Strategy 1

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Attract and hire the most qualified employees, who reflect the diversity of our country, in the right roles across the Federal Government.

Designated a Cross-Agency Priority (CAP) Goal

Goal 1.1

As of May 2023

Agencies will efficiently and inclusively attract and hire quality candidates and reduce any systemic barriers by improving the hiring process for all applicants, hiring managers, and human resources (HR) specialists.

This goal is focused on improving the Federal hiring process and experience for HR specialists, hiring managers, and applicants. Agencies are exploring the applicant experience, from early career through senior level, including the perspective of applicants with critical skills and from underserved and underrepresented communities. Further, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will support agencies in conducting and assessing the quality and depth of any current efforts to understand barriers to equal employment opportunity in the recruitment and hiring process in Federal agencies. Recruitment is another area being explored, particularly opportunities for strategic partnerships with organizations that represent, support, and engage underserved communities. Agencies are also aligning these efforts with ongoing initiatives like implementation of Executive Order 14035 on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in the Federal Workforce, the National Security Memorandum on Revitalizing America’s Foreign Policy and National Security Workforce, Institutions, and Partnerships, Executive Order 13932 on Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates, and Trusted Workforce 2.0.

Goal 1.2

As of May 2023

Agencies will build equitable pathways into the Federal Government for early career positions, particularly from underrepresented and underserved communities.

This goal is focused on building the early career hires and internships pipeline into the Government. Initiatives include improving the intern experience, expanding the pool of available talent, building tools to increase opportunities for hiring managers to convert eligible interns into career civil servants within Federal service, and expanding Federal public service apprenticeships. Agencies are exchanging experiences and discussing insights into the business case for investing in interns and early career talent, including the value that internships and early career hiring can provide to candidates and agencies. Agencies are working to surface leading practices with paid internships and early career hires, including efforts to include and support underserved and underrepresented communities.