GovExec Daily

Hiring is a difficult task for any organization, but federal agencies have stresses that others do not. With waves of retirement happening at agencies like the IRS, Veterans Affairs Department and others, open positions go unfilled for extended periods of time. But, our guest today writes that retirees are a good source of talent for the federal government, if only it were not so hard to hire them back.

Ronald Sanders was a federal...

The financial industry is behind other industries in adopting DEI principles. With DEI becoming more of a priority, financial organizations are grappling with both history and the present within the DEI framework. 

Jim Casselberry is CEO and Co-Founder at Known, LLC and has more than thirty years of experience in the financial advising and investment management industries. As part of our #MoneyMonday series, he joined the podcast t...

The debt ceiling hangs over federal employees as an unprecedented default could come as soon as the first week in June. Negotiations remain ongoing as President Joe Biden attends the G7 summit in Japan this week, but Speaker Kevin McCarthy said that the two sides are still far apart. Still, both sides remain optimistic that a deal will be struck before a default.

GovExec reporter Eric Katz joined the podcast to talk about the debt...

In the last few weeks, both the World Health Organization and the U.S. federal government have lifted declarations of COVID-19’s crisis status. As the U.S. public health infrastructure moves away from that period, preparing for the next public health crisis will be paramount. Lessons learned from the COVID-19 response can provide better response to the next pandemic or emergency situation.

Dr. Richard Stone is an Army Major General...

Before maximum telework, there was flexiplace and telecommuting. Agencies in the late 20th century had a version of telework, though that version seems like it belongs in the stone age to modern eyes used to VPNs, Slack and other modern components of telework. 

Tom Shoop is editor at large and the former executive vice president and editor in chief at GovExec Media. He is also the author of a post in his “That Time” series headline...

The General Schedule was enacted into law in 1949 and remains to this day.  Of course, much has changed in government since 1949 and the changes to the General Schedule have not kept up with the time. Our guests today write that the GS system has been described to them by feds as trying to work while wearing cement shoes. 

Doris Hausser and Kimberly Walton are former federal human capital senior executives. They are both Fellows of...

The United States Treasury Department reached the $31.3 trillion debt ceiling in January, prompting “extraordinary measures'' to keep the U.S. from a default. Economic experts have predicted an unprecedented default as soon as June. Negotiations around the debt limit are slow going, increasing the likelihood of major disruptions to government operations and dire consequences to the world economy.

Dr. Patrick Gourley, PhD, is an ass...

Since the COVID-19 pandemic came into our lives in 2020, remote work has become the norm in many organizations. Remote work gives hiring managers the ability to cast a wider net, it gives employees more flexibility and it is popular with the workforce. But, remote work can bring some heartburn, too and some organizations are slow to adapt to it.

Shane Spraggs is the Forbes Books co-author, with Cynthia Watson, of The Power of Remot...

After more than three years, the federal COVID-19 public health emergency expires Thursday. While FDA and NIH officials have said that the end of the PHE will have minor impacts on their agencies, it has both symbolic and practical value for public servants. Telework and data collection will change, as well as things like free vaccines and tests for the public. 

GovExec's Courtney Bublé, Eric Katz and Erich Wagner have been coverin...

According to recent research, fewer employers see a meaningful relationship between a four-year college degree and job competency. According to a report from American Student Assistance and Jobs for the Future, 81% of employers believe that organizations should hire based on skills rather than degrees. 

John W. Mitchell is president and CEO of the global electronics industry’s trade organization, IPC. He’s also the author of the up...

Despite this week being Public Service Recognition Week, the professional civil service remains under threat. The conversation around bureaucracy remains fairly toxic, the courts have knocked down agencies’ abilities to executive some laws and public figures continue to talk about the end of the administrative state. 

Dr. Donald F. Kettl is professor emeritus at the University of Maryland and former dean of its School of Public Po...

Government work is often complicated and difficult, but career federal employees often work in anonymity for the American people. Each year, the Partnership for Public Service awards the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal finalists to outstanding federal employees who serve the public good. This year’s finalists work in diverse parts of the federal government, ranging from diplomacy to space research to health data in cancer...

ChatGPT has generated a lot of attention not only from consumers, but also employees in both in the private and federal sector. ChatGPT is a powerful tool, with the ability to generate human-like responses to written prompts. While this technology has the potential to revolutionize the way federal employees work, it also raises important questions about privacy, employment, accountability, and the role of AI in government decision-...

The generation born after 1996, commonly called "Gen Z" or "Zoomers," are now entering the workforce and bringing with them the unique characteristics that any generation brings to the workplace. Managing across generations is never easy, but according to a new survey from ResumeBuilder.com, managers are having some trouble working with Gen Z.

Stacie Haller is chief career advisor at ResumeBuilder.com. She’s spent over 30 years in ...

The Office of Personnel Management announced that the maximum telework edict will end this month with the cessation of the national public health emergency on May 11, though OPM chief Kiran Ahuja has said that the change will not have a significant impact on agencies. Telework for feds has been a political football and the three years of the pandemic suggest that flexibility overrides almost everything else. Still, plenty are push...

Earlier this year, the White House announced a series of projects that agencies are undertaking as part of an effort to reshape how government delivers services by focusing on citizens' experiences like retirement and other life events. With the Biden management agenda’s focus on customer experience, that will mean getting service to as many people as possible… in whatever ways are available. 

Aaron Boyd is a Senior Editor at GovEx...

Passed last week by the House of Representatives, the 2023 Limit, Save and Grow Act would slash discretionary spending at domestic agencies to its fiscal 2022 levels. The bill addresses the looming debt default that would have catastrophic impacts on the U.S. economy and government operations. The bill sets up debt ceiling negotiations on something that can pass to avoid the potential disaster of a default. 

As part of our #MoneyM...

Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility are principles that the Biden administration has brought forward since it came into office. In June 2021, the president signed an executive order establishing a directive to agencies to seek opportunities to establish or elevate Chief Diversity Officers. 

Recently, Accenture Federal Services and the Partnership for Public Service launched the Chief Diversity O...

Recently, the Office of Personnel management announced that it will end the use of maximum telework, following President Biden’s planned May expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The implementation of necessary telework during the last three years is among the many complications involved with employee connection in public service. According to a new survey by Eagle Hill Consulting, more than a third of government emp...