Today’s federal IT workers have a tremendous 

opportunity to participate in a new era of 

public service. The American people deserve 

and expect a government that is efficient, 

accountable, and fully worthy of their trust. 

The Administration is committed to leveraging 

the power of technology to deliver results. 

VIVEK KUNDRA 

FEDERAL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER 

AND DIRECTOR, CIO COUNCIL 

The information age provides us opportunities to collaborate in ways we never dreamed 

possible. But the promise of the future rests 

firmly in the hands, hearts, and minds of our 

workforce. It is imperative that the Federal 

Government attract and retain the “best and 

the brightest” of the workforce of the future – 

the “Net Generation.” And this will only happen if we are able to provide our workforce 

with access to information age tools and capabilities, as well as providing them with an 

environment that unleashes and nurtures the 

fire of their innovation and creativity. 

DAVID M. WENNERGREN 

DEPUTY CIO, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 

AND VICE-CHAIR, CIO COUNCIL 
introduction
 

The increasingly senior federal workforce, and their anticipated retirement from federal service, 

continues to top the list of human capital concerns across government. The Federal Government 

needs the right mix of high performing information technology (IT) personnel, with the skills necessary 

to meet both current and future mission requirements. As the Baby Boomers in the federal IT 

workforce retire, many of their replacements will come from a new, younger generation of workers, 

the “Net Generation,” so-named by Don Tapscott in his 1997 book, Growing Up Digital: The Rise of 

the Net Generation (and its 2008 sequel, Grown Up Digital: How the Net Generation is Changing Your 

World), for being the first generation to have lifelong exposure to the Internet. This large, incoming 

generational wave is expected to bring a variety of new dynamics to the federal workplace. In order 

to manage the changing generational mix effectively, managers will need to reconcile the distinct, and 

sometimes conflicting, expectations, needs, and life experiences of their workforce and to establish a 

context for success that allows the strengths of each generation to shine. 

Capturing the knowledge of the current workforce, and bracing for the institutional changes resulting 

from both a changing workforce and rapidly evolving technology, will present wide-ranging challenges 

for Chief Information Officers who must fulfill specific responsibilities under United States Code 

(USC) 11315(c)(3) (Clinger-Cohen Act); 44 USC 3506(b)(5) (Paperwork Reduction Act); 44 USC 3501, 

Section 209, IT Workforce Development (E-Government Act); 44 USC 3544(a)(4), Information Security 

(E-Government Act); and OMB A-130 Circular regarding the assessment, management, and training of 

the federal IT workforce. Accordingly, the Federal Chief Information Officers Council initiated a review 

of the baseline federal IT workforce, current IT workforce management practices, and collaborated 

with nGenera Insight (formerly New Paradigm), an innovator in generational thought research, to 

use and expand their research on the Net Generation, the workforce of the future. The Office of the 

Department of Defense Deputy Chief Information Officer has spearheaded this effort for the Council. 
table of contents
 
Chapter 1 Defining the Federal IT Workforce 

Chapter 2 Current Workforce Environment 

Chapter 3 Forecast of Future Labor Supply and Demand 

Chapter 4 Strategic Workforce Planning 

Chapter 5 Norms and Characteristics of the Net Generation 

Chapter 6 Opportunities and Challenges of a Multi-Generational Workforce 

Chapter 7 Management and Employee Engagement 

Chapter 8 Professional Development and Career Management 

Chapter 9 Shaping the Workplace Through Web 2.0 Technologies 

Chapter 10 Workforce Compensation, Benefits, and Flexibilities 

Chapter 11 Work and Life Balance 

Chapter 12 Conclusion 

Appendices A through H 

defining 

the federal 

IT workforce 

During the past ten years, information technology has become integral to almost every job performed 

within the Federal Government. The automation of functions and services once performed manually, 

and the increasing requirement for integrated information, systems, and technologies, have broadened 

the scope of functions and equipment that comprise the definition of information technology (IT), and 

the range of occupational series that can be considered as part of the federal civilian IT workforce 

community. 

As defined in title 40 of the United States Code, with respect to an executive agency in the Federal 

Government, IT is “any equipment or interconnected system or subsystem of equipment used in the 

automatic acquisition, storage, analysis, evaluation, manipulation, management, movement, control, 

display, switching, interchange, transmission, or reception of data or information by the executive 

agency, if the equipment is used by the executive agency directly or is used by a contractor under 

a contract with the executive agency that requires the use of that equipment or of that equipment 

to a significant extent in the performance of a service or the furnishing of a product. [This] includes 

computers, ancillary equipment (including imaging peripherals, input, output, and storage devices 

necessary for security and surveillance), peripheral equipment designed to be controlled by the 

central processing unit of a computer, software, firmware and similar procedures, services (including 

support services), and related resources; but does not include any equipment acquired by a federal 

contractor incidental to a federal contract.” 1 

3 
Series Employee Title 

IT Operations and Information 

Resources Management 

0332 

0335 

1410 

1411 

1412 

1420 

1421 

2210 

Computer Operator 

Computer Technician 

Librarian 

Library Technician 

Technical Information Specialist 

Archivist 

Archivist Technician 

IT Specialist 

Engineering and Scientific 0854 

0855 

0856 

1550 

Computer Engineer 

Electronics Engineer 

Electronics Technician 

Computer Scientist 

Communications 0390 

0391 

0392 

0394 

Telecommunications Equipment Operator 

Telecommunications Specialist 

Telecommunications Technician 

Communications Technician 

Table 1.1 Federal Civilian IT Workforce 

The federal civilian IT workforce includes government personnel across all federal agencies who provide workforce 

capabilities required to: 

• Plan, budget, manipulate, control, and archive information throughout its life cycle. 

• Develop, acquire, implement, evaluate, maintain, and retire information, information systems, and information 

 technology, and the technology to transmit information. 

• Develop the policies and procedures required for information resources management. 

• Apply the measures that protect and defend information and information systems.

Occupational series that may be included in the federal civilian IT workforce are listed in Table 1.1; however, the 

definition of the IT workforce community may vary by agency, according to each agency’s mission and the nature 

of its work. The Information Security or Information Assurance (IA) workforce is a subset of the overall IT workforce; 

individual IA members may be resident in many series, but are predominantly in several specialty areas within the 

2210 or IT Management series. Work is ongoing to identify the impact of federal cyber initiatives on the IT workforce 

landscape. 

4 
{

Developing the strategies and actions to recruit, develop, and maintain a best-inclass professional IT workforce has been a Federal Chief Information Officers (CIO) 

Council priority since the establishment of the Federal IT Workforce Committee in 

1999. Over the past decade, we have witnessed tremendous growth and evolution 

within the federal civilian IT workforce. That evolution’s going to continue, and so 

will the work of the Committee. Web 2.0 transformation will need a Talent 2.0 

workforce with the right skills and an innovative, collaborative mindset. 

JANET L. BARNES 

CO-CHAIR OF THE FEDERAL CIO COUNCIL IT WORKFORCE COMMITTEE 

(2003–2009) {

Computer Specialists/ Computer Computer Electronics Telecom 

IT Specialists Scientists Engineers Engineers Specialists 

1997 2 55,301 3,204 2,400 23,566 6,904 

2008 68,626 5,404 4,203 19,302 5,787 

Percent Change 24% 69% 75% -18% -16% 

Table 1.2 Major Federal IT Population Trend 

The focus of this report, commissioned by the Federal CIO Council, is on selected employees from the larger 

communities within the federal civilian IT workforce, namely, IT Specialists, Computer Scientists, Computer 

Engineers, Electronics Engineers, and Telecommunications Specialists. Together, these communities totaled 103,322 

personnel in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008. For the purpose of this report, these five series will be known as the “Major 

Federal IT Population” or “Major Federal IT Community.” Table 1.2 provides the aggregate populations of these 

series, comparing FY2008 figures from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) online tool, FedScope, against 

published FY1997 OPM data. The distribution of FY2008 employees by Federal CIO Council member organizations 

is contained in Appendix A. 

5 

current 

workforce 

environment 

Demographically, the federal civilian IT workforce spans five generations: the G.I. Generation, 

born before 1925; the Silent Generation or “Greatest Generation,” born 1925 to 1945; the Baby 

Boom Generation, born 1946 to 1964; Generation X (or Gen X), born 1965 to 1977; and the Net 

Generation (also called Generation Y or the Millennials), born between 1978 and 1994 (or even as 

late as the year 2000, depending on the demographic study). For the purposes of this report, the 

above definitions apply, however, individual tables and charts may differ slightly, depending on 

how the obtainable federal data was aggregated. 

7 
1 

As Figure 2.1 illustrates, there are federal civilian IT 

workers located in every state in the Union. Additionally, in Fiscal Year (FY) 2008, there were 244 individuals in the U.S. territories and 1,727 employed in foreign 

countries who were part of the Major Federal IT Population. Thirty-four percent of the Major Federal IT Population works in the Maryland/Virginia/District of Columbia 

region. 

Figure 2.2 provides a generational view of the Major 

Federal IT Population. The “Pre-Baby Boom” includes 

two generations, the G.I. Generation and the Silent 

or “Greatest Generation.” The Greatest Generation 

are age 64 to 84. They are not a large segment of the 

workforce population, but their knowledge is valued. 

Additionally, there was a very small cadre of the G.I. 

Generation, aged 85 and above, in the Major Federal IT 

Population in FY2008, 14 individuals in total. 

The Boomers, by far the largest segment of the IT 

workforce, span from age 45 to 63. In 2008, the first 

wave of the U.S. Baby Boomers became eligible for 

social security benefits. As more of these individuals 

become eligible to retire, there is great potential for a 

cascade of retirements over the next decade or more, 

from both the general U.S. population and the Federal 

Government. This will have many impacts: the need for 

additional recruiting and creative retention incentives; 

additional training and education requirements; and, 

many opportunities for advancement. Given this scenario, succession planning should play a fundamental 

role within every IT organization. 

200 or less 

201–500 

501 – 1,000 

1,001 – 2,500 

2,501 – 4,000 

4,001 – 6,500 

6,501 – 9,000 

Alaska 

Hawaii 

9,001 and higher District of Columbia 

Figure 2.1 FY2008 Geographic Distribution of the Major Federal IT Population 

8 
The younger generations, Generation X and the Net 

Generation, range from 17 to 44 in age in the federal IT 

workforce. This entire age range is significantly underrepresented in government when compared against the 

Boomer population. Generation X, as a group, has been 

less inclined to public service careers. Additionally, the 

1990s, the period when many Gen X typically might 

have entered public service, was a decade of largescale downsizing within the Federal Government. 

Almost 400,000 individuals were culled from the civil 

service ranks, largely through a combination of attrition, 

incentives for early retirement, and hiring freezes. The 

Net Generation (or “Net-Gen”), so-named due to 

their deep immersion with technology and use of the 

Internet, is the youngest generation in the workforce. 

Their representation in the federal IT workforce is 

influenced by their specific occupations and the current 

grade structure, and also may be adversely affected by 

the challenges associated with attracting and recruiting 

them to federal service. 

28 Year Olds - 1,450 

Net Generation Generation X Baby Boom Pre-Baby Boom 

Ages 17–31 Ages 32–44 Ages 45–63 Ages 64–91 

10% - 10,081 28% - 28,455 60% - 61,918 3% - 2,868 

47 Year Olds - 4,463 

44 Year Olds - 4,077 

55 Year Olds - 3,480 

64 Year Olds - 722 

Source: OPM 

September 2008 

Figure 2.2 FY2008 Generational Distribution of the Major Federal IT Population 103,322 personnel 

9 
2210 COMMUNITY
 

The 2210 series is a fairly new occupational series, 

established in 2001, and largely populated through 

a multi-year migration of individuals from the former 

Computer Specialist (0334) series which was not completed until FY2006. Within the 2210 community are 

several specialty areas: Applications Software, Customer Support, Data Management, Enterprise Architecture, Information Security, Internet, IT Project Management, Network Services, Operating Systems, Policy 

and Planning, Systems Administration, and Systems 

Analysis. A breakdown by specialty area is not available 

from federal databases, however, separate surveys of 

federal IT personnel, the IT Workforce Capability Assessment, conducted in 2004 and 2006, did provide 

data for the 2210 specialty areas and eight additional 

areas of interest such as Records Management and 

Privacy (see www.cio.gov). Within the IT Management 

community reside three federally-designated mission 

critical occupations: Enterprise Architecture, IT Project 

Management, and Information Security. 

IT Specialists are employed by all Cabinet-level 

agencies and large independent agencies, as well as 

most medium independent agencies. From FY1997– 

FY2008, and as the community evolved from Computer 

Specialists to IT Specialists, there was a 24% growth 

in this sector of the IT workforce, with most agencies 

gradually increasing their number of 2210 series 

employees. At the end of FY2008, there were 68,626 

individuals in this community as shown in Figure 2.3. 

Seventy-five percent of the 2210 community was 

under the General Schedule (GS) or a related pay 

plan in FY2007, with a median pay grade of GS-12. 

The community has grown its number of senior grade 

managers over time, as the scope of IT Management 

duties has become more complex (see Figure 2.4). 

Additionally, the average age of workers has increased. 

The end result is a large, retirement-eligible population 

which is impacting most grade levels. 

New hires typically make up the majority of annual 

2210 accessions, with agency transfers ranging 

between 12%–16% during FY2004–FY2008 (Figure 

2.5). The age range of hires has skewed older, with 

annual hiring (Figure 2.6) contributing significantly to 

the generational imbalance within the 2210 series. 

The Net Generation has the highest turnover rate within the 2210 community. FY2008 turnover for Net-Gen 

employees within the 2210 community was 9%, with 

271 individuals leaving federal service; an additional 

65 employees transferred to other agencies, creating a total “churn” of 11.1% amongst the Net-Geners. 

Generation X employees were the most stable, with a 

Figure 2.3 2210 Community: Fiscal Year End Strength 

2004 64,737 

2005 65,822 

2006 67,814 

2007 67,210 

2008 68,626 

Figure 2.4 2210 Community: Grade Distribution 

Comparison of General Schedule and Related Grade 

Workforce 

GS-5 1997 201 

2007 199 

GS-7 1997 981 

2007 921 

GS-9 1997 

2007 

4,216 

4,404 

GS-11 1997 

2007 

10,119 

10,297 

GS-12 1997 

2007 

19,137 

19,112 

GS-13 1997 

2007 

11,004 

15,752 

GS-14 1997 

2007 

3,500 

6,682 

GS-15 1997 961 

2007 2,131 

Other 1997 

2007 

1,729 

7,705 

Figure 2.5 2210 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions 

2004 3,232 530 

2005 3,646 621 

2006 3,424 744 

2007 3,734 730 

2008 5,001 715 

New Agency 

Hire Transfer-in 

10 
3.2% turnover rate. Overall series turnover was 7% for 

FY2008. 

Retirements form the bulk of annual losses from the 

2210 community, followed by individuals quitting federal service (Figure 2.7). In general, IT Management 

personnel quitting federal service or transferring within 

the Federal Government have been rising as a percentage of overall separations, while retirements have declined in recent years. In part, the reason for the decline 

in retirements can be attributed to fewer early retirees 

from this community. The number of early retirements 

in a community is directly influenced by the availability 

of this retirement authority which is controlled by the 

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and agency 

policy. When agencies “turn on the spigot” of the early 

retirement authority, total retirements typically increase 

in the short term as more people retire before their 

normal eligibility date. Since FY2003, early retirements 

have declined from 24%–10% of all retirements, thus 

influencing the total number of retirements. Another, 

and more recent factor influencing retirement losses, 

has been the downturn in the economy. The average 

length of service for voluntary retirees has remained 

steady at 31 years of service (see Appendix B for additional information on separations and turnover rates 

for the 2210 community). 

Forty-nine percent of FY2008 retirements came from 

the GS-9 to GS-12/related pay scale (Figure 2.8), indicating excellent opportunities for hiring and advancement within the mid-grade levels. With structured 

workforce planning, agencies can create targeted 

internship programs or laddered hiring opportunities through which they can groom and grow a more 

generationally-balanced workforce. This will take time 

Figure 2.6 2210 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions by Age Group 

Under 20 6 7 6 11 10 

20–24 314 300 214 217 279 

25–29 392 485 498 473 684 

30–34 515 584 579 645 794 

35–39 614 684 660 704 872 

40–44 782 842 846 861 1,088

45–49 549 685 666 696 937 

50–54 341 391 402 510 601 

55–59 182 231 221 243 329 

60–64 50 50 63 86 102 

65+ 14 8 12 18 20 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Figure 2.7 2210 Community: FY2008 Separations from 

Federal Service 

Retirement Quit 

2,282 961 

Termination 

388 

Death 

115 

RIF/Other 

23 

Figure 2.8 2210 Community: FY2008 Retirement Losses 

from General Schedule and Related Grade Workforce 

Other 379 

GS-15 87 

GS-14 211 

GS-13 493 

GS-12 681 

GS-11 313 

GS-9 118 

11 
since the Net Generation comprised less than 5% of the 

2210 community in FY2008. Without targeted hiring, it 

will be difficult to strategically grow this segment of the 

population. Some agencies do have programs which 

groom younger individuals and, as Figure 2.9 demonstrates, there is a small percentage of Net-Geners who 

have already advanced as high as GS-12/13. 

In spite of the size of the IT Management community, 

and its designation as a critical community, few individuals were targeted with funded recruitment and retention tools within this community in 2007. Less than 3% 

of new 2210 hires (108 of 3,734 individuals) received a 

recruitment bonus; 52 personnel received relocation 

bonuses; and 831 received retention bonuses. Additionally, 218 FY2007 recipients and 156 Calender Year 

(CY) 2008 recipients received student loan repayment 

benefits (which were either new or recurring awards). 

Women comprised 36% of the 2210 community in 

FY2008, whereas they were 39% of the 0334 series in 

FY1997. FY2008 hiring and loss patterns provide a good 

demonstration for why female representation in this 

community has decreased. While women were 35% of 

the 2210 community’s separations from federal service 

in FY2008, they were only 24% of new hires, contributing to a net loss of 745 women over the past two years. 

Within the community, women’s representativeness 

increases generationally, peaking at 39% of the Baby 

Boomer IT Specialists. With the small percentage of 

Net-Geners in this community, this means that Net-Gen 

women will have fewer female peers, but a larger potential community of more senior female mentors. 

Minorities made up 31% of federal IT Specialists in 

FY2008 (Figure 2.10), with African-Americans comprising 18% of the community, Asians 7%, and Hispanic/ 

Latinos 4%. Other racial/ethnic groups made up the remaining two percent. When compared with the majority/white population, Asians had greater representation 

at GS-13/14, while Hispanics had greater representation 

at GS-11 and less representation at GS-13/14. Given 

that this community typically hires at all age/grade levels, there is opportunity to increase representativeness 

through both hiring and professional development programs. 

