Great supervisors can make even the most trying agency a better place to work, while lousy supervisors can make even the best organization a horrible workplace. With that in mind, more attention is needed to improve the supervisory selection process, says former DHS CHCO Jeff Neal.
Life after the military can be a hard transition. Many veterans seek jobs in the civilian sector but to no avail. A new report by the Merit Systems Protection Board finds that part of the problem is that the rules governing veterans' job preferences are byzantine and need improvement. John Palguta, vice president for policy at the Partnership for Public Service, joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to discuss how the process can be tweaked.
Office of Personnel Management asks agencies to consider how the proposed across-the-board 1 percent pay increase for all federal employees will impact the special rates some employees salaries are calculated on.
Gina McCarthy, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is clarifying remarks she made on simplifying the federal firing process. The clarification comes after the American Federation of Government Employees challenged a statement she made in her recent testimony before Congress.
A career in the federal workforce might not be the coolest thing to kids. That's one finding from a new survey by the National Treasury Employees Union. It found only 37 percent of parents polled encourage their kids to go into government. Now, NTEU is starting a campaign to change that. President Colleen Kelley joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the new survey.
The rule comes more than two years after President Barack Obama signed the provision into law on July 6, 2012. Under the final rule, eligible employees can work part time while drawing on part of their earned retirement benefits. Phased retirees must also spend at least 20 percent of their time mentoring other employees.
Federal News Radio's Causey Awards honor top achievers in federal human resources. It's named after our own Mike Causey, in tribute to his career spent reporting on issues that matter to the federal workforce. This year, judges have selected four winners. One is Mika Cross, the work-life and wellness program manager at the Agriculture Department. She joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss how she convinced USDA to use telework as a strategic tool. View more about our 2014 Causey Award winners.
This fall, five more schools will offer an intensive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education track to students who are serious about federal cybersecurity careers. These Centers of Academic Excellence are overseen jointly by the National Security Agency and the Homeland Security Department. Schools have to pass a meticulous screening process to qualify for the program. Steve LaFountain is dean of the NSA's College of Cyber. He joined Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive to discuss the new move.
With all the bad press the government, and government workers are getting nowadays, do you ever tell people you do something else---like maybe you are a travel agent or undertaker---for a living? If not, you may want to reconsider why not.
On this week's Women of Washington radio show, Stephenie Foster discusses how women can work on parity in the political realm.
Your agency could save itself time and work on the hiring process if a new bill from Senator Jon Tester becomes law. The Competitive Service Act would let other agencies share information about applicants they didn't hire that might fit your agency's openings. In our Congressional Spotlight on In Depth with Francis Rose, Senator Tester explained how he thinks the bill will make your agency's hiring process faster and better.
Here's a sobering thought: Will the federal worker of the future be a hybridized version of his or her counterpart in the U.S. Postal Service?
Evan Lesser, founder and director for ClearanceJobs.com, will discuss the state of hiring in the clear community. July 18, 2014
The hunt for a job in the federal government can be confusing from the very start. Logging onto USA Jobs and searching for a job as a "secretary" can land you options ranging from public affairs officer to associate deputy assistant secretary for program planning and budget. Then comes navigating the technical requirements, executive core requirements, and the actual application process itself. Tim McManus is Vice President for Education and Outreach at the Partnership for Public Service. He shared some tips for aspiring feds on In Depth with guest host Jared Serbu.
The Office of Personnel Management is giving agencies a way to better understand and utilize data gleaned from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) and OPM's Enterprise Human Resources Integration (EHRI).