Could your firm or agency use a lobbyist in Washington to represent recruiting issues? A recent blog post argues that a number of recruiting issues are the result of too little influence in Washington. If North Korea can have a lobbyist on Capitol Hill, so should today’s hiring managers, he argues.
Out with the old and in with the new…will that saying be true for the federal workforce? As more are eligible for retirement, the current federal workplace conditions make staying increasingly less rewarding. Some expertise is easily replaceable with cheaper talent, but other areas could suffer with this retirement wave.
Happy employees are often more productive employees. ConnectSolutions surveyed 202 employees and 100 percent of the females surveyed stated that remote work options could keep them from jumping ship. Perhaps the main way to get females to “lean in” isn’t by offering them the corner office, but rather, by offering them the remote office.
Who’s Hiring
Times are still tough for those in small business who are focused on the federal government and defense contracting. Despite the ongoing tightening of the purse strings, it’s not the end for female-owned small businesses. Many agencies have an eye out for the female-owned small businesses. They suggest attending special industry events or sending quarterly updates to agencies, since familiarity can increase comfort level when it is award time. And when it comes to relationship-building, women often have the advantage.
The shoe is now on the other foot. Silicon Valley is looking for expertise within the walls of the Pentagon and federal intelligence agencies. New tech startups wanting to focus on national security issues, especially big data and cybersecurity, have a recruiting eye on IT talent with the government experience to give them a competitive edge.
The Air Force added eight more companies to its NETCENTS-2 contract first awarded in April. Sixteen companies (full list here) now have the ability to compete for work on the $6.9 billion contract for networking equipment, software and other products.
Who’s Firing
It’s almost old news…except for the federal employees living through all of these announcements. But the Defense Department continues to cite layoffs as part of its future if sequestration and continuing resolutions continue to haunt them. The American Federation of Government Employees is crying foul on the layoff threat, saying that the contractor workforce is larger and costlier and would equal more savings.