Figure 2.9 2210 Community: FY2008 Generations by 

Pay Grade 

Other 428 3,937 9,470
 

GS-15 5 480 1,679
 

GS-14 36 1,901 4,474 

GS-13 275 4,357 9,967 

GS-12 685 4,813 11,315 

GS-11 649 3,207 5,729 

GS-9 617 1,475 1,967 

GS-7 315 323 266 

GS-5 104 71 51 

Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer + 

Figure 2.10 2210 Community: FY2008 Race/Ethnicity 

White 47,197 

Hispanic/Latino 3,348 

Multi-Racial/Other 340 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 176 

Native American/Alaskan Native 874 

Black/African-American 12,098 

Asian 4,593 

12 
1550 COMMUNITY
 

The 1550 series (Figure 2.11), is one of the smaller 

communities within the Major Federal IT Community. 

This community has experienced significant growth 

over the past decade, increasing over two thirds in size 

since FY1997. Even as the overall growth continues, 

some organizations have decreased their number of 

Computer Scientists, most notably, the Department of 

Commerce (whose 1550 population declined 32% in 

FY2007). The 1550 series had 5,404 employees at the 

end of FY2008. 

One or more Computer Scientists are employed by 

most Cabinet-level agencies, with the exception of 

the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Department 

of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Few other 

organizations, outside of the National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration (NASA) and the Departments 

of Commerce, Transportation, and Health and Human 

Services (HHS), employ significant numbers; the 

Department of Defense (DoD) employs over 80% of all 

federal Computer Scientists. 

Seventy percent of the community was part of the 

General Schedule or a related pay plan in FY2008. 

Within this segment of the population, there has been 

growth in the senior pay grades over time, as shown in 

Figure 2.12. Further examination of those in alternative 

pay plans might yield additional information on overall 

pay structure and seniority. The median pay grade 

within the GS/Related Schedule community is GS-13. 

This community is more youthful than their IT 

Management counterparts, with their Net-Gen (17%) 

and Gen X (34%) personnel comprising over half of 

their total population. Hiring patterns (Figure 2.13) 

Figure 2.11 1550 Community: Fiscal Year End Strength 

2004 4,664 

2005 5,103 

2006 5,195 

2007 5,216 

2008 5,404 

Figure 2.12 1550 Community: Grade Distribution 

Comparison of General Schedule and Related Grade 

Workforce 

GS-5 1997 

2007 

4 

24 

GS-7 1997 

2007 

84 

84 

GS-9 1997 

2007 

93 

154 

GS-11 1997 

2007 

159 

327 

GS-12 1997 

2007 

1,170 

913 

GS-13 1997 

2007 

938 

1,422 

GS-14 1997 

2007 

443 

542 

GS-15 1997 

2007 

207 

364 

Other 1997 

2007 

106 

1,383 

Under 20 4 6 3 1 1 

20–24 117 85 89 83 83 

25–29 49 64 71 88 96 

30–34 44 33 44 50 63 

35–39 39 28 35 46 58 

40–44 36 54 40 42 62 

45–49 21 29 36 52 52 

50–54 14 14 27 22 38 

55–59 14 7 13 20 21 

60–64 2 6 6 5 6 

65+ 2 1 0 1 5 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Figure 2.13 1550 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions by Age Group 

13 
contribute to the more youth-oriented community. 

Additionally, the 1550 series has positive education 

requirements requiring at least a bachelor’s degree 

for all hires. Seventeen percent of new hires received 

a recruitment bonus in 2007, while 22 individuals 

received federal student loan repayment program 

benefits in FY2007 and 16 received them in CY2008. 

Figure 2.14 provides a five-year pattern of accessions; 

annual accessions have risen the past three years, while 

losses have fluctuated (Appendix B). Total community 

personnel strength continued to rise in FY2008. 

As with the 2210 Community, turnover is highest 

among the Net Generation age group. After spiking 

to 11.3% in 2006, Net-Gen turnover dropped to less 

than 8% in both FY2007 and FY2008. Overall, there is 

less turnover among the Computer Scientists than the 

IT Specialists, however, both Net-Gen and Gen X Computer Scientists who leave their agencies are significantly more likely to quit federal service than transfer 

to another job within the Federal Government (Figure 

2.15). This could be an area for further exploration by 

agencies to determine why these individuals are leaving federal service; depending on their reasons, these 

younger Computer Scientists could be a better fit at 

another agency and might be interested in staying 

within the Government. Additional turnover and separations data are included in Appendix B. 

As a result of a different generational pattern, retirements from the Computer Science community are less 

than a third of all separations (Figure 2.16). Additionally, early retirements have played less of a role in total 

retirement losses and have been on a decline. Over the 

past six years, voluntary retirements have risen from 

82%–87% of all retirements and these retirees had had 

an average length of service of 29 years in FY2008. 

Thirty percent of FY2008 retirements were from individuals in alternate pay plans, followed by GS-13s 

(24%), GS-15s (16%), GS-12s (15%), and GS-14s (13%). 

Currently, women comprise 28% of federal Computer Scientists, down from 31% in FY1997. Generationally, female representation peaks within Generation X, 

where women comprise 30% of Gen-Xers. The ability 

to improve female representativeness will be challenging, given the lower numbers of women who enter this 

career field. In FY2008, women were 24% of separations from federal service and 22% of new hires, resulting in a net gain of 39 women. Of note, on average, 

starting salaries for new Computer Scientists within the 

Federal Government were higher for women, an indication that agencies may be trying to positively influence 

their representation. 

Racial/ethnic minorities comprise 26% of all federal 

Computer Scientists, with the Asian community representing over half of the minority population (Figure 

Figure 2.14 1550 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions 

2004 334 8 

2005 307 20 

2006 348 16 

2007 391 19 

2008 464 21 

New Agency 

Hire Transfer-in 

Figure 2.15 1550 Community: FY2008 Separations by 

Generation 

Death Net-Gen 0 

Gen X 2 

Boomer+ 4 

Quit Net-Gen 61 

Gen X 67 

Boomer+ 15 

Transfer Net-Gen 7 

Gen X 15 

Boomer+ 24 

Retire Net-Gen 0 

Gen X 1 

Boomer+ 81 

Termination Net-Gen 14 

Gen X 6 

Boomer+ 19 

Retirement 

82 

Quit 

143 

Death
 

6
 

Termination
 

39
 

Figure 2.16 1550 Community: FY2008 Separations from 

Federal Service 

14 
2.17). African-Americans account for 8% of Computer 

Scientists and Hispanics/Latinos, for another 3%. Other racial/ethnic groups totaled less than 1%. Within 

the General Schedule/Related Schedule, AfricanAmericans, Asians, and Hispanic/Latinos have greater 

representation at GS-12 and less representation at GS13 to GS-15. However, it should be noted that Hispanic/ 

Latinos and Asians have a greater percentage of their 

population in alternative pay plans, as shown in Appendix C. More in-depth study would be required to determine overall representativeness across the 1550 series. 

0855 COMMUNITY
 

The Electronics Engineering community, the 0855 series, is the second largest segment of the federal IT 

workforce, ending FY2008 with 19,302 individuals (Figure 2.18). The DoD employs 85% of federal Electronics 

Engineers; other federal organizations with large populations include Transportation, NASA, Commerce and 

the Federal Communications Commission. While most 

Cabinet-level organizations employ one or more Electronics Engineers, many have decreased their number 

of these employees. During FY1997–FY2008, the size 

of the federal-wide community decreased 18%, with 

the U.S. Department of State implementing the largest internal reduction in federal Electronics Engineers 

(from over 200 individuals to less than 10 over four 

years’ time). In FY2008, one organization, the Nuclear 

Regulatory Commission, more than doubled its 0855 

population, growing from 9 to 23 employees. 

About one third of the Electronics Engineering community is in alternative pay plans. This is a significant 

shift that occurred during the last 10 years, as shown 

in Figure 2.19. Positions graded at the GS-12 and 13 

levels have both declined, most likely as a result of this 

migration to alternative pay plans, the re-grading of 

positions, and the community’s decline in personnel 

strength. Interestingly, this series is the only occupation 

in the Major Federal IT Community where the average 

salary of those in other pay plans is lower than the average salary of individuals paid under the General Schedule. It is unclear if locality pay or special salary rates are 

influencing this, or if the seniority/pay levels of those 

in other pay plans are lower, but further investigation 

may be warranted. The median grade of GS/Related 

Schedule employees is GS-13. 

Native Am/Alaskan Native 23
 

Black/African-American 410
 

Asian 784
 

White 3,977
 

Hispanic/Latino 164
 

Multi-Racial/Other 21
 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Is 18
 

Figure 2.17 1550 Community: FY2008 Race/Ethnicity 

Figure 2.18 0855 Community: Personnel Strength by 

Fiscal Year 

2004 20,076 

2005 20,212 

2006 19,731 

2007 19,375 

2008 19,302 

Figure 2.19 0855 Community: Grade Distribution 

Comparison of General Schedule and Related Workforce 

GS-5 1997 24 

2007 23 

GS-7 1997 237 

2007 152 

GS-9 1997 409 

2007 202 

GS-11 1997 968 

2007 532 

GS-12 1997 

2007 

8,849 

2,619 

GS-13 1997 

2007 

8,220 

5,820 

GS-14 1997 

2007 

2,635 

2,178 

GS-15 1997 

2007 

1,268 

1,609 

Other 1997 865 

2007 6,238 

15 
The Electronics Engineering community draws the 

largest segment of its accessions from recent college 

graduates which influences generational hiring patterns, as shown in Figure 2.20. Significant challenges 

exist in recruiting to this community as 321, or 42% of 

new hires, received a recruitment bonus in FY2007. Accessions have been increasing (Figure 2.21) as the community’s downsizing levels out. 

Unlike the Computer Science community, retirements 

form the major losses from this community (Figure 

2.22). Individuals in other pay plans comprise 33% 

of voluntary retirements, followed by GS-13 individuals (29%) and GS-15s (17%). The next largest source 

of losses is from Net Generation and Generation X 

employees who quit federal service (Figure 2.23). NetGeners are over four times more likely to quit than to 

transfer to another job, a behavior worth further study. 

Overall, Electronics Engineering turnover has been fairly stable across the generations, with losses from federal service changing from a downward trend, to slightly increasing in FY2008 as shown in Appendix B. Net 

Generation representation within the community has 

grown from 10%–12% over the past five years, demonstrating some positive momentum and, together, the 

Net-Gen and Gen X comprised 42% of the Electronics 

Engineering Community in FY2008. 

Loss rates are being positively influenced by aggressive management tactics. In 2007, 2,314 Electronics 

Engineers received retention bonuses, comprising 

10% of all federal recipients, and making them the top 

series targeted with retention bonuses within the Federal Government that year. Twenty-six individuals also 

received relocation bonuses in 2007. Federal student 

Figure 2.20 0855 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions by Age Group 

Under 20 1 0 1 0 0 

20–24 239 230 231 182 232 

25–29 152 163 168 205 239 

30–34 85 86 83 96 121 

35–39 99 68 72 70 83 

40–44 98 87 80 101 107 

45–49 85 72 78 91 96 

50–54 31 37 49 46 70 

55–59 20 24 17 39 33 

60–64 14 11 19 21 15 

65+ 1 4 14 10 7 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Figure 2.21 0855 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions 

2004 765 50 

2005 722 60 

2006 753 60 

2007 771 90 

2008 917 86 

New Agency 

Hire Transfer-in 

Figure 2.22 0855 Community: FY2008 Separations from 

Federal Service 

Death
 

Termination 19
 

48
 

Retirement 

Quit 

258 

517 

16 
program loan repayment participation dropped in this 

community, with 93 recipients in FY2007 versus 61 in 

CY2008. 

Women currently comprise 10% of the 0855 community, up from 8% in FY1997. This is the only occupation 

examined that has seen growth in the number of women within the community, although they still have the 

lowest female representation among the five series. 

Additionally, of the five series within the Major Federal 

IT Community, Electronics Engineering has the lowest 

female representation among the older generations. 

Only 7% of federal Baby Boomer Electronic Engineers 

are women vice 16% representation in the Net Generation, as shown in Appendix C. This may have a 

negative impact on women pursuing a federal career 

in engineering as there are fewer senior female role 

models. In FY2008, women were 7% of losses from 

the community and 13% of new hires, for a net gain of 

15 women engineers. 

Racial/ethnic minorities make up 28% of this community. Asians comprise 16% of engineers, African-Americans and Hispanic/Latinos each make up about 5.6% 

and other ethnicities total the remaining 1%, as shown 

in Figure 2.24. Within the General Schedule, Asians, 

African-Americans and Hispanic/Latinos are less represented at GS-13 through GS-15 when compared 

against the White population in these pay grades. 

However, it must be noted that a larger percentage 

Hispanic/Latino and Asian Electronics Engineers (35% 

each) are in alternate pay plans versus White engineers (28%). Thus, further examination on representation would be warranted. Twenty-nine percent of 

African-Americans are also in alternative pay plans. 

Figure 2.23 0855 Community: FY2008 Separations by 

Generation 

Death Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer+ 

1 

0 

18 

Quit Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer+ 

113 

86 

59 

Transfer Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer+ 

27 

58 

64 

Retire Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer+ 

0 

4 

513 

Termination Net-Gen 

Gen X 

Boomer+ 

13 

8 

27 

Figure 2.24 0855 Community: FY2008 Race/Ethnicity 

Native Am/Alaskan Native 107
 

Black/African-American 1,072
 

Asian 3,040
 

White 13,867
 

Hispanic/Latino 1,089
 

Multi-Racial/Other 59
 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Is 66
 

Electronics Engineers traditionally have been considered part of the Science 

and Engineering community in government. With the expansion of IT and 

integration of technologies, many engineers may now be performing work 

considered to be part of the information technology domain, some of which 

is already captured in the 0854, or Computer Engineering series. For 2008, 

the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics calculated that 

one third of Electronics Engineers were employed as Computer Hardware 2

Engineers. As the Federal Government progresses in its effort to become a 

competency-based workforce, personnel surveys and job analyses may be 

able to shed further light on the interplay between the disciplines and how 

their IT-related work may be best described. 

17 
0854 COMMUNITY
 

As with the Computer Scientists, the Computer Engineering community, the 0854 series, has also experienced significant growth, increasing over 70% 

between FY1997–FY2007. The community continues 

to grow, ending FY2008 with 4,203 personnel in the 

federal population (Figure 2.25). The DoD and NASA 

employ almost 95% of the federal Computer Engineering community, although most Cabinet-level agencies 

do employ one or more Computer Engineers. The Department of the Treasury, the Department of Transportation and DoD have all experienced steady growth in 

their Computer Engineering population, while NASA 

has decreased its number of Computer Engineers by 

12% since FY2004. 

The 0854 series is the most youth-oriented of the five 

series within the Major Federal IT Population. Together, 

Net Generation (21%) and Generation X (33%) individuals form the majority of the community, with Baby 

Boomers and beyond accounting for 46% of the total 

population. The growth in the Computer Engineering 

community has been at every grade level, most notably at GS-12/13, as shown in Figure 2.26. Net-Geners 

have excellent opportunity for advancement within this 

community, outnumbering the other generations in every grade at GS-11 or below, and with almost identical 

numbers as Gen X at GS-12 (303 Gen X versus 300 NetGeners). 

This is a community that bears watching over the next 

few years. While this small community has the lowest 

turnover rate among the five communities, there has 

been some internal volatility that may be masked by 

overall community growth. With a larger Net-Gen population, typically comes a larger quit rate, as seen in 

other communities. Net Generation turnover was on 

a rising trend, but stabalized in FY2008 (Appendix B). 

As an example, Net-Gen quit numbers exceeded Baby 

Boomer retirements in FY2007, but then dropped below them in FY2008 (Figure 2.27). 

Accession patterns have also been more volatile in this 

community. Federal Computer Engineers, like their 

Electronics Engineer counterparts, have a positive degree requirement, and a similar youth-oriented hiring 

pattern, indicating hiring targeted to recent college 

graduates (Figure 2.28). In FY2004, there was a 30% 

spike in Net-Gen accessions (Figure 2.29). If recruitment incentives were used for this particularly large 

cohort, their payback period may have recently ended, 

making them potentially more susceptible to outside 

job offers. At the other end of the generational spectrum, retirements jumped 44% between FY2004 and 

FY2005, and continue to fluctuate, as do transfers. 

Overall, the use of recruitment and retirement incenFigure 2.25 0854 Community: Fiscal Year End Strength 

2004 3,975 

2005 4,101 

2006 4,058 

2007 4,125 

2008 4,203 

Figure 2.26 0854 Community: Grade Distribution 

Comparison of General Schedule and Related Grade 

Workforce 

GS-5 1997 

2007 

5 

11 

GS-7 1997 

2007 

38 

92 

GS-9 1997 

2007 

45 

98 

GS-11 1997 

2007 

114 

208 

GS-12 1997 

2007 

587 

969 

GS-13 1997 

2007 

1,019 

1,342 

GS-14 1997 

2007 

355 

472 

GS-15 1997 

2007 

150 

281 

Other 1997 

2007 

87 

652 

Figure 2.27 0854 Community: FY2008 Separations by 

Generation 

Death Net-Gen 1 

Gen X 3 

Boomer+ 5 

Quit Net-Gen 49 

Gen X 32 

Boomer+ 10 

Transfer Net-Gen 9 

Gen X 17 

Boomer+ 8 

Retire Net-Gen 0 

Gen X 0 

Boomer+ 60 

Termination Net-Gen 4 

Gen X 2 

Boomer+ 2 

18 
tives currently does not indicate a significant problem 

in personnel strength. Only 18% of new hires received 

a recruitment bonus in 2007 and 32 individuals participated in the federal student loan repayment program. Federal-wide, 5 Computer Engineers received 

relocation bonuses and 35 received retention bonuses. 

However, given the large number of Net-Geners at the 

GS-12 level (and a small number at GS-13), more rapid 

advancement opportunities may be being utilized as 

an incentive. Personnel strength in this community continued to rise in FY2009. 

In FY2008, women comprised 18% of this community, 

showing a small decrease since FY1997. The Computer 

Engineering community currently has the smallest 

percentage of female Net-Geners across the Major 

Federal IT Population. Within the General Schedule, 

women are under-represented percentage-wise when 

compared to their male counterparts, at GS-12 through 

GS-14, and over-represented at GS-9 through GS-11. 

Racial/Ethnic minorities made up 31% of the Computer Engineering community in FY2008 (Figure 2.30) 

and Computer Engineers may be considered the most 

balanced community in its White/African-American 

representation across pay grades when compared to 

the other Major Federal IT Series. Although Hispanic/ 

Latinos and Asians are less represented from GS-13 

through GS-15, they have higher population percentages at GS-12, creating opportunity for advancement. 

See Appendix C for additional data. 

