Management

Could a new Trump administration push for another federal hiring freeze?

The president-elect's previous experience with a governmentwide 79-day halt to agency hiring could inform his new approach to the federal workforce, if those lessons still apply. 

Workforce

AI can improve how federal employees do their jobs, but training and resources need to be a priority

The IRS chief human capital officer said that training can no longer be viewed as an expendable expense.

Management

OPM announces a program to make it easier for ex-interns to get full-time federal work

A new feature within USAJOBS’ Agency Talent Portal will allow agencies to hire former interns from other agencies into term or permanent federal positions.

Workforce

Facing tight budgets, agencies turn to workforce restrictions to rein in costs

Biden began his presidency seeking to boost the civil service and improve federal hiring. At many agencies, he is ending it by cutting back.

Oversight

GAO: Agency HR offices need better communication with officials in remote posts

Federal officials in Alaska, Hawaii and the United States’ various offshore territories said they struggle to combat high attrition at federal jobs in the non-contiguous U.S., despite some agencies’ efforts.

Workforce

Trump promises pay raises and bonuses to spark a DHS hiring spree

Border Patrol has struggled to hire for a decade, however, and is already offering bonuses larger than Trump is proposing.

Workforce

Young people don’t trust the federal government, but will work for it

The Partnership for Public Service suggested that federal agencies could consider partnering with social media influencers to build trust with young people.

Workforce

Amid hiring surge, FAA taps outside schools to boost air traffic controller training

The agency is looking to reduce bottlenecks as it attempts to reverse a longstanding slide in air traffic controller staffing.

Oversight

Amid hiring surge, two VA agencies face employee background check deficiencies

The inspector general warned that shortcomings in the agencies’ background check programs were letting in unvetted staff.

Workforce

Harris touts plan to bring on more border agents, but hiring is already lagging

The vice president is visiting the border to discuss ideas for the workforce that may be difficult to implement in practice.

Oversight

36% of new IRS hires faced delays due to technical and security clearance jams

Despite hiring 64% of its new employees in fiscal 2022 and 2023 within its 80-day goal, it took the IRS an average of 124 days to employ roughly 19,000 personnel due, in part, to system limitations.

Tech

Expedited STEM and cybersecurity hiring authority extended

OPM grants direct hire authority to agencies when there’s a lack of candidates or major hiring needs.

Workforce

Congressional committees tackle bills governing telework, marijuana and labor unions

While a Senate panel advanced bills improving telework data reporting by federal agencies and codifying the end of the restriction on federal employees’ past use of marijuana, its House counterpart advanced controversial bills aimed at busting federal employee unions and adding leading questions to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

Workforce

Harris touts skills-based hiring for feds on the campaign trail

The move to skills-based hiring for federal government jobs has been ongoing under the Trump and Biden administrations.

Oversight

Republicans criticize EEOC over nixed one-day furlough

The agency said that no additional funding and a high pay increase for federal employees helped create its budget shortfall, but GOP leaders called it a failure to adjust spending.

Oversight

National Park Service’s IRA hiring surge could fail ahead of funding deadline

While the legislation gave hundreds of millions to NPS for hiring, it didn’t grant new hiring flexibilities, which the Interior Department inspector general reports is hampering progress.

Management

OPM and OMB unveil a new plan to improve the federal hiring ‘experience’ for both workers and HR managers

The Biden administration’s latest effort to improve the federal hiring process provides a roadmap for implementing decades-old calls for reform.