Fundamental reform of the way the government hires, rewards and compensates the federal workforce “is long overdue,” one of the leading advocates of reform, the Partnership for Public Service, has reiterated.
“Today’s civil service system—the personnel system government uses to manage its talent—was designed more than 60 years ago for a dramatically different workforce. While the world has changed, the personnel system has remained a relic of the past. To overcome this deficiency, individual agencies have cut deals with Congress—resulting in a patchwork of different rules and regulations for different agencies. Agencies already competing with the private sector for top talent then must also go up against agencies that have been able to cut the best deals,” it said in a recent report on its priorities.
The group said that it has been meeting with members of Congress and their staff on the issue for more than a year since issuing a report calling for a broad reform. While the Partnership is encouraging government-wide reform, it is also “providing guidance to committees interested in advancing reforms at particular agencies. We are also championing quick-wins—for example, a bill to allow agencies to share their lists of the most highly qualified candidates for key positions—while starting the conversation around some of the bigger issues like reform of the compensation and classification systems.”
Other ongoing priorities, it said, include leadership development, preparing for the next presidential administration, inspiring and hiring talented younger employees, and improving employee engagement with their work.