Figure 2.28 0854 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions by Age Group 

20–24 151 97 64 83 80 

25–29 52 48 35 49 70 

30–34 27 18 18 25 30 

35–39 29 31 14 32 24 

40–44 25 25 24 38 35 

45–49 17 21 16 26 32 

50–54 8 10 14 14 12 

55–59 6 2 5 6 5 

60–64 1 4 2 5 0 

65+ 0 0 1 0 1 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

New Agency 

Hire Transfer-in 

Figure 2.29 0854 Community: Fiscal Year End Strength 

2004 310 6 

2005 242 24 

2006 177 16 

2007 249 29 

2008 267 22 

Figure 2.30 0854 Community: FY2008 Race/Ethnicity 

Native Am/Alaskan Native 26 

Black/African-American 278 

Asian 716 

White 2,911 

Hispanic/Latino 238 

Multi-Racial/Other 23 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Is 7 

19 
0391 COMMUNITY
 

Changing technologies and the integration of capabilities and systems transmitting electronic information, have changed the role of the Telecommunications 

community, the 0391 series (Figure 2.31), over the past 

several years. This community also experienced an 

18% decrease in personnel between FY1997 to FY2007 

as telecommunications functions were outsourced or 

streamlined. Although all of the Cabinet-level agencies 

employ Telecommunications Specialists, most have decreased their number of employees. The reductions in 

overall personnel strength have been taken at every 

grade level, as shown in Figure 2.32. 

Within the Federal Government, only HHS has experienced significant personnel growth, more than tripling 

the size of their 0391 community between FY2006– 

FY2008 (growing from 116 to 367 personnel, mostly 

through a large transfer into the agency). There were 

5,787 personnel in the 0391 series across the Federal 

Government at the end of FY2008, reversing a previous 

four-year pattern of declining personnel strength. The 

Department of Defense, the Department of Justice 

and the Department of Homeland Security employ the 

largest numbers of Telecommunications Specialists. 

The Baby Boomers dominate this community, with 70% 

of the overall population, and typically, retirements 

have accounted for over half of annual separations. Retirements are impacting every grade level in this community, most notably at the GS-12/13 levels. Hiring patterns greatly influence the generational representation, 

with many replacement accessions coming from the 

Boomer population, as shown in Figure 2.34. Currently 

Net-Geners comprise only 3% of the 0391 community. 

Given the current federal hiring trends, and the fact 

that Net-Gen Telecommunications Specialists have the 

highest turnover rate (24%) within the Major Federal IT 

Population, it is unlikely that their representation will 

grow significantly in this community without deliberate 

management intervention. 

Overall, the 0391 series has the highest turnover rates 

(Appendix B) within the Major Federal IT Population, 

which include the highest retirement and termination 

rates. Figure 2.35 displays the distribution of FY2008 

separations. Limited incentives were used for this community in 2007: 7 individuals received recruiting bonuses; 8 received student loan repayment benefits and 

1 employee was given a relocation bonus. More funds 

were directed at retaining people, with 83 individuals 

receiving a retention bonus. Another five individuals 

received student loan repayment program benefits in 

CY2008. 

Figure 2.31 0391 Community: Personnel Strength by 

Fiscal year 

2004 5,838 

2005 5,832 

2006 5,817 

2007 5.694 

2008 5,787 

GS-5 1997 

2007 

16 

6 

GS-7 1997 137 

2007 104 

GS-9 1997 976 

2007 587 

GS-11 1997 

2007 

1,380 

1,170 

GS-12 1997 

2007 

2,074 

1,325 

GS-13 1997 

2007 

1,374 

1,102 

GS-14 1997 433 

2007 389 

GS-15 1997 133 

2007 104 

Other 1997 

2007 

19 

481 

Figure 2.32 0391 Community: Grade Distribution 

Comparison of General Schedule and Related Grade 

Workforce 

New Agency 

Hire Transfer-in 

2004 379 44 

2005 406 41 

2006 416 48 

2007 399 303 

2008 497 68 

Figure 2.33 0391 Community: Fiscal Year Accessions 

20 
Under 20 1 0 1 0 0 

20–24 25 17 24 33 13 

25–29 25 35 46 78 41 

30–34 56 46 33 60 82 

35–39 55 55 57 87 115 

40–44 95 121 126 142 187 

45–49 77 95 95 126 164 

50–54 49 38 43 85 117 

55–59 26 28 30 42 110 

60–64 8 8 4 30 66 

65+ 5 4 5 19 18 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

Figure 2.34 0391 Community: Grade Distribution Comparison of General Schedule and Related Grade Workforce 

The telecommunications field has been transitioning 

in private industry as well as within the Federal Government. This community bears more examination to 

determine whether additional personnel management 

action is necessary. 

Women comprised 25% of this community in FY1997 

and 20% in FY2008, with greater representation at GS11 and below. The Telecommunications community has 

the largest minority population, percentage-wise, of 

the Major Federal IT Population; 40% of its individuals are from a racial/ethnic minority (Figure 2.36). African-Americans are well-represented through GS-13, 

while Hispanic/Latinos and Asians are well-represented 

through GS-12. All three racial/ethnic groups are lessrepresented at GS-14/15. 

FY2009 UPDATE
 

The Major Federal IT Community grew by almost 5,000 

people in FY2009, ending the year at 108,260. All five 

series included in this population saw in increase in 

strength, with new hires increasing and federal separations significantly decreasing. Eighty percent of the 

Federal CIO Council membership increased their IT 

Management (2210 series) personnel strength. The 

Department of Homeland Security had the largest increase, growing 13%, while DoD and the Department 

of Justice’s 2210 populations grew 8% and 7%, respectively. Appendix H contains a synopsis of key FY2009 

statistics. 

Quit 

107 

Retirement 

198 

Death
 

9
 

Termination 

69 

Figure 2.35 0391 Community: FY2008 Separations from 

Federal Service 

Native Am/Alaskan Native 48 

Black/African-American 1,016 

Asian 171 

White 4,102 

Hispanic/Latino 377 

Multi-Racial/Other 39 

Native Hawaiian/Pacific Is 24 

Figure 2.36 0391 Community: FY2008 Race/Ethnicity 

21 

forecast 

of future labor 

supply 

and 

demand 

Over the next several years, the Federal Government will experience the largest unplanned exodus 

of middle and senior management talent in the history of our nation as significant numbers of 

older workers currently in federal service become retirement-eligible. It is not known whether these 

departures will be as cataclysmic as a tsunami, or will instead ebb and flow over a greater number of 

years as the Baby Boomer generation times their retirements to meet individual life choices. Nor is 

it fully understood yet how the recent economic turmoil will impact federal retirements. No matter 

what the scenario, eventually the need to replace outgoing expertise, and also to fill newly created 

jobs, will result in a significant demand for talent within the labor market. This chapter provides a 

discussion of several labor force trends and their potential impact on IT workforce management. 

23 
MAKING SENSE OF FEDERAL RETIREMENT 

PROJECTIONS 

Federal workforce retirement behavior is influenced 

by a variety of individual and environmental factors. 

The first is individual retirement eligibility, which is 

based on the type of retirement system, age of the 

employee, length of service and minimum retirement 

age. Retirement decisions are further dependent on 

how individuals prioritize work, based on several factors 

that could include hours spent at work, desire for 

variety, financial needs, willingness to learn, and level of 

acceptable responsibility. 1 Additionally, advancements 

in technology significantly influence individual career 

decisions of personnel in IT-related career fields who 

may be either positively or negatively impacted by 

changing technology. 

External environment influencers include the state of 

the economy and labor market demands, neither of 

which can be controlled by the employee. Finally, the 

traditional retirement model of employees ending 

their career after reaching their peak status is gradually 

shifting to new models of retirement. The interplay of 

all of these changeable conditions creates challenges in 

modeling predictive retirement behavior. The following 

retirement statistics (calculated prior to the recent 

economic recession) are provided as points of reference: 

•	 From FY2006–FY2016, there will be 956,613 retirement-eligible employees throughout the Federal Government, but only 586,339 are predicted 

to retire during that period. 2 

•	 The average (or mean) continued federal employment after reaching retirement eligibility is 3.1 

years, which can be further refined to 3.3 years for 

males and 2.7 years for females.3 

•	 Fifty-one percent of employees remain in the 

Federal Government 4 years after first becoming 

eligible for retirement, with approximately half of 

this group continuing to work for 9 more years. 4 

Nation-wide and global financial reversals have contributed to significant drops in home equity and retirement fund valuations. The recession, as well as the 

Boomers’ longer life expectancy, are causing many 

individuals to delay retirement, or to consider never 

retiring, as indicated in several surveys sponsored by 

the American Association of Retired People (AARP). 

This increasingly apparent trend has led BusinessWeek magazine to label the Boomers as “Gen U,” or 

“Generation Unretired.” 5 

U.S. LABOR MARKET FORECAST: DEMAND UP 

AND SUPPLY DOWN 

The U.S. labor force annual growth rate peaked in the 

1970s at 2.6% and has been decreasing with each subsequent decade, largely due to declining birth rates 

and the stabilization of the number of women entering 

the labor market. 6,7 From 1996 to 2006, the growth rate 

declined to1.2% and it is expected to further decrease 

to 0.8% between 2006–2016. 8 As the Nation’s need to 

recruit replacement workers increases, efforts will be 

challenged by this further slowdown in the growth of 

the U.S. labor force. 

Over the next decade, the projected labor force participation rate by age shows significant variation. The 

number of workers in the age range of 55 and older participating in the labor force is projected to be the fastest 

growing age group, from 38% in 2006 to 42.8% in 2016. 9 

Meanwhile, the amount of new entrants coming fresh 

from campuses is growing at a lower rate than workers 

who have been in the labor force for some time. In addition to targeting the Net Generation for recruitment, 

agency strategic workforce planning efforts will also 

need to factor in ways to retain and recruit older workers.10 The challenge will be balancing workforce experience sustainability and re-growth. More information 

about workforce planning can be found in Chapter 4. 

IT OCCUPATIONAL TRENDS
 

The Department of Labor has analyzed IT occupations 

across industry, developing detailed statistics on the 

2008 U.S. labor force and projecting IT occupational 

trends through 2018. 11 A descriptive summary of the 

IT occupations included in these projections is listed in 

Figure 3.1; more detailed information is listed in Appendix D. 

New IT jobs creation is being driven by changing technologies and the increasing demand for secure, trusted 

data and systems. Network Systems/Data Communications Analysts and Computer Applications Software 

Engineers will experience the greatest percentage of 

change within their occupations as shown in Figure 3.1. 

The forecasted impact on the number of jobs created, 

by IT occupation is shown in Table 3.1. Rankings within 

the two data sets may differ, depending on the size of 

the occupation (e.g., Computer Scientists rank fourth in 

the percentage of growth, but tenth in the number of 

new jobs created). Based on this forecast, from 2008– 

2018, Computer Applications Software Engineers will 

gain 175,100 new jobs within their occupation, while 

Computer Operators will lose 19%, or 20,500 jobs, 

within their job field. Recruitment for many of the new 

jobs created will focus on Net-Gen college graduates 

who possess the latest knowledge and skills. 

24 
Network Systems/ 53% 

Data Communications Analysts 

Computer Applications Software Engineers 34% 

Computer Systems Software Engineers 30% 

Computer/Information Scientists, Research 24% 

Network/Computer System Administrators 23% 

(includes Security Specialists) 

Database Administrators 20% 

Computer Systems Analysts 20% 

Computer/Information Systems Managers 17% 

Computer Support Specialists: Tech Support 14% 

Specialists, Helpdesk Techs 

Computer Specialists, All Other 13% 

Top Executives 0% 

(includes Chief Information Officer) 

Computer Programmers -3% 

Computer Operators -19% 

IT Occupations 2008 2018 

Change 

by 2018 

Computer Applications Software Engineers 514,800 689,900 175,100 

Network Systems/Data Communications Analysts 292,000 447,800 155,800 

Computer Systems Software Engineers 394,800 515,000 120,200 

Computer Systems Analysts 532,200 640,300 108,100 

Network/Computer System Admins (includes Security Specialists) 339,500 418,400 78,900 

Computer Support Specialists: Tech Support/Helpdesk Techs 565,700 643,700 78,000 

Computer/Information Systems Managers 293,000 342,500 49,500 

Computer Specialists, all other 209,300 236,800 27,500 

Database Administrators 120,400 144,700 24,400 

Computer/Information Scientists, Research 28,900 35,900 7,000 

Computer Programmers 426,700 414,400 -12,300 

Computer Operators 110,000 89,500 -20,500 

NET INCREASE IN IT JOBS 3,827,300 4,618,900 791,700 

Table 3.1 Where the IT Jobs Are
 

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics)
 

Figure 3.1 Percentage of IT Job Growth from 2008–2018 

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics) 

25 
EDUCATION	 

The majority of new IT jobs will require at a minimum 

a bachelor’s degree. Technical degree requirements 

predominantly will include the Computer Science, 

Computer Engineering, Computer Information Systems, 

and Information Science areas of study. For more senior 

level IT jobs, increasingly there is a desire for education 

that includes both technology and business skills while 

some research positions require a PhD. 

Two exceptions to the degree requirement are Computer 

Operators and Computers Support Specialists/System 

Administrators. In the case of Computer Operators, onthe-job training may continue to be the norm. As for 

Computers Support Specialists/System Administrators, 

recruitment selection will be driven by strong technical 

skills and certifications will be essential. 

In the dozen years between 1991–2003, annual bachelor’s degrees conferred in Computer and Information Sciences almost doubled, growing from 25,159 to 

57,433, and then peaked in 2004, with 59,488 degrees 

conferred; by 2007, graduation rates had dropped by 

30%.12 This trend is troubling, given the expected job 

growth within this field and the need for new talent to 

replace retiring Baby Boomers. Additionally, this field 

includes many disciplines that are a source for critical 

cybersecurity jobs (e.g., Computer Networking, Systems Administration, and Information Systems Security). 

Table 3.2 highlights the overall projected demand for 

new IT jobs. Some mitigation may be possible from redistributing individuals from anticipated Computer Programming and Computer Operator job decreases, but 

this action might require additional formal education 

for those individuals. Additionally, while general college 

enrollment rates are high, the graduation rates are not. 

In the United States, although 70% of the Net Generation will start a degree program, only 30% are expected 

to have a college degree by age 30. 13 

The shortfalls described assume all new IT jobs require 

a four-year degree; in occupations such as Computer 

Support Specialist and Database Administrator, twoyear degrees or commercial certifications may be sufficient for some lower skilled jobs. 

DIVERSITY
 

The primary dimensions of diversity most typically 

measured and analyzed in the federal workforce are 

age, gender, race, and ethnicity. Since it has been 

established previously that a college degree has 

become a requirement for many federal IT jobs, this 

section will focus primarily on the role that college 

education trends and workplace attitudes play in 

achieving gender and racial/ethnic diversity in the labor 

force. Workplace impacts from a multi-generational 

workforce are discussed in Chapter 6. 

The Gender Gap - More women have earned degrees 

than men since the 1980s and, over the long term, the 

number of women awarded degrees will continue to 

outpace men for associate, bachelor’s, and master’s 

degrees. 14 From 2007–2019, the total number of degrees 

at all levels is projected to increase for women by 28% 

as opposed to 17% for men. 15 While women are earning 

more degrees in general, significant gender differences 

exist in the number of women obtaining bachelor’s 

degrees in Computer and Information Sciences and 

Computer Engineering. Over the long term, the 

number of women completing degrees in Computer 

and Information Sciences has been declining, while 

there has been only a marginal increase in the number 

of women receiving Computer Engineering degrees 

as demonstrated by data from the National Center for 

Education Statistics: 

•	 Computer and Information Sciences and Support 

Services Degrees Earned by Women: 29.4% in 

1990-91, 27.5% in 1995-96, and 20.6% in 2005-06. 16 

•	 Engineering and Engineering Technologies Degrees Earned by Women: 14.1% in 1990-91, 16.2% 

in 1995-96, and 17.9% in 2005-06.17 

As a result of these trends, women earn less than a quarter of the degrees conferred for Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering. Figure 3.2 highlights 

the significant gender gaps for degrees compared to 

the average for all degrees and across the four major IT 

fields of study. 

IT Job Outlook Through 2018 New IT Jobs 

Total Demand (includes total IT job growth) 824,400 

Net Demand (assumes offsets from IT job field decreases) 791,700 

Table 3.2 Potential IT Growth Requiring A College Education 

Number of 

(Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-11 Edition) 

26 
While industry can often hire scientists, engineers, and 

technologists from other countries to fill talent gaps, the 

tightening U.S. labor market will be further constrained 

for federal agencies by the gender gap in IT education. 

Also exacerbating the situation, female scientists, engineers, and technologists who are already in these occupations, are leaving them due to career shifts. Based 

on data provided in the the Harvard Business Review 

article, “Stopping the Exodus of Women in Science,” 

the following reasons are cited: 18 

• Hostility in the workplace/machismo atmosphere 

• Sense of isolation 

• Disconnect with women’s preferred work style 

• Long hours and excessive travel 

• Lack of sponsors to clarify career advancement 

Organizations should examine female attrition in IT 

technical occupations to determine if problems exist. 

At the same time, agencies should encourage female 

students at the high school level to pursue IT degrees 

through such outreach events as the Federal IT Shadow 

Day or other high school education initiatives. 

In 2008, college enrollment in Computer 

Science programs saw an upswing for the 

first time in six years, increasing 6.2% over 

2007.19 While this is good news, the number of women graduates remains steady, 

and diversity within this occupation is still 

an issue. Research shows that female and 

ethnic/racial minority interest in science 

and math skill areas may wane as early 

as sixth grade, presenting a challenge to 

those federal organizations and academic 

institutions actively seeking to improve 

gender and minority representation. 20 

Figure 3.2 Percentage of IT Degrees Conferred by Gender for 2005–2006* 

(Source: Digest of Education Statistics 2007) 

Bachelor’s Males Average for All Degrees 42.5 

Computer Engineer 89.2 

Electrical/Electronics Engineer 86.4 

Computer/Information Science 79.4 

IT Management 71.5 

Bachelor’s Females Average for All Degrees 57.5 

Computer Engineer 10.8 

Electrical/Electronics Engineer 13.6 

Computer/Information Science 20.6 

IT Management 28.5 

Master’s Males Average for All Degrees 40 

Computer Engineer 74.3 

Electrical/Electronics Engineer 80.1 

Computer/Information Science 73.1 

IT Management 68.5 

Master’s Females Average for All Degrees 60 

Computer Engineer 25.7 

Electrical/Electronics Engineer 19.9 

Computer/Information Science 26.9 

IT Management 31.5 

27 

* Computer Engineering also includes Computer Engineering, General, and Computer Software Engineering. IT Management 

includes Management Information Systems, General; Information Resources Management/CIO Training; Knowledge Management; and other Management Information Systems and Services. 
2006 IT Bachelor’s Degrees 

Percent Conferred 2006 Civilian Labor Force 

Race/Ethnicity (excludes non-resident) Percent Distribution 

White 67.3 68.2 

Black/African-American 13.2 11.4 

Hispanic/Latino 7.1 13.7 

Asian and All Other Groups 12.4 6.7 

Table 3.3 Diversity Perspective of U.S. Computer/Information Science Graduates Compared to the U.S. Labor Force* 

Race/Ethnicity Trends - In 2003, the Hispanic/Latino 

community became the largest minority group within 

the United States. Their growth in population, due to 

higher birth rates and increasing immigration rates, will 

heavily influence the diversity of future college enrollments. Projected campus diversity between 2006–2017 

includes a 39% increase in Hispanic enrollment, a 26% 

increase in both African-American and Asian enrollments, a 30% increase in American Indian/Alaska Native enrollments and a 5% increase in White enrollments.21 Currently, African-Americans and Hispanics are 

underrepresented on college campuses in general, and 

Hispanics are also underrepresented in Computer and 

Information Sciences and Support Services majors. Table 3.3 provides a comparison of the largest IT field of 

study with the general labor force by race/ethnicity. 

