A Wake-Up Call for Federal Government Agencies

In a recent Army Times article, the U.S. Army’s top cyber commander, Lt. Gen. Edward Cardon, made a telling observation about the shocking lack of talent management practices across the Army. He warns that the Army will squander the highly sought cyberwarfare skills within its ranks unless the personnel are better managed, reflecting that there is no way to track personnel after expensive and critical skills training is delivered.

Transforming the Government into an Employer of Choice for Millennials

On paper, a career in government service appears to beautifully align to the professional values and interests of millennials. A Capstrat study of millennials in the workforce revealed that balance, benefits, purpose and support trump all else for twenty-something workers — even salary. Millennials want to make a difference in society, and employment within the federal government offers countless opportunities to do so.

Federal Agency Employees are Knowledge Workers, Too

Robert Davis authored a thought-provoking piece recently in Washington Technology: "Is it time to say good-bye to the chain of command?" My response to the question is an enthusiastic "YES!"

What State Governments Can Learn from the Cornhusker State

For state governments, striving to operate as "one employer" comes with a variety of challenges. To start, state agencies range in size, geographic spread and mission, and they tend to operate in isolation from one another. When it comes to managing, engaging and training state workers, frequently there are as many methods used as there are state agencies.

The Power of Now

As federal agencies continue to manage the lingering effects of the government furlough and shutdown, the fact that job satisfaction among the federal workforce has dropped significantly hardly comes as a surprise. In fact, the results of the recently released U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey – a survey administered before the 16-day October government shutdown – only reaffirmed what federal agency employees, Chief Human Capital Officers and their staffs live with each working day.

Surfing the Silver Tsunami

There is an exponentially growing need for effective talent management strategies in the public sector, and I’m honored to lead the team dedicated to delivering this to the market at Cornerstone. What’s the primary catalyst within the public sector workforce today? The impending silver tsunami. Our aging workforce. Boomsday!

Beyond Recruitment: Retaining K-12 Teachers

There is a growing sense of urgency – and perhaps a bit of desperation – to recruit new teachers to join the ranks of K-12 educators. According to Arne Duncan, the U.S. Secretary of Education, over a million Baby Boomer teachers – fully a third of America’s teachers – will retire or leave the teaching profession before the end of the decade.

Learning from the Private Sector: Three Best Practices for Public Sector Agencies

In my work with Cornerstone OnDemand’s public sector customers in state, local and federal government agencies, I’m regularly asked what they can learn from our private sector clients who are doing talent management "the right way". Where and how can they apply private sector best practices and utilize lessons learned in a government environment?

It’s Time for Federal Agencies to Re-Define Succession Planning

In the immortal words of Bob Dylan, "the times they are a-changin’." Baby boomers are retiring in droves. Millennials are taking on increasing responsibilities while demanding new ways of working. Federal government agency missions are evolving faster than a New York minute. Taken together, it’s easy to see just how dramatic the government workforce transformation really is.

Streamlining the Federal Hiring Process

The government is looking to hire new talent, both to replace departing retirees as well as to fill newly created roles focused on emerging mission requirements. It’s an exciting time for the federal government: the Wall Street Journal recently reported on Labor Department statistics that show government hiring is outpacing the manufacturing and construction sectors – combined. This growth follows five straight years of shrinking in the government workforce.

Succession Planning is a Workforce-wide Effort

For businesses and governments around the world, evidence continues to mount that the way workforces need to plan for the future has shifted dramatically from the methods used in the past. The traditional succession planning framework has crumbled, and from its ruins the need to take a more holistic, workforce-centric view has emerged. While there is widespread agreement on the fact that changes to our talent management approach need to occur, globally, organizations are still struggling to make sense of this new paradigm.

Building Support Networks for K-12 Teacher Recruitment and Retention

When exploring the challenges around retaining K-12 teachers, I’ve talked a lot about the importance of building support networks for teachers that enable professional development, learning, training, and cross-district networking. Without prioritizing these kinds of talent management activities, schools and districts simply will not be able to keep teachers engaged, motivated, and taking the steps to build long, lasting careers in K-12 education.