The Department of Defense (DoD) is looking internally as it hopes to boost its talent management efforts across the organization.
DoD recently launched the inaugural Talent Management: From the Ground Up Innovation Challenge, designed to “capture the diversity of thought, experience, background and capability offered by our total force and bring forth new ideas on improving talent management across the Department of Defense,” according to a DoD press release announcing the initiative.
The challenge encourages the department’s thousands of military and civilian employees at all levels to submit ideas intended to help shape the department’s approach to recruiting, retaining and promoting a diverse force, offering service members and civilians an opportunity “to have their voices heard, showcase their ingenuity and share passion projects or solutions to better enhance the workplace,” according to DoD.
“We are always looking for new insights and ideas to evolve and transform the way we do things across the department. This first-ever Talent Management Innovation Challenge will bring forth innovative solutions from those on the ground to help solve the issues of today,” said Brynt Parmeter, DoD chief talent management officer, in a statement, encouraging his military and civilian DoD colleagues to share ideas and “help us build a more inclusive and talented workforce in the months and years ahead.”
Cultivating World-Class Talent
DoD employees taking part are encouraged to put forth ideas in one of three categories: recruiting and accessions, promotion and retention or Wild Card. DoD will assess all ideas for “broad applicability across the department and for potential positive impact,” with finalists pitching their ideas to a panel of DoD senior leaders, who will consider these concepts for adoption across the department.
The DoD’s 2040 Task Force kicked off the challenge, which officially launched on Aug. 11 and will continue through Sept. 30 of this year. Parmeter and DoD’s Talent Management Executive Council will oversee future challenges.
The recently announced Talent Management Innovation Challenge “is just the latest in a line of efforts by DoD] to cultivating world-class talent,” wrote MeriTalk’s Lisbeth Perez.
As Lopez noted, DoD Chief Information Officer John Sherman recently released the department’s cyber workforce implementation plan, which detailed the foundation for DoD to execute the objectives included in its Cyber Workforce Strategy 2023-2027.
That strategy “acknowledges that the cyber talent pipeline is still limited, and the DoD must expand the workforce with diverse roles,” Lopez wrote.
Gilbert Cisneros, under secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, reiterated the department’s need to innovate in the way it recruits, retains and top talent in order to compete in the labor marketplace.
“We are working hard to solve today’s talent management challenges, and this challenge reinforces the need to tap into the full range of strengths and capabilities of all our employees,” said Cisneros, in the aforementioned DoD statement.
“By harnessing the tremendous talent and experiences of our military service members and civilian colleagues, we can bring forth new, innovative and effective ideas tailored to our personnel.”
25 August 2023
Category
HR News Article