In Figure 3.3, the Computer and Information Sciences 

and Support Services field of study is compared to the 

average for all degrees conferred. This figure illustrates 

similar differences as Table 3.4, while also highlighting 

the higher than average rate of these IT degrees conferred to non-resident students. International students 

comprise half of the total enrollment in graduate-level 

science and engineering fields, with China and India at 

the forefront. In 2004, China made up 14% of the total worldwide international student population. During 

this same period, 25.3% of all international students in 

United States were from India and China. 22 

CHALLENGES TO IT SKILLS MANAGEMENT
 

As organizations try to sustain their IT bench strength, 

they will face several workforce management 

challenges. Labor supply issues previously discussed 

will create recruiting and retention issues. At the same 

time, changing job roles, resulting from the continual 

introduction of new technology and evolving work 

practices, have created a community that lacks the 

maturity in skill development processes and defined 

career paths. 23 IT leaders engaged in workforce planning 

and development need to factor in these variables as 

they plan for the rising Net-Gen workforce of the future: 

Tacit Knowledge Loss - The massive Baby Boomer 

generation is starting to retire but little has been done 

to develop a means to capture tacit knowledge. As this 

highly experienced cadre prepares to leave, the demand 

for replacement skills will be further exacerbated. 

Legacy Applications and Technology Support - The 

upcoming wave of retirements will impede the ability 

of many organizations to maintain skilled workers to 

support legacy systems. Some agencies like the Social 

Security Administration have taken action to transition to 

newer programming languages and platforms. 24Others 

still view a technology shift as a long term solution, but 

the planning for the shift or continued support will need 

to occur soon. 25 As commercial training or education is 

* Race/Ethnicity groupings were aggregated to enable comparison between Department of Labor data and data contained 

in Table 275 of the “Digest of Education Statistics 2007”. Additionally, non-resident data was not included, which increased 

the percentage of IT degrees conferred by race/ethnicity. The field of study for Computer and Information Sciences and 

Support Services includes: General and Other Computer and Information sciences; Artificial Intelligence and Robotics; IT; 

General, Specific Applications and Other Computer Programming/Programmer; Data Processing; Information Science/Studies; 

Computer Systems Analysis/Analyst; Web Page, Digital/Multimedia and Information Resources Design; Data Modeling/ 

Warehousing and Database Administration; Computer Graphics; Computer Software and Media Applications, Other; Computer 

Systems Networking and Telecommunications; Systems Administration/Administrator; System, Networking, and LAN/WAN 

Management/Manager; Computer and Information Systems Security; Web/Multimedia Management and Webmaster; 

Computer/IT Services Administration and Management; and Other Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services. 

28 
no longer available, new entrants into the labor market 

typically will not have skills in areas like mainframes or 

COBOL programming language to hire as replacements 

for the retiring Baby Boomers. 26 

Technology Rate of Change - The introduction of new 

technology will continue to increase, creating a constant need to hire or develop employees with the necessary skills to meet the demand. Retraining the current 

workforce and creating a culture of continuous learning 

will be fundamental principles for organizations. 

IT Hiring Increase - Two thirds of federal agencies 

listed IT as a mission critical occupation in 2007 and, 

near term, Partnership for Public Service estimates rank 

IT occupations as one of the top five federal hiring requirements. 27 The U.S. Department of Labor is projecting 791,700 new IT hires across all sectors, including 

the Federal Government, through 2018; Table 3.1 has a 

breakout of hiring needs by IT occupation. 28 

Citizenship Requirement - The growth of the available 

U.S. labor pool is shrinking and approximately 25% of 

the largest growing ethnic group, the Hispanic/Latino 

population, are not U.S. citizens. While private industry 

can leverage immigrants and global talent to fill crucial 

talent gaps, the Government’s requirement for United 

States citizenship restricts the available labor pool. This 

requirement is not expected to change as the Federal 

Government increases its focus on cybersecurity and 

critical information infrastructure protection. 

Intense Competition for Veterans - As the future labor 

market continues to constrict and the demand for talent 

increases, veterans will become an increasingly sought 

after talent pool to fill vacancy needs across government as well as the private sector. Organizations that 

have relied on this pipeline of talent will face increased 

competition. 

IT Degree Shortfalls - As previously discussed, the level of students graduating with IT degrees is less than 

required to meet future demand and is also being negatively impacted by the gender imbalance in IT degrees 

conferred. 29 For 2005–2006, males outpaced females in 

IT Computer Management, Information Sciences, and 

Support Services bachelor’s degrees by over 3 to 1. For 

Computer Engineering degrees, the male to female ratio was over 8 to 1. 30 This further reduces the supply of 

available talent in the labor market. To close the gender 

gap in IT-related fields of study, significant intervention 

would be required at the high school level or earlier. 

Less Educated IT Workforce - Currently, Federal Government employees are significantly better educated 

than the private sector. As both sectors face greater 

turnover, the demand for available IT college graduates will increase, creating the potential for steep competition. Agencies not able to provide attractive and 

competitive job offers may need to re-evaluate degree 

requirements and offer internal degree completion incentives. 

Figure 3.3 Diversity Perspective of Bachelor’s Degrees in Computer/Information Sciences Compared to All Degrees 


Conferred in 2005–2006*
 

(Source: Digest of Education Statistics 2007)
 

White 72.4% 

62.9% 

Black/ 

African-American 

9.6% 

12.4% 

Hispanic/ 

Latino 

7.2% 

6.7% 

Asian/ 

Pacific Islander 

6.9% 

10.9% 

American Indian/ 

Native American 

.7% 

.6% 

Non-Resident 3.1% 

6.5% 

All Degrees 

Computer/Information Science 

* Computer/Information Science degrees comprise 61.1% of all IT-related degrees. Data for other IT fields of study was not 

available by race/ethnicity. 

29 
Changes in Work Environment - The greater use of alternative work plans and workforce flexibilities, and the 

expansion of new work models, whether a redefinition 

of part-time employees or the implementation of 20­

hour work week positions, will create personnel management challenges as IT leaders adjust to managing 

employees working on different schedules. 31 

Greater Need for Supervisory Expertise - In October 

2009, the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) 

provided a report to the President and Congress, focused on the challenges and opportunities associated 

with the pending loss of significant numbers of supervisory personnel in the federal workplace. The MSPB 

is anticipating extensive losses as current data indicates 

that supervisory personnel tend to be older and have 

more years of federal experience, thus making them 

highly likely to retire during the coming wave of Baby 

Boomer retirements. 32 In addition to noting the loss of 

supervisory expertise, the MSPB also described the 

greater burdens being placed upon supervisors due 

to several factors, including changing work structure 

models which require more networking and communication; new personnel performance plans requiring 

more frequent and detailed observation of individuals’ performance; and the increased need to manage 

continuous learning and competency development in a 

knowledge-based workforce. 33 

Business Value Skill Set - As the focus has shifted to 

align IT priorities to mission capabilities, so has the 

thinking of the right skill mix for IT professionals. The 

need to integrate technology into business processes 

has created a greater desire for business acumen and 

interpersonal skills combined with expected technical 

skills. This will require a refinement of IT workforce skills 

and updating of professional development plans. 

Specific IT Skills Gaps - The Federal Chief Information 

Officers (CIOs) Council, in partnership with the Office 

of Personnel Management’s Human Capital Leadership and Merit Systems Accountability Division, has 

completed three periodic IT workforce capability assessments focused on the IT workforce. Based on the 

IT Workforce Capability Assessment (ITWCA) survey of 

2006, four specialized job activities, enterprise architecture (EA), IT project management, IT security/information assurance, and solutions architecture, were identified as the highest importance. (The executive summary 

can be found at www.cio.gov). 

The Association for Federal Information Resources 

Management’s (AFFIRM) Top Ten Challenges Survey, 

administered annually to Federal CIOs, identified the 

ability to hire and retain skilled IT professionals as their 

top challenge in both 2007 and 2008, while also producing similar skill gap results to the ITWCA surveys of 34,35 individual federal IT employees. The five top-ranked 

skill gaps identified by CIOs in the AFFIRM-sponsored 

survey in 2008 were program management, security, 

collaborating across organizational boundaries, EA and 

strategic planning. Program management, security and 

EA also ranked in the top five in 2007 (collaboration and 

strategic planning were not including in the skills survey 

in 2007). 

The Computing Technology Industry Association identified the following global skills priorities in its “Summary 

of Skills Gaps in the World’s IT Workforce: A CompTIA 

International Research Study” (www.comptia.org): 36 

•	 Three most important IT skills gaps: security, 

general networking, and operating systems 

•	 Widest skill gap proficiency: security, firewalls, and 

data privacy 

•	 Area for most skill growth: radio frequency (RF) 

mobile and wireless technology. 

•	 Other skill growth areas of importance included 

web-based technologies (Web 2.0, Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software-as-a-Service 

(SaaS), Rich Internet Applications (RIAs), Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) techniques, and 

specific programming languages 

THE COMING NET GENERATION EDGE
 

During the last 50 years, most productivity gains were 

realized through automation and technology integration. 

While software and hardware enhancements will 

continue to reduce IT personnel resources required 

for routine network administration and maintenance 

functions, in the future, greater productivity will require 

a more agile IT organization. Increasing agility requires 

improving the ability of people to effectively respond 

to the unknown or unexpected; innovating or creating 

new methods, processes, or products; simplifying 

communications and information sharing; collaborating 

with others to execute missions and responsibilities; 

and most crucial, a supporting culture that inspires 

imagination and innovation. The agile worker is a good 

fit to describe Net-Geners; their energy and perspective 

will bring a needed dynamic to IT organizations. 

30 
ASSESSING THE IT TALENT WAR
 

It would be natural to think that with unemployment figures in 

double digits, job vacancies would have qualified candidates 

lining up to fill them and that the time-to-fill jobs would be 

greatly reduced; however, neither of these assumptions is 

proving true. According to a September 2009 report by Robert 

Half International and CareerBuilder, managers continue to face 

difficulties in finding qualified applicants and the average timeto-fill job vacancies remains unchanged. 37 As Liz Ryan, a columnist 

for BusinessWeek, puts it, “Now more than ever, employers 

need the sort of employees who can wade confidently into a 

messy business situation (a bollixed up database integration, a 

disintegrating tech-support function, or a six-months-delayed 

product launch) and clean it up.” 38 And, Todd Thibodeaux, 

president and Chief Executive Officer of the Computing 

Technology Industry Association, agrees that while there are a 

tremendous number of IT individuals looking for work, finding 

those with the right qualifications remains challenging. 39 

As the economy begins to improve, jumpstarting technology 

projects will be a top priority of many employers, and CIOs 40,41 may be looking to improve their current understaffing. The 

problem many managers will face is that even while they look to 

expand staff, current employees may see an economic upswing 

as an opportunity to jump ship to a new employer, especially if 

the economy quickly improves. This may be particularly true in 

those organizations that cut salaries, raises, bonuses, or training 

during the recession while increasing the workload of those 

individuals still employed. 

Jennifer Deal, a Senior Research Scientist at the Center for 

Creative Leadership in San Diego, California, cautions that talent 

management strategies, targeted to generational requirements, 

will be critical during the economic recovery period, particularly 

if the nation experiences a long, slow recovery. 42 Additionally, 

generational differences, exacerbated by differing levels of 

economic well being, and slower turnover by Baby Boomers who 

choose to extend their working years, may result in increased 

friction in the workplace, ultimately leading to greater attrition 

by the Net Generation.43 

strategic
 

workforce
 

planning
 

Strategic workforce planning is a systematic process that includes forecasting both short- and 

long-term organizational human capital requirements, measuring current workforce capabilities 

and competency gaps, formulating strategies to close gaps for both current and future workforce 

needs, and measuring the effectiveness of those actions. The objective ultimately is to ensure that 

an organization has the right number of people at the right place with the right skills at the right time 

to fulfill the agency’s strategic plan. Addressing the Federal Government’s human capital challenges 

is a responsibility shared by many parties, including the President, federal agencies and their Chief 

Human Capital Officers, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the Office of Management 

and Budget (OMB). Additionally, certain federal positions, such as Chief Information Officers, have 

specific functional workforce management responsibilities. 

33 
In the past, there has been a tendency for workforce 

planners to look at workforce behavior from a neat, 

3-generation perspective, discussed below: 

•	 Older generation: retirement-eligible and focused 

on their pensions 

•	 Middle generation: the typical workforce majority, focused primarily on their compensation and 

benefits package 

•	 Younger generation: future workforce, working 

their way up the ladder by gaining experience onthe-job or through skills training and education 

This model no longer fits. Net-Geners, the youngest 

generation in the workforce, are not patiently working 

their way through the organizational hierarchy, but are 

instead sampling professional opportunities and moving 

on quickly when they see no clear cut advantages, 

personally, professionally, or financially, to staying. 

As a result, many organizations are experiencing the 

loss of younger workers before they can recover their 

recruitment investment. On the other hand, even 

with a large, retirement-eligible population, older 

generations are now staying longer in the workforce, 

for both personal fulfillment and financial needs. With 

these changing generational behaviors, there are 

many implications for federal IT workforce recruitment, 

retention and professional development including: 

•	 Turnover will increase as retirements rise over the 

next decade. 

•	 More of the replacements will come from Gen X 

and the Net Generation and lower-to-mid level 

turnover may rise due to the number of new 

entrants into the federal workforce. 

•	 Some older employees will extend their careers 

or be willing to stay under more flexible working 

arrangements. 

•	 Advancement opportunities will increase as 

current employees are promoted to fill gaps from 

increased turnover. 

•	 More replacement hiring will come from private 

industry. 

•	 More mentoring will be required which will need 

to be factored into managers’ work schedules. 

•	 Leaders will need to adopt and embrace different 

practices to retain their workforce. 

•	 The need for resources required to recruit, train 

and retain will rise. 

The importance of a strong, workforce planning program should not be underestimated in the successful 

management of a cohesive, multi-generational workforce. OPM has developed a workforce planning model 

which can assist IT organizations in strategic workforce 

planning. Additionally, in May 2008, OPM published 

“Best Practices in Workforce Planning,” which can be 

found on their website, www.opm.gov. This guide is a 

concise workforce planning resource for all workforce 

managers. 

Strategic workforce planning can pay 

dividends by helping agencies to create 

a stronger, more highly skilled workforce. 

According to a September 2009 report by 

the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, 

previous psychological study has concluded that “a superior skilled worker produces 32% more output than an average 

worker, and a superior manager or professional produces 48% more output.” 1 

FEDERAL IT WORKFORCE REPORTING
 

During the last decade, periodically, federal agencies 

have been required to review the state of their IT 

workforce and their ability to meet agency mission 

requirements. At first, IT workforce initiatives were 

directed and reviewed separately by OPM and OMB, 

but, over time, evaluating the status of the federal IT 

workforce was folded into the overarching framework 

of the President’s Management Agenda (PMA) and 

its human capital scorecard. In May 2008, significant 

workforce reporting elements of the PMA, as well as 

provisions of the Chief Human Capital Officers Act of 

2002, were codified in title 5 of the Code of Federal 

Regulations, part 250. Those areas of the federal IT 

workforce considered mission critical have ongoing 

agency human capital management and annual 

reporting requirements directed by these regulations. 

34 


norms 

and characteristics 

of the 

net generation 

Both the federal IT workforce, and the U.S. workforce at large, span five generations, with the Baby 

Boomers historically representing the largest working cohort. This majority representation changed in 1 2010 in the U.S. civilian labor force, as shown in Figure 5.1 on page 38. Although the Net Generation is 

currently significantly under-represented in federal service, their presence will start to grow as replacement workers are hired behind the retiring Baby Boom generation. As part of the initiative to become 

better informed about the coming changes in workforce dynamics, the Federal CIO Council entered 

into a partnership with the nGenera Corporation (which includes the former New Paradigm Learning 

Corporation) in order to leverage nGenera’s research and experience in this area. This chapter addresses the eight “norms” that characterize the Net Generation, and the attitudes and expectations 

that Net-Geners are bringing to the working world. 

37 
Figure 5.1 The Changing Representation of Generations at Work in the U.S. Labor Force 

(Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics as reported by nGenera Insight Research) 

Pre-Boomer 1980 49% 

1990 28% 

2000 13% 

2010 3% 

Baby Boomer 1980 51% 

1990 54% 

2000 48% 

2010 37% 

Generation X 1980 0% 

1990 18% 

2000 22% 

2010 22% 

Net Generation 1980 0% 

1990 0% 

2000 16% 

2010 38% 

tention. Understanding the implications of these norms THE EIGHT NORMS OF THE NET GENERATION
 within the workplace is critical to successfully managing the Net Generation. The eight norms are: The Net Generation is slowly but surely coming to the 

federal workplace. The oldest of them are over 30, with Freedom - The Net Generation, more than any other education and some job experience under their belt. generation, expects to set and abide by its own As a generation, they are over 80 million strong, larger priorities. Net-Geners place high priority on time with in fact, than the Baby Boomer generation. They cannot family and friends, so much so that they see their job be ignored as the major source of talent to recruit, fitting into their personal and social lives/lifestyles, develop and retain over the next decades. Additionally, instead of the opposite, more traditional behavior. 3As 

there is much to admire about this generation. They discussed in Chapter 6, they are not the only generation are ambitious and innovative, enjoy teamwork, and wanting more flexibility in the workplace, but they may understand technology. In short, they have sampled be the driving force behind the routinization of more the best characteristics of each generation, while still flexible schedules in the workplace. creating their own identity and worth to the workplace. 

