The best way for the federal government to compete for and
retain top employees is by starting at the top and ensuring
that agency leaders are actively involved in the effort,
according to Marcia March, vice president for agency
partnerships at the Partnership for Public Service.
Marsh testified recently before the House civil service
subcommittee, saying: When it comes to improving the way
you compete for talent, laying the total responsibility for
the fix at the door of your human resources department is
like asking the budget office to spend your money for you
. . . Managers are responsible for resource management,
and HR and finance teams are necessarily partners in that
process. When problems exist in resourcing, they must be
management issues.”
Marsh said a key to successful hiring in the private sector
is that company leaders take direct responsibility rather
than compartmentalizing it as a human resources function.
Marsh drew attention to agencies that were “getting it right,”
by prioritizing human resources at the highest levels, holding
up as an example NASA, which streamlined its staffing
processes and asked Congress to grant it additional
flexibilities and workforce planning. She also cited the
Department of Health and Human Service
