Federal and state government CIOs looking to recruit young technologists often fret that they won’t be able to offer salaries competitive enough to attract new talent. They fear that government culture, which is seen as not being open to innovation and risktaking, is a turnoff for young, hungry technology workers.
I don’t totally buy into that. I think there are plenty of talented, young technologists who are eager to take government IT jobs depending on their values and goals. I spent a lot of time in Research, Development and Engineering Command recruiting technology workers. At one point, I had 17,000 scientists, engineers, and other technical people working for me. Recruiting them meant spending a lot of time on college campuses.
Government agencies are always going to have a hard time recruiting recent IT graduates. But so is everyone else – they're in high demand. If they are fiercely competitive and focused on monetary rewards like building a stock portfolio that they can see a double digit ROI, then they are not likely to turn to government for a career. Those aren’t the prospective employees government CIOs should be spending their time trying to attract.
Instead, government IT executives should be trying to recruit young technology workers who have different goals. The government CIO should take advantage of the benefits where the government leads. For example, government offers many opportunities for continued education. In the rapidly changing world of IT that can be an advantage. The government also offers many opportunities in agencies is exciting and cutting edge. Few commercial firms can offer the same level of opportunity. There’s benefit to targeting workers who better align with the values of serving the public: Government agencies are more likely to retain them.
What are some creative steps you’re taking to identify IT talent that syncs with your organization’s values? Understanding what motivates young workers is critical to recruiting. We try to identify candidates early and offer them opportunities for summer employment in meaningful positions. We also try to expose them to the life-time opportunities that are available in government. Recruiting good talent is all about exposing people opportunity. And higher salaries are not always the only motivation tool in the basket. Look all around you. Think of the number of volunteer project all across our country and you'll understand that people want to commit to something larger than themselves – something that benefits society.
Major General Nick Justice retired from the United States Army after more than 42-years of service as an American Soldier. He began his Army career as an enlisted Soldier drafted from his native state of North Carolina.