Customization - Living in a custom-created world is In October 2006, the New Paradigm Learning second nature to the Net Generation. They choose how Corporation (now nGenera) conducted 1,750 interviews they get their information or entertainment, when they with Net-Geners aged 13 through 29, in the U.S. and get it, the color, configuration, and applications on the Canada. This research, as well as a follow-on global delivery device, and the picture on the credit card used study, revealed and validated what Don Tapscott, to pay for it. In selecting a workplace, Net-Geners will nGenera Chairman, refers to as the “Eight Norms of look for choices in job benefits and will want to customize the Net Generation.” 2 These norms are patterns of the jobs they select. 4 The Net-Gen will gravitate to jobs behavior, which if properly channeled, can form the that allow them to do more of what they enjoy and take basis for a revitalized, innovative work culture that will an interest in, possibly even affording dedicated time benefit all employees, young and old. for specialization. 5 While it currently may be infeasible to 

enable customized technology in a federal workspace, The eight norms demonstrate the Net-Geners’ work­ engaging the Net-Gen in designing and improving place needs for flexible work schedules and overtime; work processes could yield substantial dividends. social connection with their peers and a place to belong; variety in their work; leading by example and Scrutinizers - The Net Generation is highly adept at involvement, with positive feedback and public rec­ online comparative analysis. Net-Geners in the hunt ognition; and training as a tool for productivity and re­ for work will carefully consider which occupations best 

38 
fit their professional goals and work style preferences; 

and they will thoroughly research jobs available and the 

associated employers’ culture, benefits and emphasis 

on career development.6 Once hired, Net-Geners 

will demand trusting and transparent relationships 

with their organization. 7 Because of this scrutiny, 

organizations should understand the benefit of a welldesigned, current website and easily understandable 

job announcements as initial marketing efforts to future 

employees. However, the Partnership for Public Service 

recommends using both high-tech and high-touch, 

human interaction in educating young people about 

federal job and career opportunities. 8 

Based on their current scrutiny of the labor sectors, 

the Net Generation, in the past, had limited interest in 

working for the public sector as a whole, as shown in 

Table 5.1. However, the former Council for Excellence 

in Government concluded that interest in public service 

could significantly rise if young people were asked to 

serve by individuals whose opinions they respect, most 

notably, their parents or teachers. 9 

Integrity - As part of the scrutiny Net-Geners apply to 

their job hunts, they will be keen to uncover the record 

and reputation of potential employers with respect to 

their commitment to integrity and ethical practices. 10 

They will not embrace a company/organization that has 

questionable ethics or that does not appear to translate 

words (policy) into action (practice), nor will they follow 

questionable leadership.11 

Collaboration - The Net Generation has grown up in 

an interactive world. They are used to pulsing their social networks for information and feedback and working 12 collaboratively on tasks. Additionally, they want to provide their stamp on product and process development. 13 

Their preference for applications and technologies that 

support collaboration, such as Facebook, text messaging, and wikis, along with their inherent proclivity for collaboration itself, are creating a need for organizations to 

identify and acquire technical and non-technical solutions for enhancing communications. This is discussed 

more in-depth in Chapter 9. 

Entertainment - Enjoyment of the job and the workplace is also very important to Net-Geners. They want 

to learn new things and be a part of the action, and they 

expect to have fun while doing it. 14 Equally important, 

they tend to work hard at tasks and then want to decompress. Blocking social networking sites and discouraging any non-work internet usage basically prevents 

them from taking a break on their own terms, whether it 

be for gaming, blogging, surfing, or chatting.15 

Speed - Owing to their demand for speed of communication, Net-Geners tend not to use more traditional 

methods such as the telephone and email in their personal communications, preferring the speed of instant 16 messenging. They will look for avenues to speed their 

productivity and response time wherever possible. This 

includes everything from feedback on performance to 

their rate of professional growth within an organization. 17 

Net-Geners will value those who provide the timely 

feedback they desire. 

Innovation - Members of the Net Generation are “digital natives.” Having grown up with technology in every aspect of their lives, IT capabilities are often second 

nature to them. 18 And, with their desire to customize, 

they work hard to provide the solutions to adapt things 

to suit their own needs. 19 As a generation, they have 

the greatest facility for the IT capabilities needed in the 

workforce, both today and in the future. 

Interest in Sectors as “Ideal Employers” | Ages 13–30 

Public Sector 20% 

Non-Profit Organizations 25% 

Private Sector 55% 

Table 5.1 Net-Gen Interest in Labor Sectors as “Ideal Employers” 

(Source: nGenera Insight Research) 

GENERAL NET-GEN CHARACTERISTICS 


The Net Generation can be generally characterized as 

the most demanding generation in history, demanding 

challenge, meaningful work with impact, committed coworkers, and the ability to reach personal and financial 

goals. While recognizing that Net-Geners prefer to be 

viewed as individuals vice “a group,” federal managers 

can benefit by understanding where this generation is 

coming from and where they want to go. 

Many Net-Geners are products of hectic, dual-career 

families and grew up during a time of significant economic prosperity when Boomer parents were able to 

bankroll their technology-driven lifestyle. Additionally, 

this was a generation exposed to a concerted, nationwide movement by parents, teachers and counselors 

in the 1980s to build their self-esteem. 20 During this 

period, it became general practice for trophies and 

certificates to be awarded for every participatory endeavor, regardless of skill or contribution. The result is 

39 
a generation with a strong sense of entitlement and 

self-confidence, as well as a need to be recognized. 21 

Both employers and employees will need to manage 

their expectations, and strive to achieve mutually 

beneficial expectations. For the Net-Gener, this means 

coming to the realization that they probably won’t 

become superstars in the workplace overnight. At the 

same time, employers must understand the Net-Geners 

expect to receive challenging assignments shortly after 

arriving onboard, to be recognized for achievement, 

and to be paid for performance. Growing up on the 

go, Net-Geners have been steered to maximize their 

time, particularly with parental influence and guidance, 

and may not have learned how to set work priorities 

themselves. 22 They believe they can do it all and expect 

managers to feel the same. 23 

Fame and fortune are high on the list of Net-Geners’ 

personal goals. In a January 2007 report from the Pew 

Research Center, 81% of 18 to 25 year olds polled said 

that getting rich is their generation’s most, or second 

most, important life goal; 51% said the same about becoming famous. 24Money, in fact, is by far their biggest 

problem, with 30% citing financial concerns as their top 

worry. 25 Net-Geners may earn more than their parents 

did, but their earnings have less purchasing power. Additionally, many do not have health care coverage and 

may come into the workplace carrying more educational debt than any previous generation. 26 While the Net 

Generation may view getting rich as their own generation’s top goal, it is not always a top response in workrelated surveys. One of their personal top drivers when 

job hunting is the need to feel as though they are making a difference, according to both nGenera Insight research and surveys commissioned by the Council for 

Excellence in Government. 

Managing in the Net-Gen World (Figure 5.2) will 

take more time, and perhaps more patience. NetGeners will expect more feedback, more often, both 

to recognize their accomplishments and to help them 

move to the next stage in their work project. While they 

will want flexibility in how they do their work, they also 

need structured accountability and deadlines. Routine 

meetings will bore them and the formality, slow speed, 

and repetitiveness of government bureaucracy, will 

frustrate them. It will be important to educate them 

in the reasons for procedures, processes, and the 

repetitiveness of some tasks. Additionally, expect 

there to be give-and-take on communications. Older 

managers will need exposure to the greater efficiencies 

from text messaging and wiki collaboration, while 

younger workers will need tutelage on the need for 

documentation to meet statutory and regulatory 

requirements as well as verification that they can 

adequately judge the credibility of online sources of 

information. 27 

In their quest to succeed, Net-Geners will be looking 

for genuine mentoring. This is a generation that when 

asked to write about someone they respect, often 

selects their own parents. They respect the knowledge 

that others have to share, and while they may overplay 

their own assets, they do not underplay the skill sets that 

older generations have. The challenge for coaching this 

generation will be to know when they need supervision 

and when they need growing room and to make time 

to help them improve. 

Net-Geners are also used to being heard. They will want 

to share their ideas with senior leaders and decisionmakers. Organizations would do well to determine 

how to balance protocol and openness to ensure they 

do not stifle the creativity and energy that the Net 

Generation will bring to the workplace. At the same 

time, Net-Geners may need some mentoring on office 

politics and the chain of command. There is a place 

for both protocol and openness, but the balance is 

starting to tilt toward the Net-Geners as organizational 

hierarchies begin to flatten under the positive weight 

of collaboration. 

As the Net Generation is integrated into the workplace, 

managers and leaders may discover more similarities 

than differences among all four working generations. 

Also, “cuspers,” those at the beginning or ending 

years of a generation, may possess a mix of norms, 

characteristics and values, based on their upbringing 

and other influences in their lives. The end goal is to 

help teammates of different generations find common 

ground, mutual appreciation, and respect. 

Net-Gen World 

They don’t want to be labeled.
 

They want continuous feedback and recognition.
 

They value genuine mentoring.
 

They want autonomy, responsibility, and challenges.
 

They need structured accountability.
 

They’re not interested in “paying their dues.”
 

They’re used to having their opinions heard.
 

They’re used to group/team problem solving.
 

They expect high tech/constant stimulation.
 

They’re used to living in a 24/7 environment.
 

Figure 5.2 The Net-Gen World 

40 
In the 1960s Baby Boomers famously popularized the phrase, 

“don’t trust anyone over 30.” In 

general, the Boomers were antiestablishment, and did not want to 

conform to society’s norms. Trusting anyone over 30 was seen as 

conforming. I was recently asked, 

“If the Boomers’ motto was don’t 

trust anyone over 30, then what is 

Generation Y’s motto?” Without 

much thought I blurted out, “Get 

as many people over 30 in your 

corner as you can. Learn from 

them. And do it better.” 28 

RYAN HEALY THE BRAZEN CAREERIST BLOG 

opportunities 

and challenges 

of a multi-generational 

workforce 

In anticipation of the shifting balance among the generations at work, many prominent thought 

leaders and professional organizations have been examining the dynamics of the workforce of the 

future. Through generation-focused research from nGenera Insight, Gartner, Forrester, the Society for 

Human Resource Management and others, the future workforce can be characterized as: 

•	 More diverse, as measured by ethnicity, age, race, religion, family background, sexual orientation, 

geographic location and global connectivity, language ability, and disability 

•	 Less immersed in work and desiring more work/life flexibility 

•	 Technologically-savvy and having good collaboration skills 

The implications of bringing such shifting behaviors and values into the workplace are significant. 

Transitioning the workplace to a multi-generational work environment is the focus of this chapter. 

43 
GENERATIONAL DIVERSITY 


Age is no longer strictly a number, but has become a 

much more complex factor in managing the generation mix. Just as financial experts tout portfolio diversity as a hedge against economic uncertainty, generational diversity is important to sustain stability and 

stimulate innovation in a multi-functional workplace. 

As discussed previously in Chapter 2, each generation 

typically has different turnover patterns which should 

be managed through targeted workforce planning and 

cross-development of skill sets. At the same time, each 

generation is likely to have different work patterns, skill 

sets, and life experiences. Organizations which focus 

on inclusiveness and value the qualities and uniqueness of each individual can create an environment that 

encourages teamwork and innovation. And, perhaps 

most important, when viewing diversity within a business case structure, diverse teams deliver better results 

by bringing different perspectives to problem solving. 1 

GENERATIONALLY SPEAKING - ATTITUDES AND 

EXPECTATIONS 

Employees of each generation have their own life 

experiences that have helped shaped their perceptions 

as shown in Table 6.1. It is important to be aware of 

these differences and to understand how the different 

attitudes and expectations of a multi-generational 

workforce interplay. Managers who can embrace these 

differences will be in a better position to connect with 

employees. The challenge will be understanding, but 

not stereotyping, the differences. 

EMPLOYING CHANGE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 


Adjusting to the changing representation of several 

generations in the workplace is similar to the processes 

undertaken to redesign an existing organization, or 

to the more complex undertaking of blending two 

workforce cultures together as part of a merger or 

acquisition. The major difference is the timeline for 

execution. Federal IT organizations that understand 

basic change management practices and how to 

implement them, may be more adept at managing the 

cultural transition to an effective, multi-generational 

workplace. 

Any change in the work environment offers both opportunities and challenges, although inevitably, the 

people affected by change seem to focus on the challenges. The negative perception of change is true in 

any business setting, be it government (federal, state 

and/or local), private industry, not-for-profit enterprises, trade associations, independent consultant services, and so on. Leaders who understand these dynamics 

and take the appropriate management steps are key to 

the organization successfully adapting to, accomplishing, or implementing change. 

Ideally, leaders, managers, supervisors, and team leads 

have already begun to recognize, understand, and 

adapt to generational changes in the federal IT workforce. The reality, however, is that workforce planners 

and managers have only recently become aware of the 

growing diversity among the members of the workforce, and the scope of the changes that its youngest 

members may bring to workforce attitudes, expectations, and work habits. Effective IT leaders will need to 

address the changes occurring through: 

Active and Open Communication - IT leaders must 

actively and openly communicate with their teams 

to raise everyone’s awareness of potential workforce 

friction and workplace environment changes as they 

develop over time. The primary goal is to inform, address questions, dispel fear, and alleviate concerns that 

individuals may have; and how they may contribute 

constructively to change. Increased communication regarding the varying attitudes, expectations, and styles 

each generation may bring to the workplace; how each 

generation learns and communicates; commonalities 

and distinctions in how they view and accomplish work; 

the competencies and experiences each brings to the 

table; and how the current team members can get involved set the stage to most effectively manage such 

challenges. 

Hands-on Execution of Change - It is important to 

engage all generations during major organizational 

changes. Each generation brings particular expertise 

to the table, and also, may assimilate changes differently. Younger, more technically-savvy workers who 

demonstrate the ability to interject greater efficiency 

through technological solutions can provide training 

on these capabilities, while longer-term employees 

bring extensive corporate knowledge, including culture, process, and statutory/regulatory requirements. 

Managers must be able to guide/facilitate each change 

process; be available and open to feedback, questions, 

and concerns; and aid their team in working through 

any issues which may arise along the way. 

Periodic Assessments - Creating an atmosphere and 

an attitude of inclusion is not a one-time event. Managers will need to remain available to hear about and take 

action on unhealthy dynamics, to lead periodic team 

discussions or conduct periodic evaluations of the work 

environment, and to follow through to resolve situations as they arise. 

44 
Age bias, whether toward the old or the young can be very real. Beyond stereotypes 

and age-related humor are management practices that are not inclusive, and 

negatively impact workforce performance. Barriers to older workers may include 

not considering them for potential advancement, not keeping their skill sets current 

through professional development, and, either not considering them for a job hire 

to begin with, or not crafting recruitment or retention incentives that speak to their 

individualized needs. For younger individuals, the concern is that age-based (i.e., 

years of experience) rigid recruiting requirements can prevent them from being 

considered for a job, or, if hired, that as “new kids on the block,” they cannot get 

a seat at the table to get their views heard. 

Baby Millennials or 

Greatest Generation Boomers Gen-X Net-Gen 

Age 64–84 45–63 32–44 19–31 

Population 75 million 78 million 45 million 80 million 

Key Characteristics Pragmatic Value-driven Cynical Tech-savvy & Diverse 

Conservative Priority on Media-savvy Media-saturated 

Conformists Self-actualization Individualistic Fluid Lifestyle 

Defining Events Great Depression Berlin Wall Up Berlin Wall Falls Columbine, VA Tech 

World War II JFK, MLK, RFK Shot Challenger OK City & 9/11 

Korean War Watergate OJ Simpson GWOT 

Vietnam First Gulf War Corporate Scandals 

Key Values Accountability Fulfillment Freedom Diversity 

Tradition Indulgence Reality Flexibility 

Stability Balance Self-reliance Empowerment 

Equality Work/Life 

Balance 

Service-oriented 

Table 6.1 Understanding the Generations Through Life-Defining Events 

45 
Pre-Boomer Boomer Gen X Net-Gen 

Satisfaction with Employers 85% 74% 77% 79% 

Satisfaction with Jobs 76% 71% 70% 74% 

Willing to Go the Extra Mile 81% 81% 77% 72% 

Pride in Working for Employer 89% 79% 81% 85% 

Fairly Compensated 61% 53% 53% 55% 

Table 6.2 Generational Satisfaction Levels
 

(Source: Sirota Survey Intelligence as reported in HR Magazine)
 

THE MATURE WORKFORCE 

Pre-Boomers are loyal, have seniority, and generally 

hold positions of authority. Their perspectives were 

formed by a time of great financial struggle in the Depression and the advent of World War II, which mobilized the entire country, both at home and on the battlefield to work for victory. Boomers grew up during a 

period of radical change, including racial integration, 

the Women’s Movement, organized rebellion to war, 

and impeachment of the President. They know how 

to pay their dues, compete with cohorts, and struggle 

through corporate and government downsizing. 

More mature workers typically prefer more structure in 

the work environment and are comfortable with directive, chain of command leadership. They also are more 

likely to understand the big picture and specific agency 

missions due to their longer association with an organization. They contribute corporate knowledge to all facets of work, including a historical perspective of which 

policies and corporation actions have worked as well 

as the rationale for prior decisions. Boomers typically 

value teamwork. 

Employee attitude surveys conducted by Sirota Survey 

Intelligence (specialists in attitude research) in 2006– 

2007 support these characterizations of the mature 

workforce. The surveys found that while stereotypes 

still exist, increasingly employers understand the value 

that older workers bring to the workplace. They have 

significant work experience, organizational and historical knowledge, possess a strong work ethic, and provide excellent customer service. 2 Survey results also 

revealed Pre-Boomers have a higher level of satisfaction, pride, and willingness to go the extra mile for their 

jobs; in addition, of all the generations, “they feel their 

skills are best utilized and they are best able to understand the larger picture of how their job connects to 

the overall goals of the company.” 3 Table 6.2 illustrates 

generational job satisfaction levels. 4 

Federal agencies would benefit by examining the demographics of their management teams and projecting potential gaps created by their retiring workers. 

For those who intend to leave, mentoring opportunities should be arranged so that more mature workers 

can share their knowledge and experience before they 

retire. Additionally, organizations should consider succession planning for high potentials and determine 

whether their development can be accelerated. For 

those who might stay on, retention may hinge on looking past prior experience and career aspirations and 

determining what each individual wants to do and enjoys doing now. 

Retirement as a concept continues to change. Rather 

than the sharp drop in productivity and prestige that 

came with traditional retirement, now retirement may 

look like gradual downshifting, with meaningful workplace productivity continuing well into the 70s, or a 

continued ramp up with a second burst of productivity 

and career growth in another field as described by Tamara Erickson in her book, Retire Retirement. 

5 In either 

case, Boomers will be interested in continued professional development to maintain proficiency or obtain 

new skills. 

GENERATION X 

Gen-Xers grew up as societal free agents, and are very 

individualistic when compared to the team-centric 

Net-Geners. They are “the latchkey generation,” the 

first to typically have two working parents and a 50/50 

chance of being from a divorced household, resulting 

in less childhood supervision. 6 Additionally, because 

their parents came of age during a time of great social unrest, many do not have strong affiliations to large 

institutions, whether they are government, academic, 

religious, corporate, or political in nature. 7 During their 

most formative work years, Gen X has seen extreme 

hiring and firing trends; first, Boomers getting pink 

slips in the 1980s as corporate loyalty faded away, then 

the opportunities presented by the low unemployment 

years in the 1990s, followed by the dot.com bust, and 

the more recent recession. As a result of so much instability, Gen X constantly monitors organizational climate 

and career opportunities. They are the ultimate contingency planners, ready to hop to the next job if their job 

situation sours; many have a backup plan at all times. 8 

46 
Generational Attitudes Toward Work 

Pre-Boomers Work hard because it’s the right thing to do 

Baby Boomers Work hard because it defines you, and you can make a difference 

Generation X 

Net Generation 

Table 6.3 Defining “Work Values”
 

(Source: Organizational Renewal Associates)
 

Gen-Xers are flexible and adaptable by nature. Having 

learned to rely on themselves to land on their feet, 

in business they can be independent thinkers, willing 

to break the rules, and possessing a high tolerance 

for risk; these attributes can serve them well in 

entrepreneurial roles. 9 Additionally, since they are not 

typically “joiners,” Gen X may prefer solo projects 

rather than team assignments. Although their average 

tenure on a job is three years, they are more likely 

to stay longer with organizations that tap into their 

creativity and entrepreneurial spirit by offering them 

ongoing opportunities to learn and add value to the 

organization. 

