, determining how to meet the rising demand for more nuclear power plants and ensure the safety of existing ones would seem like a tough enough challenge. But for James McDermott, NRC's human resources director, figuring out how to navigate the federal hiring process and recruit highly skilled employees quickly to meet this challenge was a bigger burden. The agency's goal was a net gain of 200 employees annually, which meant it would have to continue hiring even as it replaced departing workers.

McDermott acknowledges he was skeptical about pulling off this feat. NRC was able to hire at most 220 employees annually. With a 6 percent annual attrition rate, the agency-which had about 3,000 people at the time-would have to nearly double annual hiring to about 400 people to meet the annual net gain goal.

The agency, however, managed to step up recruiting, streamline its hiring process and meet its goals nearly every year. McDermott says in hindsight, the effort didn't require the rocket science he thought it would.

NRC's situation is one that many federal agencies face as growing demands, changing missions and looming retirements force them to rethink their hiring processes. They're looking for innovative ways to recruit early- to mid-level career employees. It's a race against the clock, as agencies know if they don't speed hiring and make job offers to the best qualified candidates, someone else will.

Brittany Ballenstedt explored the NRC's efforts to become a model of smarter, faster hiring in the September issue of Government Executive. Click here for her full report.