Government agencies spend enormous amounts of time, energy and resources to hire and train qualified employees. But federal managers, human resources (HR) professionals and workforce planners often fail to focus on another important aspect of the human capital equation—retaining the newly hired and experienced workers already on the job.

The retention of qualified federal employees will take on added significance in the near term with Congress already having enacted a two-year pay freeze for nonmilitary employees and poised to consider a moratorium on the hiring of new federal employees as part of the broader effort to cut spending and reduce the growing budget deficit. A pay and hiring freeze could create conditions that may prompt some employees to seek other opportunities or cause eligible workers to retire sooner than anticipated. Agencies could certainly find themselves short-staffed and unable to fill key positions if a hiring freeze is enacted.

All this means that keeping the right talent, those who are motivated and have the skills that match job requirements, is potentially more critical than ever for federal agencies to perform at a high level and to meet the needs of the American public.