Is the Federal Government Hiring?

You bet. Despite current budget shortfalls, recruiting talented and motivated younger workers is a federal necessity both because of the increasingly complex and technical demands being placed on our government and because of demographics.

By any measure, the federal workforce skews older than most. The average age among civilian federal employees is 47. In addition, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) estimated in 2008 that 57 percent of full-time, permanent federal employees on board as of Oct. 1, 2006 would be eligible to retire by 2015.7

This will place some departments at risk of a “brain drain” if too many experienced workers and managers leave at once, but it also presents an opportunity to bring new talent into the workforce and build a solid foundation for the future.

In addition to the need for skilled young talent, the federal government holds itself accountable as a model employer that seeks to recruit a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of the nation. Unfortunately, individual agencies often fall short in ensuring adequate representation of different racial and ethnic groups in the rank and file, as well as in leadership positions. But this is also changing. The current administration has made it clear that it wants a more representative federal work force.  In January 27, 2011, the Federal Daily reported that Customs and Border Protection implemented a series of diversity-driven hiring efforts last year, resulting in a workforce that is increasingly made up of otherwise underrepresented groups, such as Hispanics, veterans and women.

For Federal Hiring Reform updates visit http://www.dreamfedjob.com/.