The Partnership for Public Service has released a report prepared with Booz Allen Hamilton examining the competitive search for science, technology, engineering, mathematical and medical, or STEMM, talent in filling government jobs.
"The Biggest Bang Theory: How to get the most out of the competitive search for STEMM talent," lists best practices, starting with the advice that federal agencies play to their strengths when attracting STEMM candidates by highlighting their missions and uncommon technology that candidates might have access to while working there, perhaps as a particle accelerator or advanced weaponry.
Other best practices include recruiting emerging talent early, for example, via internships for promising high school students, enlisting peers as informal recruiters, hosting competitions, having a strong web presence to promote exciting jobs and missions, offering varied career assignments, sharing lists of pre-screened applicants throughout the agency, giving candidates substantial challenges that test their capabilities, offering a dual track career trajectory, and evaluating hiring, performance and job satisfaction with solid data.
