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Tuesday, May 18, 2010
When I think of waiting, I think of the DMV. As painful as that experience usually is, at least I have a number. I know that I’m making progress. Eventually, I know that I’ll talk with someone.
Now, compare that to the federal government’s dysfunctional hiring process.
Everyone seems to have a nightmare story - it takes too long, keeps people in the dark, creates unbelievable frustration and discourages top candidates from entering public service. That’s right - federal hiring is worse than the DMV, which I might add is much improved over the past years.
The Obama administration’s hiring reform plan unveiled last week promises to make the process more candidate-friendly, transparent and streamlined. The reforms are exciting and the right move.
The nightmare is over, right? Wrong! Proposing reforms and turning them into reality are two separate matters.
From experience, we know that most people resist change. It’s disruptive. While some folks will seize the opportunity to energize their agencies’ hiring processes, others will struggle to find a new way to do business. Some won’t be capable of getting with the program.
That’s why, from my viewpoint, the most important element of the new reform plan is the explicit recognition that hiring is a leadership responsibility, not just an HR task.
Specifically, the president’s directive states that managers and supervisors must be “fully involved in the hiring process...planning current and future workforce requirements, identifying the skills required for the job, and engaging actively in the recruitment and when applicable, the interviewing process.”
Now we’re talking. This is an open invitation from President Obama for managers to be proactive. It’s time to stop complaining about HR, step up to the plate, and play an integral role in getting the right people for your agencies.
As a leader, here are a few things you can do to help:
• Don’t wait, act: It may be tempting to wait for some word from HR. But if you’ve ever complained about the hiring process, you should make the first step. Your HR team is probably overwhelmed at the moment. They could use some help. Be the first to volunteer and help your agency implement the hiring reforms.
• Sell, sell, sell: When change is hard, folks can fall into a “wait-it-out” mentality. We’ve seen reforms come and go. This too shall pass. Don’t let that happen. Convince the team around you to embrace the change. Spend team meetings educating others about the logic behind the reforms. Enlist anyone who appears passionate about the change to help drive the change.
• Provide the tools, and ensure they’re used: People on your team will undoubtedly need training and other support to make these reforms reality. Give them the time needed to participate. Afterwards, hold your team accountable for meeting the administration’s - and your agencies’ - clear hiring goals by including any appropriate numbers in their performance goals.
The hiring reforms can remove major barriers to getting top talent into government. What else should leaders do? What are you doing to improve hiring in your agency? I encourage you to share your ideas or experience by leaving comments below or sending an e-mail to .
posted in: Blogging, EmployerNews, News
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