The Obama administration’s Office of Personnel Management said in an “exit memo” Thursday that working in the government should be seen as a career stop that everyone should try to make.
OPM’s exit memo listed its key accomplishments over President Obama’s eight years in office, and made a series of recommendations in a section titled “The Path Forward.” In that section is a call to give everyone a “fluid path in and out of government.”
“We no longer live in a world where people begin and end their careers with the same employer,” it said. “To compete for top talent, the government needs to adapt by facilitating a more fluid, flexible path in and out of Federal service.”
“Rather than focusing on ways to keep employees for their entire careers, we should embrace modern reality and seek to make Federal service a coveted stop in every professional’s successful career trajectory,” it added. “Gaining experience in both the public and private sector will expose employees to a broader range of perspectives and help build a more diverse skillset.”
The memo also said the government can do more to reward excellence, prioritize human capital, develop the skills of federal workers and engage those workers.
“Leaders should prioritize building strong and collaborative labor-management relationships that make employees and their labor representatives a trusted partner in decision-making,” it said.
The memo made no mention of the cyberattack that led to the leak of personal information of 22.1 million current and former federal workers in 2015. But it did claim progress in boosting cybersecurity at the agency.
“In support of the President’s Cybersecurity National Action Plan, OPM crafted a strategy aimed at creating and sustaining a workforce with the skills and experience necessary to meet modern cyber threats,” it said.