In size, Generation X is sandwiched between two 

substantially larger generations. One HR blogger, 

Kris Dunn, referred to Generation X as the middle 

child, through a Brady Bunch metaphor: “We are Jan 

Brady—compliant and serviceable, but never featured 

on the cover of the brochure. It’s always about Marcia 

(the Boomers) or Cindy (Gen Y).” 10 Yet, managers 

also need to focus on that middle-child generation, 

grooming them for increased responsibility, targeting 

them for recruitment and retention, and valuing their 

independent nature. 

NET GENERATION 

The Net Generation, discussed more in depth in Chapter 5, has witnessed major, inexplicable violent acts 

such as the high school shootings at Columbine, the 

more recent killings at Virginia Tech, and workplace 

bombings in Oklahoma City, the World Trade Center, 

and the Pentagon. Additionally, they have seen business scandals, such as the corruption at Enron, and the 

recent implosion of major financial institutions, as significant influencers on their parents. These life-defining 

events have influenced a “live for today” spirit, which 

when combined with the longer time they are expected 

to be in the workforce, allows them to make their 20s a 

period of great exploration, particularly if they have the 

security blanket of parental support. 11 There is some 

speculation, by both researchers and Gen X bloggers, 

that when more of the Net Generation starts having 

children, their “restlessness” may ease. And, while 

Work hard so then you can play hard 

Work hard at work that has meaning 

some labor studies have predicted the Net Generation 

will hold many jobs in their life time, more recent studies of this generation imply that they would prefer to 

work for fewer organizations, but to have more opportunity for growth, with the option for internal lateral or 

vertical moves. 12 

WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS 

Even with differing life experiences, fundamentally, 

many individuals in the workplace have similar job desires, no matter what their generation. For the most 

part, the job needs to be well-paying, with interesting 

work. It needs to provide them with opportunities for 

both professional and personal growth, as well as a 

path for advancement. Leadership within the organization must be supportive, credible, and behave with 

integrity, providing recognition for a job well done. 

Where expectations differ is in how these desires are 

prioritized, the balance between work and home life, 

and the way work is viewed. Table 6.3 provides a description of generational attitudes toward work, which 

was presented at the Association of Government Accountants’ Sixth Annual National Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. 13 

Values are different from behaviors, however, and it is 

the understanding of these behavioral differences that 

will be of great help to managers. For example, while 

all generations believe in working hard, the perception of hard work differs. Pre-Boomers are more likely 

to equate hard work to being physically present, and 

perhaps even being present long after “normal” work 

hours are over; this has been referred to colloquially as 

“butt in chair” or “BIC.” 14 Boomers expect significant 

BIC, combined with other forms of visible presence, including meeting attendance and teamwork activities. 

On the other hand, neither Gen X nor the Net-Gen link 

hard work to physical presence in the office. This can 

understandably cause friction as Net-Geners and Gen X 

push for more flexibility and balance in the workplace. 

Federal managers will be challenged to change the current culture and form new measures of accountability 

and productivity that will satisfy organizational and individual needs. 

47 

management 

and 

employee 

engagement 

Management studies have shown that corporate culture has a significant impact on organizational 

productivity. Thus, corporate culture influences not only the Net Generation, but all individuals 

in an organization. The U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), in “The Power of Federal 

Employee Engagement,” echoed many of the same themes discussed in Chapter 5 on creating a 

positive work experience, applying those themes across the entire federal workforce. The MSPB 

report focused on six factors which contribute to federal employee engagement (as shown in 

Table 7.1 on page 50), and highlighted the significant role of the first-line supervisor in employee 1 engagement. Managers intent on improving agency performance and productivity need to ensure 

their first-line supervisors are up to the task of supervising a diverse workforce. This may require 

retraining or reassigning individuals who have not been given the appropriate tools or who do not 

possess the necessary attributes and skill sets to excel as supervisors. Equally important, given the 

expected increasing turnover as more senior individuals retire, it means identifying potential future 

supervisors or team leads and giving them opportunities to practice and develop these skill sets. 

The goal is to develop managers with a broad level of self-engagement, who are good at personal 

interactions, value employee career development, and appropriately recognize their achievements. Additionally, organizations need to ensure individuals have the proper workplace tools to 

succeed, with more flexible work processes. These activities, coupled with continuous methods for 

feedback and recognition, can foster high individual, workgroup, and organizational performance. 

In December 2009, a final rule was issued in the Federal Register to implement changes to 5 CFR 

Parts 410 and 412, regarding agency training programs and supervisory, management, and executive level training. These amendments, effective immediately, were spearheaded by the Office of 

Personnel Management (OPM) and include requirements for agencies to train new managers in 

supervisory positions on mentoring, employee development, conducting performance reviews, 

and dealing with poor performers; periodic training for managers is now also required at least 

every three years. 2 

49 
Engagement Contributors 

Pride in One’s Work or Workplace 

Satisfaction with Leadership 

Opportunity to Perform Well at Work 

Satisfaction with the Recognition Received 

Prospect for Future Personal and Professional Growth 

Positive Work Environment with 

Some Focus on Teamwork 

Table 7.1 What Engages Federal Employees 

(Source: U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board) 

COMMUNICATING THE VISION
 

All organizations can benefit by having a vibrant, visionary workplace. Although most government organizations have a vision statement, fewer live their vision on 

a daily basis, have communicated it adequately, and, 

of paramount importance to the Net Generation, show 

current or potential employees how they personally 

contribute to the vision and mission. nGenera Insight 

research suggests that the Net Generation responds 

to “signature experiences” that align corporate values 

and actions with their own values. 3 Thus, organizations 

whose vision is not authentic, or not easily discernible, 

may find it harder to recruit, engage, and retain NetGeners. 

In May 2007, the Council for Excellence in Government 

and the Gallup Organization published a report based 

on survey and focus group results which explored the 

attractiveness of federal employment. Among the data 

was the respondents’ rated awareness of 25 federal 

organizations and their interest in working at these 

various federal agencies and organizations. Only 7 of 

the 25 agencies evoked high awareness or high interest 

from the respondents. 4 This may be a problem for the 

federal organizations which evoked low interest and/ 

or awareness, as they collectively employ over 30%, or 

31,000 members of the Major Federal IT Community. 

More recent research suggests that the timing is 

right to engage today’s youth in government service. 

Another May 2008 report by the Council for Excellence 

in Government stated that while 60% of today’s youth 

have never been asked to consider working for the 

government, many would consider it if influencers such 

as their parents, teachers, peers, or the newly elected 5 President asked it of them. Additionally, government 

organizations have been appearing on the top ten list 

of ideal employers for college, as show in Table 7.2. 6,7Of 

the government organizations cited in Table 7.2, NASA, 

the FBI, the CIA, and the U.S. Department of State 

were rated in the May 2007 Council for Excellence in 

Government report as very interesting places to work, 

with NASA, CIA and Department of Justice also scoring 

high in awareness of agency mission. (The Peace Corps 

and Teach for America were not part of the 2007 survey 

on government employment). It is interesting to note 

the lack of government organizations in the 2009 top 

ten list of ideal employers; this may indicate a downshift 

in federal employment awareness activities. 

As organizations look to increase awareness and 

engagement, their own website can be a good starting 

point. Government websites are often not enticing 

visually; they can be cumbersome to navigate; and few 

make a strong, conscious attempt to connect to the 

viewer, provide a sense of “corporate culture,” or to tie 

their workforce to the mission. That can be a problem, 

since most likely, that website will be a Net-Gener’s 

first and, perhaps, last impression of the organization. 

And should there be information that a Net-Gener 

wanted to bookmark or share, appropriate information 

sharing technology tools are often either rudimentary or 

noticeably absent. 

CIO organizations should be keenly aware that their 

agency’s website, as well as their use of current social 

media, are really, in a sense, their own calling card to the 

Net Generation IT workforce on whether their agency 

is an interesting place to work and how technology is 

being used within the organization. Some of the more 

savvy organizations in industry and government are now 

creating a “brand” for themselves as well as establishing 

a presence on social networking sites. Activities 

may include posting job applications, but for many 

organizations these sites also provide an opportunity to 

create organizational awareness among the passive job 

seekers. Since passive job seekers are the vast majority 

of the talent pool, this can be an effective marketing 

tool, if properly managed; only a small percentage of 

the labor market is actively seeking a job on the major 

job market sites at any given time. 

50 
2007 2008 2009 

1. Google 1. Google 1. Ernst & Young 

2. Walt Disney 2. Walt Disney 2. Google 

3. Apple 3. Apple 3. PricewaterhouseCoopers 

4. U.S. Department of State 4. Ernest & Young 4. Walt Disney 

5. Peace Corps 5. U.S. Department of State 5. Deloitte 

6. CIA 6. Goldman Sachs 6. KPMG 

7. PricewaterhouseCoopers 7. Deloitte 7. Apple 

8. Microsoft 8. Peace Corps 8. J.P. Morgan 

9. FBI 9. NASA 9. Goldman Sachs 

10. Teach for America 10. PricewaterhouseCoopers 10. Nike 

Table 7.2 College Senior List of Ideal Employers 

(Source: Universum Communications) 

JOB FIT
 

Matching the right person to a real job requires work, 

however, a good person-to-job fit can improve employee engagement, decrease turnover, and improve 

overall agency productivity when the individual is wellsuited to perform the job. Agencies need to identify the 

competencies, types of work assignments, and team 

roles to be performed and whether they should recruit 

to specialized technical skills, to generalist capabilities, 

or to hire “versatilists,” a term Gartner, a leading research and advisory firm, uses to describe individuals 

with deep skills as well as a broad scope of job roles and 8 experience. They also need be able to identify the level 

of experience, skills, and capabilities required, and as 

mentioned previously in Chapter 3, to realize the costs, 

tradeoffs, and attainability of those requirements when 

in a tight labor market. Finally, government agencies, in 

particular, need to examine their position descriptions 

and to write them with a level of simplification and clarity that make them understandable not only by agency 

insiders, but also Human Resources (HR) specialists and 

potential job applicants outside of government. 

While a Net-Gener may not currently have the depth 

of skills and experience to be a versatilist, the concept 

of developing into one could be very appealing to this 

generation. It appeals to their desire to master more 

than one skill set and not be pigeon-holed into a narrow, 

pre-defined career. Additionally, the desire and trend 

for having employees with both IT and business skills 

is becoming more prevalent within the CIO community. 

ENHANCING THE HIRING PROCESS
 

The federal hiring process is imbued with challenges 

to overcome and continues to be cited in numerous 

publications as a potential obstacle to attracting talent 

for federal employment. The Partnership for Public 

Service detailed many of these issues in two 2008 

reports: “Road to Reform, A Management Framework 

for the Next Administration,” and “Elevating Our 

Federal Workforce; Chief Human Capital Officers Offer 

Advice to President Obama.” And, OPM continues its 

work to improve the process. 

Rather than concentrate on large scale systems and 

processes that could require significant retooling across 

government, CIO organizations should focus on two 

areas where they can have impact: the relationship they 

have with the HR community and their own role in the 

hiring process. Creating a strong partnership with HR 

can help in determining strategies on job marketing, 

compensation and the best use of hiring flexibilities, 

including, but not limited to, those discussed in 

Chapter 10. Additionally, HR is a partner in qualifying 

candidates for interviewing. Getting to the interview 

stage, and conducting meaningful interviews, are where 

an agency can go astray by taking too long to identify 

candidates for interview, not creating a structured 

interview process or by allowing unskilled individuals 

to conduct the interview. Interviewing is a skill worth 

honing, particularly with the Net Generation. 

51 
During the interview/hire process, interviewers should individual/team roles and responsibilities; organization 

clarify the mission, functions, and tasks of the organi­ strategy, charter, mission, and goals; and management 

zation, and the specific duties and responsibilities the philosophy and standards. The challenge is to meld 

applicant would be expected to fulfill. Ideally, they are necessary content with context, particularly for the 

providing the type of information that might help as- new Net-Geners in the workplace, but also for any 

piring applicants understand what a “day-in-the-life” of new employee. Individuals need to understand how 

the job may be, and how their role would fit into the the work gets done, where to go to get help, who it is 

bigger picture. While interviewers should be assessing important to meet and how each individual will inform 

how the individual may fit the organization, they must their social network. Early focus on acculturation can 

also allow ample time to answer questions the individ­ harness the enthusiasm of typical Net-Geners, who are 

ual may have. keen to get started right away to make an impact and 

to be recognized for their contributions. 

The MSPB recommends using a structured interview 

process and work sample assessments to create a Managers will play a key role in integrating the new 

best fit between potential applicants and an agency. 9 employee into the organization. They should be comBehavior-based interviews, which can provide insight fortable discussing their expectations of the employee 

on desired soft skill requirements, can be targeted to and should be equally comfortable asking the employaddress areas such as judgment, decisiveness, flexibil­ ee what his or her expectations of the job are. This 

ity, negotiation, risk taking, values and ethics, problem give-and-take is important to Net-Geners. It is also 

solving skills, interpersonal relationships, and people important to realize that the timeframe to expect full 

management, whereas open-ended questions, asked productivity from employees can be several months. 

of all applicants, are tied to specific desired behaviors, This is a critical time to ensure that Net-Gen employees 

with benchmarked responses. While it takes time to are receiving frequent feedback on their performance 

develop the questions and train the interviewers, be- and that they are, in fact, forming the networks that can 

havioral interviewing, which is based on actual past per- help them optimize their performance. 

formance rather than hypothetical situations, has been 

found to be significantly more effective at predicting Finally, understanding that both processes and people 

on-the-job performance. 10 form the basis of a successful on-boarding program, 

organizations should take a hard look at their current 

procedures, and the individuals who typically carry 

ON-BOARDING NEW EMPLOYEES out the on-boarding processes and conduct periodic 

reviews to ensure the on-boarding experience is fresh 

Both the hiring and on-boarding processes should be and relevant. Areas to scrutinize include: 

designed to provide the right start to new employees 

of all generations, including bringing them into an • Does each new employee get a quality introducagency’s culture as quickly as possible. Near term, a tion to the organization? 

positive experience will form the basis of the employees’ 

full integration into the multi-generational workplace. • Do new employees get one-on-one conversations 

Longer term, it will provide new employees the tools with key staff personnel? 

they need for success, and potentially influence their 

future retention as well. • Do employees understand the agency mission 

and their role in fulfilling that mission? 

The on-boarding process has to balance among the 

necessary, but mundane activities such as administra- • Are employees made to feel as though they are 

tive paperwork, credentialing and security, and more valued and their career goals supported and 

complex activities such as individual sponsorship (a attainable? 

concept the U.S. military uses by assigning each newly 

reporting individual a sponsor from the command) and • Is the program customizable to meet individual 

socializing employees to the workplace by introducing needs? 

them to the incumbent staff, touring the office spaces, 

and showing them the ropes. Ideally, equipment issue • Does someone track completion of the onboardand work area setup will have been performed before ing process and get feedback on how the agency 

the new employee’s arrival since encountering prob­ can improve it? 

lems with technology integral to job performance can 

be a turnoff to any generation. • Is the program structured to fulfill its objectives? 

The on-boarding process should be conducted in In May 2008, the Partnership for Public Service puban order and timeframe deemed most beneficial lished an excellent guide, “Getting On Board: A Model 

to provide information on policies and programs; for Integrating and Engaging New Employees,” which 

52 
The primary shift in managing the Net Generation is the move away from 

a generic set of people management practices to ones that are more 

user-focused and individually-customizable. Expectations of authentic 

relationships between employees and employers create pressure on 

leaders to demonstrate care and concern for particular employees. 

This new management reality requires leaders who interact differently 

with each employee, and work hard to understand young people’s 

personal aspirations and preferences, strengths and weaknesses, and 

informational needs. To lead the Net Generation effectively, managers 

will need to assume the roles of coach, educator, delegator, knowledge 

broker, resource allocator, and advocate. 11 

LISA CHEN AND IAN DA SILVA 

“ARCHITECTING THE FUTURE: NET GEN CAREER AND TALENT MANAGEMENT PROCESSES” 

can be found at www.ourpublicservice.org. This report For the Net Generation, the frequency of the feedback 

includes an on-boarding toolkit for managers and a is also very important. During a 2008 nGenera Insight 

model for the first year’s activities with a new employee. survey of over two thousand individuals in North America, respondents were asked how frequently they desired feedback from their managers. Figure 8.2 (page 

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 54) illustrates that the younger the individuals, the 

more frequently they wanted manager input on their 

The availability of professional development and ca- performance. This has two-fold implications for em­ 13 

reer management support is a key factor in employ- ployee supervisors or team leaders: more training may 

ees’ engagement, and ultimately, their retention. This be required for managers on performance manageis particularly true for both the Net Generation and ment techniques, and managing employees will take 

Generation X. Chapter 8 is dedicated to these topics, more time. 

providing more information on job experiences, coaching/mentoring, and formal learning. Managers who utilize a variety of leadership styles with 

employees will be better equipped to manage in a multigenerational performance management environment. 

MANAGING PERFORMANCE This includes consciously taking time to understand 

what is important to each generation, and particularly, 

Federal managers and supervisors have a responsibility to take time with individuals to appreciate their personal 

and an obligation to manage the performance of their and professional experiences, background, motivators, 

employees. Although all federal agencies have perfor- goals, and needs. All of this information can be used to 

mance management processes in place to guide them, develop an adaptive performance management style 

these are not always well executed. It could be fair to which will enable a manager to draw on the strengths 

say that some managers, whose personnel population of each generation represented on the team when 

is skewed to older, longer term employees, have been assigning individual or team tasks and projects. 

able to put their performance management practices 

on auto-pilot. This must change. Net-Geners entering 

the federal workplace will want more tangible feedback 

on what is expected of them, how they are performing, 

and how their performance is linked to their pay. 12 

53 
RECOGNITION
 

Since the Net Generation expects frequent and timely 

feedback on job performance, organizations will need 

to become more adaptive, relying much less on formal, 

scheduled, semi-annual performance reviews and the 

once-a-year, cash award performance recognition model 

that is so often employed. Creating a more dynamic 

and personalized awards system will resonate with the 

Net Generation. Getting to know them and what they 

value will require more awareness and communication 

within an organization, while actually involving them in 

the creative process of restructuring an agency’s award 

program could yield unexpected innovativeness. Within 

the more traditional federal award opportunities, the 

three discussed below may warrant increased utilization 

to recognize Net Generation accomplishments. 

TIME-OFF AWARDS 


Using an Individual Time-Off Award for personal work 

accomplishments, or a Group Time-Off Award for collaborative work, can be a viable way to increase NetGeners’ personal, paid time away from the job and provide positive, tangible recognition to a generation of 

workers who thrive on performance feedback. 

The Time-Off Award program is highly flexible. Agencies are empowered to determine administration details including the approval authority, the number of 

days which can be awarded, and the timeframe for 

award utilization. Additionally, a Time-Off Award can 

be combined with other types of awards. A cash bonus 

of $100 and a day off could be part of an informal quarterly recognition system which easily could be administered within an organization. 

