Like governors in New York and Pennsylvania, Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is eager to find displaced federal workers to fill critical roles within his state’s government.
In February, Gov. Green announced the launch of Operation Hire Hawaii, which the state’s human resources department describes as “a targeted outreach initiative featuring an expedited state hiring process, fast-tracking qualified candidates into job opportunities throughout Hawaii.”
This project aims to provide opportunities for individuals impacted by recent federal layoffs, resignations and loss of funding, as well as other interested job seekers.
According to Hawaii Public Radio, the state has received 827 applications as part of the initiative since Feb. 18, when Gov. Green issued an executive order outlining a series of actions designed to “strengthen [Hawaii’s] workforce by supporting the recruitment of employees displaced by executive actions of the federal government.”
“There’s a real need within state government for experienced, knowledgeable, dedicated civil servants in our ranks. And, so it was a real opportunity for us to not only fill our jobs, but also take care of those who are negatively impacted,” Brenna Hashimoto, director of the state’s department of human resources development, told Hawaii Public Radio.
Noting that the number of vacancies within the state’s government ranks has steadily increased throughout the past decade, Hashimoto said that Gov. Green wants to be able to fill roles within 14 days of receiving an application.
“We consider that Day One, when an applicant submits an application. And we immediately turn those around the next business day to the department, and then we let them run with it.” she said, adding that available positions range from entry-level to experienced and include clerical, technical and professional tasks.
“Most importantly,” she said, “we want good people who want to make a difference in their community to come and join the state.”
18 March 2025
Category
HR News Article
