High tech hiring is on the agenda at the Department of Defense, and at this week’s Human Capital Management Defense conference being held in Arlington, Va. Day one opened with a technology focused day which included everything from CRM for government to USA Staffing and e-Verify.
While interest in technology is high the ability to synchronize systems remains a challenge, as well as the barriers in actually implementing Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) technology in the DoD system. While defense budget challenges were not the focus of discussion, the focus on efficiency and fiscal responsibility reflect the constraints facing human capital managers.
“We’re looking to eliminate redundant systems and capabilities,” said Michael Lincecum, director of Personnel and Readiness Information Management at the Department of Defense. Accountability is a major role of personnel information management. An investment management review board reviews Human Resources Management IT investments over 1 million, ensuring accountability for IT funds.
And while accountability is at the forefront of human capital managers, so is security, especially in the arena of IT.
“Whoops is not in our parlance,” said Frank Jones, chief human capital officer at the Defense Manpower Data Center. There is an “ever present threat of those individuals who want to hack in and do harm,” he said. The Defense Manpower Data Center maintains sensitive data – including Common Access Card data – for the defense community. Jones said the office publicly tracks the number of days since the last privacy incident, and works hard to ensure information security.
With human resources more technology-dependent than ever, Jones cited the critical need for human capital professionals to be in synch with their chief information officer or chief technology officer. While human resources professionals may have responsibility for personnel data, technology systems are in place to maintain and protect that data.
Social networking is also on the radar screens of defense capital managers, who use it to distribute updates and information, and keep their hand on the pulse of employee concerns.
From the practical side of data sets and personnel data to collaboration and recruitment, information technology is a major driving force spurring defense personnel management.
Lindy Kyzer is the editor of ClearanceJobs.com. She loves cybersecurity, social media, and the U.S. military. She loves attending defense conferences because it gives her an excuse to wear her “Army flair”. Have a conference, tip, or story idea to share? Email editor@clearancejobs.com.