Use of the Time-Off program accounted for 19% of 

annual performance awards conferred by the Federal 

Government in FY2007. 14 The average federal Individual 

Time-Off Award in FY2007 was slightly more than two 

days (17.7 hours) in length. 15 The Department of the 

Treasury had the highest average award at 34.3 hours, 

and the Social Security Administration had the lowest 

average at 2.3 hours. Among the Federal CIO Council members, the Department of the Air Force had the 

highest usage rate and the U.S. Department of State 

and General Services Administration had the lowest usage rates. Group awards, another option, accounted 

for less than 20% of time-off awards, with an average 

award of 9.5 hours. 16 This could change as the more 

collaborative, team-oriented Net Generation enters the 

workforce in greater numbers. Appendix E contains aggregate Agency Time-Off award usage for FY2007, the 

latest data reported by OPM. 

SUGGESTION/INVENTION AWARDS
 

The Net Generation thrives on innovation and collaboration and will be positively motivated by managers 

who listen to their suggestions. Creating an innovative 

culture starts from the top, down, requiring a supportive physical and technological work environment, an 

embracement of risk management, and the systematic 

recognition of results. Only 40% of respondents to the 

2008 Federal Human Capital Survey felt that innovation and creativity were rewarded in their organization. 17 

Figure 7.2 Desired Feedback Frequency from Managers 

(Source: 2008 nGenera Insight Survey) 

Net Generation Do Not Need Feedback 10% 

Annually 8% 

Quarterly 19% 

Monthly 24% 

Daily or Weekly 39% 

Generation X Do Not Need Feedback 15% 

Annually 11% 

Quarterly 23% 

Monthly 23% 

Daily or Weekly 30% 

Boomers Do Not Need Feedback 23% 

Annually 14% 

Quarterly 17% 

Monthly 21% 

Daily or Weekly 25% 

54 
Their viewpoint is supported by annual award data. In 

FY2007, less than 0.3 % of all annual federal awards were 

given for suggestions or inventions, either individual or 

group-initiated. The average award was $406, and the 

Department of Defense awarded 75% of all awards. 18 

Federal Chief Information Officers, tasked to implement 

the Web 2.0 wave of technological innovation, should 

embrace this award category and ensure their voice 

is heard when agency awards budgets are created. 

Over $1.5 billion was awarded in individual and group 

performance cash awards in FY2007 versus $2.3 million 

for suggestions and inventions.19 

VOLUNTEERISM - OPPORTUNITIES AND 

RECOGNITION 

The Net Generation was raised to value service time 

given in support of a local, regional, or national 

effort. Many were first introduced to this concept 

as a school or scouting compulsory project, and 

then continued to volunteer on their own time. Their 

predisposition for volunteering and desire to give 

back can be accommodated with their work schedule 

by allowing individuals to participate in an alternative 

work schedule or to schedule time off for volunteer 

activities (as discussed at www.opm.gov). Recognition 

of volunteerism can be done within an agency award 

program (cash awards are discouraged by OPM) 

or through the President’s Volunteer Service Award 

program (www.presidentialserviceawards.gov). There 

are four categories of presidential awards based on 

the number of service hours performed and a bronze 

award, the lowest award category, requires only 100 

or more hours of service. Using this program requires 

commitment from the federal agency to become 

a verifying organization and commitment from the 

individual to track volunteer hours accumulated. 

OTHER RECOGNITION OPPORTUNITIES
 

Organizations have the opportunity to get creative as 

they build a multi-faceted award program. Awards/ 

incentives could include: 

•	 A professional development quota valued by the 

individual 

•	 A unique mentoring opportunity, such as a 

scheduled office call with a senior manager of the 

employee’s choosing 

•	 An in-house, peer recognition program 

•	 A congratulatory letter or certificate presented by 

senior management 

•	 A framed artifact from a special project 

•	 Nomination for federal or industry-level 


recognition programs
 

•	 Supportive career transition training 

•	 Administrative time for early release on a special 

occasion 

•	 Media recognition of individual professional 


accomplishments 


Agencies should also look externally for other federal, 

industry, and professional recognition opportunities as 

they seek creative ways to tailor awards to individual 

needs and interests. 

RETAINING THE NET GENERATION
 

While it holds true for all generations, improving 

management and employee engagement is particularly 

important to retaining the Net Generation. If agencies 

do not create effective talent management programs 

that engage their employees, they are at risk for churn 

at both ends of the generational spectrum. Not only 

will they face the impending Baby Boomer retirements, 

but they will also face more rapid turnover among the 

younger workforce. 

Rather than shut them down, employers should put N-Geners in charge 

of resolving the technical, legal and 

cultural obstacles that currently inhibit Web 2.0 adoption. These new 

collaboration tools have enabled 

tremendous innovation on the public Internet, and properly supported 

and secured collaboration tools can 

also foster greater innovation, agility, and cross departmental collaboration in the public sector. 20 

ANTHONY D. WILLIAMS AND ALEXANDER TAPSCOTT 

“GOV 2.0 WIKINOMICS AND GOVERNMENT DEMOCRACY” 

55 

professional 

development 

and 

career management 

Aside from the Net Generation’s arrival to the IT workforce, new work processes, development 

methods, and changes in technology are pressuring traditional workforce development approaches 

to change. For the IT workforce, optimally, in order to keep pace with a dynamic, technology-driven 

environment, learning must take place throughout an employee’s working life. The Net Generation 

understands and embraces this model, while preceding work generations, those traditionally 

responsible for employee development, may still view work and learning as distinctly separate. These 

different viewpoints can cause friction between Net-Geners (who view on-the-job training (OJT) as 

integral to their jobs) and seasoned employees (who may view training as overhead with unquantifiable 

value to the organization). 

Although the Net Generation values one-on-one time and OJT, they also desire a clear, structured 1 means for professional development and career management. CIO organizations should create a 

professional development strategy for employees, establishing baseline skills and knowledge 

requirements, developmental methods, and opportunities designed to expand skills and knowledge. 

The challenge for organizations will be to provide a formal, yet customizable process for professional 

development and career management that not only aligns to the organization’s IT workforce vision 

but also satisfies the needs of both Net-Geners and more-experienced employees. 

57 
Leadership and 	 Creativity and Innovation 

Management	 External Awareness 

Flexibility 

Resilience 

Strategic Thinking 

Vision 

Conflict Management 

Leveraging Diversity 

Developing Others 

Team Building 

Accountability 

Customer Service 

Decisiveness 

Entrepreneurship 

Problem Solving 

Technical Credibility 

Financial Management 

Technology Management 

Partnering 

Political Savvy 

Influencing 

Negotiating 

Technical Common Technical Competencies 

Subject Matter Expertise 

Fundamental	 Interpersonal Skills 

Oral Communication 

Public Service Motivation 

Integrity and Honesty 

Written Communications 

Continual Learning 

Table 8.1 Competency Building Blocks 

for the Net Generation 

COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT
 

Each federal employee is expected to achieve high 

performance in a number of personal and professional 

competencies. Table 8.1 displays the major building 

blocks in these competencies. There are fundamental competencies of benefit to all, the technical competencies associated with the individual’s career field 

and particular job, and leadership and management 

competencies developed by the Office of Personnel 

Management (OPM) as part of the Executive Core 

Qualifications (ECQs). The ECQs define those competencies needed to “build a federal corporate culture 

that drives for results, serves customers, and builds 

successful teams and coalitions within and outside 

the organization.” 2 There are five OPM ECQs: leading 

change, leading people, producing results, possessing 

business acumen and building coalitions. 3 While the 

level of ECQ development will deepen as individuals 

mature within the federal workplace, it is wise to begin 

consciously developing the next generation for new 

leadership roles as early as possible. This training may 

be particularly attractive to Net-Geners who are eager 

to make an impact. 

Training, education, and development opportunities 

that align to the ECQs can be included in employees’ 

Individual Development Plans (IDPs) as career-broadening opportunities and would be part of the employee’s long-term development options. 

INDIVIDUAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN
 

Working together, the supervisor and the Net-Gen 

employee should collaborate on an Individual Development Plan for the employee. The “wired” nature of 

the Net-Gen employee suggests that development 

programs for them should leverage technology and be 

varied in manner of presentation. 4 For the Net Generation, it will be normal to learn on the job as they work. 5 

Additionally, they may increasingly learn job functions 

through the use of simulation. 6 

A good IDP should address all aspects of an individual’s developmental needs and feature education, training, and work-based experiences. It should be flexible 

and adaptable over time, and should include opportunities to develop functional occupational, technical, 

business and leadership competencies. In the short 

term, the focus should be on training that supports the 

Net-Gener’s ability to acclimate to the agency and federal culture and on the skills necessary to complete his 

or her work responsibilities. This may include some fundamental training for those new to the working world in 

areas such as manners, social skills, professional dress, 

IT etiquette, and basic communications skills. 7,8 Additionally, there may be a need for leadership to clarify 

workplace expectations. This can pay off since NetGeners are good at following rules as long as they understand the rationale. 9 

To build the IDP, the supervisor might ask the following questions of their Net-Geners, which were adapted 

from the Department of the Navy’s “Civilian Career 

Path Guide for Management of Technology, Information, and Knowledge Workers”: 

•	 What are you very good at and what do you enjoy 

doing? 

•	 In your current position, which types of assignments do you most enjoy? 

•	 What do you envision as your career path? What 

is your ultimate goal? What milestones do you 

see along the way? 

58 
•	 What education, courses, and/or training will help 

move you toward your vision and goals? 

• How do you like to learn new skills? 

And, because with the Net Generation, the supervisor 

becomes a partner in the achievement of the goals, 

another question to ask would be “And how can I 

help you achieve these goals?” The answers to these 

questions will help shape the scope of the IDP, and the 

education and training opportunities contained within. 

For members of the 2210 community, an additional tool 

exists to help identify both general and technical competency recommendations by IT Specialist parenthetical titles, enabling users to build personal career progression plans for needed competencies. This tool, the 

IT Roadmap, is sponsored by the Federal CIO Council 

and located at http://itroadmap.usalearning.gov. 

TRAINING THROUGH WORK-BASED 

EXPERIENCES 

Agencies will want to use a mixture of training tools, 

applying different technologies where they fit best to 

create an integrated, flexible learning experience to 

handle the Net-Geners’ need for personalization. In 

a recent survey of the Net Generation by nGenera Insight, OJT ranked highest as the preferred method of 

job training, while pure lectures ranked close-to-last, as 

shown in Figure 8.2. These figures further validate the 

value that the Net Generation places on customizable, 

real-time activities. 10 

In addition to using OJT within the organization to learn 

aspects of one’s current job, there are other “hands-on” 

training opportunities for Net-Gen employees through 

internal rotational programs to broaden organizational 

knowledge and skills and external developmental details 

that may be used to develop a cross-agency perspective. 

Both types of developmental details are typically 3 

to 12 months in duration and usually occur when the 

individual is at least a GS-11 or equivalent. To be fully 

effective, the expectations of the rotational assignment 

or developmental detail and the responsibilities of both 

supervisors and participants must be clearly articulated 

in writing. 

Gartner, a leading IT research and 

advisory firm, states that as part of 

each organization’s effort to build 

bench strength performance, managers should provide IT employees with “OJT, the opportunity to 

work with new technologies and 

information, involvement in leading innovation, exposure to business and senior leaders, and the 

opportunity to work closely with 

other IT functions.” 11

Figure 8.2 Net-Gen View of Which Activites Provide Most Effective Training for Their Job 

(Source: 2008 nGenera Insight Survey) 

On-the-Job Training 

One-on-One Training 

Peer Mentoring 

Written Materials 

71% 

55% 

39% 

35% 

Group Activities 

Online Materials 

33% 

30% 

Online Classes 25% 

Lectures 21% 

Video 19% 

Video Games 8.5% 

None of These 7% 

59 
Mentor Benefits 

1. Renews their enthusiasm for the role of expert. 

2. Provides better understanding of barriers experienced by more junior individuals. 

3. Enhances skills in coaching, counseling, listening, and modeling. 

4. Provides practice in a more personal style of leadership. 

5. Enables them to demonstrate expertise and share knowledge. 

6. Increases generational awareness. 

Protege Benefits 

1. Enhances professional development. 

2. Increases career networks and enables greater agency exposure. 

3. Gains capacity to translate values and strategies into productive actions. 

4. Develops new or different perspectives. 

5. Obtains assistance with ideas. 

6. Solidifies strengths and explores potential. 

Table 8.2 Benefits of Traditional Mentoring 

(Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management) 

MENTORING
 

Mentoring provides another opportunity for one-onone training for the Net Generation through more personal, relationship-building activity. Participating in a 

traditional mentoring relationship, which usually entails 

a senior person mentoring a junior, can greatly benefit 

both parties, as shown in Table 8.2. 12 A more non-traditional mentoring relationship is developed in reverse 

mentoring, where a junior mentors a senior. This type 

of mentoring can be quite effective and is gaining in 

awareness as the Net Generation enters the workforce. 

Many of them possess greater IT knowledge and can 

outperform more senior generations in IT skills. Creating opportunities for them to share this knowledge 

within an agency can provide significant benefit to the 

organization and allows them to showcase their proficiency. 

OPM published a guide on mentoring best practices 

in September 2008. This guide, which serves as a comprehensive source for establishing a new mentoring 

program or improving a current program, and lists resources for mentoring, can be found at www.opm.gov. 

EDUCATION AND TRAINING PROGRAMS
 

As organizations build their professional development 

programs, and customize them to meet Net-Geners’ 

desires and occupational requirements, traditional 

methods of education and training may augmented 

with the non-traditional. In addition to formal training 

experiences, this generation may want to attend a 

virtual or physical conference, download webinars, or 

shadow a senior manager. Managers will need to work 

with their Net-Geners to craft training opportunities 

that meet everyone’s needs. 

Federal competitive development programs provide 

opportunities that may be attractive to the Net Generation. These include scholarship programs that lead 

to degrees, as well as government-sponsored courses 

and/or certificate programs. Typically such programs 

are centrally-funded at the federal or agency level, and 

acceptance into them is earned through a competitive 

application process. Examples include: 

•	 CIO University 

•	 National Defense University’s 

Information Resources Management College 

•	 OPM Regional Management 

Development Centers 

•	 Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service 

•	 DoD SMART and Information 

Assurance Scholarship Programs 

Agencies may also have their own competitive programs tailored to meet specific organizational requirements. Methods to fund training opportunities are included in Chapter 10. 

60 
leaders with both leadership and project management DEVELOPING TOMORROW’S TEAM LEADERS training will be useful. Another factor influencing potential success will be the previous experience indiWeb 2.0 technology is providing new tools that can viduals have in collaborative and leadership positions. 

foster collaboration, but developing effective team/ Traditionally, potential leadership indicators for young 

project leaders is equally important. The challenge is entrants to the workforce have included such factors as 

to find individuals who excel at both task-oriented work whether or not they had ever captained a team sport or 

and building relationships, and who can employ these held an authoritative position in student government. 

skills with large groups whose team members may be With today’s Net-Geners and Gen X, in addition to quegeographically separated and previously unknown to rying them about school activities, another question to 

each other. According to research conducted by Lynda ask may be whether or not they are computer gamers. 

Gratton and Tamara Erickson in “Eight Ways to Build 

Collaborative Teams,” the level of complexity associated For those who are not gamers, the analogy may be hard 

with collaborative team tasks is based on the presence to follow. Many Boomers might view gaming as a soliof several factors, and any two of them can cause a task tary effort between person and machine, with no applito be labeled as complex. These factors include the cability to leadership aptitude. Those individuals have 

size of the group, and whether input and agreement is not been dedicated participants in a Massively Multirequired from 20 or more people; whether the group player Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), where 

was formed specifically to complete the task; if the task a particular computer game, played collaboratively by 

requires skills outside the group or specialized input large groups of individuals who may have never met, 

from individuals outside the group; the level of pressure continually evolves over time. nGenera Insight and othassociated with achieving the team’s end result; the ers have researched the skills such players can bring 

level of uncertainty of events associated to the task; to the workforce as a result of their “virtual training.” 

whether success is dependent on understanding the For serious gamers, who work their way up through the 

requirements of individuals not in the group; as well as game hierarchy, there are strong skill parallels between 

whether the team members are located in two or more managing complex team projects in the workplace and 

geographical areas. 13 those required to excel as an MMORPG gamer, including strategic planning, resource management, risk manAs government organizations develop their leadership agement, personnel management, communications, 14,15 succession plans, providing prospective future team relationship building, and collaboration. 

...I’ve been gaming since freshman year in high school. I’m now maxed out, a level 40 at 

Warhammer. There are about 120 in my guild, which makes it mid-size...I’m the youngest; 

most are late 20s to 40s. Right now, I’m Vice President, the number 2 person...sure, it 

definitely builds leadership skills...Being successful at this game means getting to know 

people, getting to know who they are. We’ve got players from all over...a lot of West 

Coasters, a lot of Canadians, a Romanian...four married couples playing together. You’re 

working with people in your own guild, but you’re also building alliances with other guilds 

to get information you need to make strategic decisions. You have to have connections. 

You need to be able to consolidate sources of information, get the word out to others...I 

may be talking to 10 people at a time, texting, emailing, phoning...There’s a lot of complex 

coordination involved.... 

...My company’s name? No, don’t use it. I think we’re about to pull the plug... we wanted 

to help companies revision themselves, redesigning their websites, logos, business cards. 

Great idea...at least I think so...yeah, definitely bad timing with the economy...also, I just 

started college...probably won’t be gaming much either. 16 

ALEX WERRELL, 18, MMORPG GAMER, NET-GEN ENTREPRENEUR, YALE ‘13
 

61 

shaping 

the workplace 

through web 2.0 

technologies 

Web 2.0 has ushered in a new era of rapidly expanding content and information sharing capabilities. 

The collaborative capability achievable today through information technology has the potential to 

drive scientific discovery, innovation, and the financial bottom line in both the public and private 

sectors. Over time, Web 2.0 technologies will dramatically change the way organizations work 

internally and how they interact with their external customer base. 

The Net Generation understands intuitively the power of Web 2.0. They are the first cohort of young 

people to have been immersed in an interactive, hyper-stimulating, digital environment since birth, 

having “grown up digitally.” Sometimes referred to as “digital natives,” a term first coined by Marc 

Prensky in 2001, this generation has used technology for education and entertainment since they 

were toddlers and, as they got older, began virtually hanging out in cyberspace. 1 The Internet is 

the nexus that allows them to surf news headlines, query search engines, download music, trade 

photos, play out elaborate gamer scenarios, collaborate on school projects, IM (instant message), 

and befriend a large community of peers through social networking sites. 

Notebooks, netbooks, cell phones, smartphones, and MP3 players are some of the Net-Geners’ 

personal accessories used to provide both a sense of belonging and a sense of purpose. While 

today’s Baby Boomers may get frustrated when Internet connectivity drops, the deprivation of 

connectivity to the Internet has a visceral impact on the Net Generation. 

