Tommy Weinert, Founder of Mount Indie and a seasoned recruiter in the defense sector, delivered insights on the future of cleared talent acquisition during his talk at ClearanceJobs Connect.
Reflecting on the industry’s rapid growth and the unique challenges of cleared recruiting, he emphasized the critical role that recruiters play in national security. Weinert noted that while many search for the “easy button” to find cleared talent, effective recruitment goes beyond technology—it requires refining processes and fostering strong collaboration with hiring teams.
Weinert identified several challenges in cleared recruiting: salary misalignment, candidate engagement, and the difficulty of competing with remote work offers. Retention, a crucial issue, impacts recruitment heavily; as Weinert noted, “Retention is the new recruiting.” He stressed that retaining cleared talent within government programs is vital, as frequent turnover disrupts mission-critical functions.
A key takeaway from Weinert’s talk was the importance of engagement. Recruiters, he argued, must focus on building trust and credibility within the cleared community, making their approach more engaging and responsive to candidate needs. Weinert suggested that recruiters adopt an “OSINT” (Open Source Intelligence) approach to find information about potential candidates through publicly available resources.
Weinert also urged recruiters to embrace data-driven insights. By tracking response rates and leveraging data on compensation trends, recruiters can help influence their teams’ strategies and ensure their offers are competitive. Listen to his full address above.
