The federal government is our largest employer in the nation with nearly 1.9 million employees. Each year, about 100,000 permanent employees are hired, and there is an increasing need for talent in highly-competitive technical and professional fields. However, less than one in four recent college graduates say they are very interested in government service.

The biggest challenge that agencies must overcome to hire talented personnel is the hiring process itself. Key obstacles to securing talent are time, complexity and efficacy of the process. Often these challenges keep those individuals best suited for the job from completing the process. Ultimately, agencies and their leaders are responsible for making the hiring process work. To meet the challenges ahead, agencies must make recruiting a top priority and be held responsible for results.