63 
THE
 LONGE 

DAY 

In “The Longest Day,” an essay in The Washington Post’s Sunday magazine, Dr. Danna Walker, a professor at Ameri 

can University, chronicled the results of an academic assignment which required her undergraduate students to go 

24 hours without electronic connectivity—no internet, no TV, no radio, no music players. The anxiousness captured 

by her student echoes similar work in a qualitative study done by nGenera Insight where Net-Geners, when given a 

scenario which stripped them of all communication devices, largely considered themselves “paralyzed and discon 

nected from the world.” 2 
EST
 

“There was a moment in my day when I felt 


homeless, I couldn’t go home because I knew 


that would be too tempting. I couldn’t be 


with my friends because that would be too 


tempting. I had just eaten, so I couldn’t just sit 


in a restaurant all day. I was walking down the 


street literally with nowhere to go, and I just 


didn’t know what I was going to do.” 3
 
The continuous online engagement so completely embraced by the Net Generation is starting to permeate 

across all facets of daily life for all generations. Within 

Government, the call for greater transparency of information and greater functionality of citizen services will 

fundamentally change the way the Government does 

business externally. The challenge will be to also transform the way each federal organization functions internally, including how they recruit new employees and 

serve current employees, how they deploy technology 

and who gets first access to new technology, and finally, how they govern the use of social media in the 

workplace. 

THE VALUE PROPOSITION FOR WEB 2.0 SOCIAL 

MEDIA 

Social media has the ability to expand network circles 

from people with strong ties to an individual (family, 

close friends, and immediate co-workers) to individuals which sociologist Mark Granovetter refers to as 

“weak ties,” who have less immediate affiliation, but 

have the potential for rich collaboration. 4 Researchers 

have demonstrated that innovation is largely a learned 

behavior. 5 Therefore, fostering capabilities which can 

stimulate learning and sharing, has the possibility to 

enhance creativity and problem-solving abilities. Hal 

Gregersen, a noted professor and author specializing 

in leading strategic change, states that the larger and 

more diverse the circle of contacts, the better, since 

meeting individuals from different industries and organizations, with different levels of expertise, creates 

more potential for innovation. 6 

The Net Generation already understands the importance of networking. Research from nGenera Insight, 

highlighted in Figure 9.1, demonstrates that they have 

a larger professional network than other generational 

counterparts. 7 About one third of the people in their 

professional network are outside of their organization 

and they are more likely than the Gen X and Boomers to say that their network includes individuals whom 

they rarely see in person. 8 

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S USE OF WEB 2.0 

SOCIAL MEDIA 

Many agencies are significantly increasing their use of 

Web 2.0 social media applications to help do the work 

of the Government both internally and externally with 

customers. New applications are continually evolving 

as both individuals and agencies see the payback from 

Web 2.0 technologies. Examples of agency use of social media include: 

Blogs and Micro-blogs - Robert Carey, the CIO for the 

Department of Navy was one of the first government 

officials and the first federal CIO, to have a public blog. 

When Carey, a reservist, was deployed to Iraq he saw 

young warfighters using these Web applications and 

saw their potential in the workplace. Carey has been 

an advocate of Web 2.0 technologies and uses them 

to solicit ideas and connect with Navy personnel. Several CIOs within the National Aeronautics and Space 

Administration (NASA) have also launched blogs in the 

last year to encourage employees to use this emerging 

technology as a way to share information and solicit 

feedback. 

Many federal agencies are also using blogs to improve 

transparency and interaction with customers. The 

Transportation Security Administration (TSA) launched 

a blog in January 2008 as way to provide its flying customers a window on TSA policy formulation and to 

solicit feedback on its procedures. The Department of 

Defense leadership uses a blog to discuss the future of 

the Military Health System, and the U.S. National Archives has launched NARAtions to discuss the future of 

online public access to national records. A detailed listing of blogs created by federal agencies can be found 

at www.usa.gov. 

Wikis - Wikis are being used across the Government as 

digital meeting places where federal users can share 

information, create, and collaborate. The extensive 

search capabilities of these tools allow users to retrieve 

information regardless of the wiki organization. Additionally, these tools allow people to collaborate on 

documents much more efficiently than emailing revised 

versions of documents as attachments. The software is 

simpler to use because it features both groupware and 

word processing programs. Version control becomes 

much simpler as well, enabling the ability to quickly locate the latest document version, with all changes attributed to the proper author. 

Intellipedia, a highly successful wiki, is used by the federal intelligence community (IC) and has resulted in increased collaboration and knowledge sharing across 16 

IC agencies and other security-related Departments. 

The DoD has also launched a wiki called DoDTechipeNet Generation 69 

Generation X 44 

Boomers 57 

Males 46 

Females 66 

Figure 9.1 Number of People in Your Professional Network 

(Source: 2008 nGenera Insight Survey) 

66 
dia to improve collaboration on technological solutions among agency scientists, engineers, acquisition 

workers and operational warfighters. At a federal-wide 

level, the Office of Management and Budget’s wiki at 

max.gov has been used not only to streamline routine 

budget processes and facilitate federal budgeting efficiencies, but also to enable federal collaboration 

throughout a variety of communities. Most recently, 

the Smithsonian Institution creatied a public facing wiki 

at http://smithsonian-webstrategy.wikispaces.com to 

invite public collaboration to transform the organization’s digital presence on the Web. 

Mashups - Currently, most mashups using federal 

government data are being created by organizations 

outside of government. As more government data becomes available, the use of mashups is expected to 

increase, creating greater transparency and innovative 

uses of federally available data. 

Virtual Worlds - Some agencies are exploring the use 

of a simulated 3-D virtual world where individuals use 

avatars to collaborate, learn or entertain, and interact 

with others. Examples of how the Federal Government 

has used virtual worlds are: 1) information delivery 

(NASA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

(CDC), and the U.S. Air Force and Army); 2) education 

and training (Department of Homeland Security (DHS), 

and the U.S. Army, Marines, and Air Force); 3) meetings and events (Information Resources Management 

College, DHS, and the U.S. Department of State); and 

4) rapid prototyping (U.S. Navy). 

The Information Resources Management College at the 

National Defense University has hosted several conferences in a virtual world, which has allowed people to 

connect from all over the world. NASA’s virtual CoLab 

(a web-based collaborative environment) is a dedicated “island” in the virtual world, Second Life, and was 

established to foster collaboration between NASA and 

individuals who support the space program. 

Other federal organizations are using virtual world 

technology to train internally or to shape consumer behavior. The U.S. Army has used virtual world technology with America’s Army, a 3-D video game used for recruiting and training that allows participants to engage 

in military maneuvers. The CDC educated the public 

about the flu by releasing a virtual influenza virus at a 

virtual children’s party to demonstrate the importance 

of getting vaccinated. Subsequently, more than 20,000 

individuals were vaccinated in a six-week period. 

Text Messaging/Instant Messaging - Instant messaging or IM, can increase the speed of communication 

in the workplace by circumventing the formality and 

structured handling of email. At the Department of Defense, some defense organizations allow instant messaging to be available to their employees so they can 

have quick chats and collaborate with their colleagues. 

Social Networking Sites - The popularity of social networking sites has grown exponentially throughout the 

world. It is not surprising that young government employees are often leading the way in using them within 

their federal agency. Steve Ressler, a former IT specialist at the Department of Homeland Security, founded 

Young Government Leaders (YGL), a group formed 

to educate, inspire, and transform current and future 

leaders of the Federal Government. He created the 

YGL website and its Facebook and LinkedIn groups, 

and also launched GovLoop.com, a social networking 

site for government employees to connect and collaborate. In its first year online, GovLoop attracted almost 

15,000 members and has since grown another 10,000 

in membership. 

The first wave of government organizations using Facebook included the Central Intelligence Agency and the 

Internal Revenue Service, while some organizations like 

NASA-Goddard Space Flight, have launched their own 

social networking tools. NASA’s tool, SpaceBook, has 

a broad of capabilities, allowing each Goddard employee the ability to find subject matter experts, form 

online groups with whom to share files and create wikis, and even locate or dispose of surplus gear. The 

use of social networking sites by government entities 

will increase as agencies determine appropriate applications for them and provide employees guidance on 

site usage. 

CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING WEB 2.0 

TECHNOLOGIES 

The Federal Government has made significant advancements but still faces several challenges when it 

comes to the adoption of Web 2.0 technologies. By 

nature, the Government does not quickly adapt to new 

tools, particularly when it comes to incorporating new 

technologies in the workplace. Although the role of IT 

managers is to figure out how to provide those technologies for employees, a larger governance group 

may be used to develop guidance on their usage, 

including legal, privacy, public relations, and human 

resources specialists. The DoD, which published new 

policy guidance, DTM 09-026, “Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities,” (including 

social networking services) in February 2010, gave the 

greater defense community, as well as outside organizations and individuals, a voice in developing the policy by using a blog and open, collaborative technology 

to solicit input. 

The Social Media Subcouncil, operating under the Federal Web Managers Council, and comprised of federal, 

67 
state, and local government web managers, maintains 

an excellent wiki with best practices and a wide array 

of published policies on social media use. Additionally, 

they can be found blogging on GovLoop.com. 

Record retention is another challenge for agencies, as 

many Web 2.0 tools do not lend themselves to easy 

archiving of data. Security issues also rank as a top 

concern, and many security challenges will need to be 

resolved as these technologies are adopted federalwide. Some government agencies have found it necessary to limit or prohibit connectivity to nongovernmental channels based on the grounds of security. While 

there are legitimate concerns about data protection, 

organizations must find solutions that protect their IT 

systems while simultaneously allowing consumers full 

access to emerging social media technologies. 

Beyond the legal and security concerns, are the more 

practical issues involved with successful implementation of new media within an organization. Many of 

these can be addressed by understanding the function 

each type of social media might play. Andrew McAfee, 

a researcher, writer, and teacher about technology’s 

impact on the business world, suggests that wikis may 

work best for organizations with strong ties that are intent on producing a collaborative product; blogs can 

help cultivate potential new ties; and social networking 

sites may be best suited to cultivating weak tie relationships to facilitate innovation. 9 Further, depending 

on the organization, the right answer might be to not 

build a community. If an organization does not have 

leadership support, or does not have the time and talent necessary to devote to the tending of relationships 

generated through social media, the project is ripe for 

failure. 10 

The U.S. Department of State, which is embracing 

a wide variety of social media to foster diplomacy 

abroad, noted in a case study on digital diplomacy that 

it was essential to provide both technical and professional training to individuals charged with representing the organization online; that outside experts in social media can be helpful in crafting the message to 

be conveyed and the social engagement desired; and 

that governance policies on information dissemination 

(and how creatively it can be conveyed) should be developed. 11 

By contrast, the NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan 

(NTM-A), charged with a time-critical, targeted effort to tell the world about NATO support efforts in 

Afghanistan, employed the services of a U.S. Marine 

Corps colonel and two U.S. Net-Gen Navy petty officers, a budget of $500, and various social media tools 

including Facebook, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter, to enrich a homegrown website that allows NTM-A personnel to tell the world, in their own words, about their 

experiences in Afghanistan. 

WEB 2.0 WORKPLACE AND BEYOND
 

The transformation of the workplace is just beginning. 

The power of transactional sites such as Amazon and 

eBay, the search engine capabilities of Google, Yahoo, 

and Microsoft’s Bing, and the explosion in social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, have 

revolutionized the lives of private consumers. It is not 

beyond the Government to accomplish the same capabilities within the public sector. Creating a workplace 

that fully utilizes Net Generation talents can be a first 

step to the future. 

The workplace of the future will be radically different 

from today’s preconceived workplace that involves 

hard-wired equipment, multiple cubicles, and 9 to 5 

workdays. The future promises more flexibility, more 

mobility, and more independence, while at the same 

time, helping employers to get the most out of every 

employee. Web 2.0 tools are already helping to create a seamless work environment where employees 

can easily transition from one task to another without 

having to move from one tool to another. Additionally, 

they will create a level of transparency that affords employees an opportunity to view the work of others and 

makes employees more accountable. 

Changing technology will allow this future workplace 

to become a reality sooner than most people realize. 

Many companies are already using virtual teleconferences, virtual worlds, and other technologies to quickly 

connect employees from all over the globe, allowing 

employees to work together with their peers in real 

time, while being in different locations. Eventually, 

holograms could be used to allow employees in different locations to chat face-to-face. Even the offices 

themselves will be modified. As people shift towards 

working from home, conference rooms may eventually 

outnumber cubicles in the office, serving as meeting 

grounds for employees as needed. 

The future workplace has often been seen as a dream 

working environment, offering maximum freedom, 

where employers allow their employees to choose 

when, where, and how they work. More than most, the 

Net Generation sees this workplace not as a dream, but 

as a goal, fully realizable. As they continue to expand 

their presence in the workplace, expect many more 

changes within the federal IT workforce. 

68 
Social media challenges some of the 

fundamental paradigms organizations have about control in terms of 

message content, how and where it 

spreads, and the outcomes of those 

actions. By design, with social media the messenger’s voice can’t be 

easily controlled or predicted. Consequently the challenge in adopting 

social media for many organizations 

is more cultural than operational. 12 

DR. MARGARET SCHWEER 

AND RICHARD LAUF 

“THE NEW SOCIAL MEDIA MINDSET: 

ORGANIZATIONAL PRINCIPLES AND 

GOVERNANCE PROCESSES” 

workforce 

compensation, 

benefits, 

and 

flexibilities 

Creating an attractive compensation and benefits environment can be challenging. It requires good 

marketing and the ability to deliver the goods marketed. Additionally, it requires knowledge of the 

job market and the ability to maneuver within a complex, bureaucratic compensation system that 

is continually changing. While federal agencies have an array of flexibilities that can be used in the 

recruitment and retention of Net Generation individuals, most organizations do not use them in a 

wide scale, strategic application. A major factor is often a lack of funding, as cited in both 2007 and 

2008 surveys of federal Chief Human Capital Officers. 1,2 This lack of resources, coupled with a lack of 

systematic planning and targeted application within most agencies, dilutes the effectiveness of these 

federal-wide flexibilities. 

The list of flexibilities contained in this Chapter is not meant to be all-inclusive, but to highlight those 

flexibilities that may be particularly attractive to the Net-Gen. The Office of Personnel Management 

(OPM) continues to work on new flexibilities to address the Federal Government’s recruiting, retention, 

and professional development requirements. 

71 
BASIC SALARY EXPECTATIONS
 

In the 18th Annual Survey of Federal CIOs, conducted 

by the Information Technology Association of America, 

CIOs expressed their concern regarding their ability 

to offer competitive pay and benefits. 3 There is merit 

to this concern. Although 4 of the 5 series in the Major Federal IT Community have special salary rates for 

personnel under the General Schedule, their value has 

been eroding over time as locality pay increases cause 

these rates to outstrip the special salary rates. Hiring 

managers should compare the two rates for their geographical area and where needed, determine the feasibility of offering new Net-Gen hires with exceptional 

credentials an increased salary step when market conditions warrant it. Additionally, when possible, managers 

might create laddered positions for new hires. 

TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE BENEFITS
 

Money does matter to the Net Generation and being 

net-savvy they can, through a combination of surfing official sites and mining social networking capabilities, determine quite accurately the salaries being paid for individuals in their work field. Where they may fall short is 

in estimating their worth to a company, particularly as a 

new entrant to the workforce. Human Resource managers have stated that the youngest generation may have 

unrealistic expectations of starting salaries. In January 

2009 the Partnership for Public Service and Universum 

reported a $7,000 gap between students’ anticipated 

starting salary in the Federal Government and the 2008 

starting range for a GS-7.4 

Federal employee salaries, while often lower than their 

private industry counterparts’, are only one part of 

the employment compensation package. The Partnership for Public Service recommends that organizations 

should discuss both agency benefits and federal-wide 

service benefits (summarized in Table 10.1). 5 Further, 

they should understand that their audience in the benefits discussion is not only the prospective Net-Gen applicant, but may be the applicant’s parents as well. In a 

2008 nGenera Insight survey, 24% of Net-Geners said 

that their parents’ advice was critical when deciding to 

accept a job offer. 6 Parents were also involved in their 

finding their first job after college. as show in Figure 

10.1.7 

As benefits are discussed, it would be important to remember that the Net Generation wants customizable 

options. Thus, different benefits and opportunities may 

appeal to each applicant. In a survey conducted by the 

Gallup Organization for the Council on Excellence in 

Government, 52% of Net-Geners (aged 18 to 29) said 

the best motivators for them to consider a job in public 

service would be opportunities for growth and advancement based on performance; 41% were very interested 

in having a flexible schedule and telework opportunities; 27% were interested in enrollment in a student 

loan repayment program; and 26% were interested in 

access to continuing education.8 

RECRUITMENT AUTHORITIES
 

Recruitment Bonuses - Agencies may pay recruitment 

bonuses to newly appointed federal employees in hardto-fill positions in exchange for a signed service agreement. The amount of the bonus may range up to 25% 

of the new employee’s annual rate of pay (or more, with 

OPM approval), multiplied by the number of years in 

the agreed service period (which can range between 

6 months to 4 years). Payment of the bonus can be in 

a lump sum, phased installment or other installment 

plan, as designated by the agency. Organizations must 

have a pre-established recruitment incentive plan in order to offer a bonus. In FY2007, 5,658 GS federal employees received recruitment bonuses; over half of the 

recipients were GS-9 or below. 9 Appendix G provides 

a breakdown of IT workforce recruitment bonus payments by Federal CIO Council membership. 

Direct-Hire Authority - Direct-hire authority is designed to provide agencies flexibility to recruit individuals for career-conditional appointments to positions in 

shortage or critical shortage occupations. In 2003, OPM 

authorized federal-wide direct hire for the 2210 series 

IT Specialists, GS-9 and above, in Information Security. 

Individuals recruited to this specialty area may be appointed to positions without regard to the requirements 

in title 5 USC 3309 through 3318. 

Fellowships, Scholarships, and Similar Programs Authorities - The fellowships, scholarships, and similar 

programs authority at 5 CFR 213.3102(r) provides an excepted service appointing authority for filling positions 

from limited applicant pools under hiring and operating 

procedures established between a federal agency and 

a non-federal organization. Although appointments are 

time-limited (cannot exceed four years) with no conversion privilege to the competitive service, this authority 

allows agencies to: 

•	 Bring in individuals with specialized knowledge 

or expertise under agency-developed exchange 

programs with the private sector. 

* Survey participants were asked to select which two motivators would make them most interested in a public service job. 

72 
Figure 10.1 Parental Involvement in Finding First Job After Finishing Education 

(Source: 2008 nGenera Insight Survey) 

Net Generation Not Very/At All Involved 49%


Somewhat Involved 23%


Extremely/Very Involved 28%


•	 Provide a means for individuals to meet a service 

obligation under specific programs authorized in 

statute. 

•	 Provide students insight and the opportunity to 

apply their particular field of study to real-world 

situations. 

•	 Support internship or fellowship programs that 

provide developmental or professional experiences to individuals who have completed their 

formal education. 

•	 Establish training and associate programs to increase the pool of qualified candidates in a particular occupational specialty. 

•	 Design professional/industry exchange programs 

that provide cross-fertilization between the agency and the private sector to foster mutual understanding and exchange of ideas and/or to bring 

experienced practitioners to the agency. 

•	 Arrange residency programs through which participants gain experience in the federal environment. 

•	 Participate in programs that require a period of 

government service in exchange for educational, 

financial, or other assistance such as the Federal 

Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service program. 

Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) - The 

SCEP allows appointment of students to positions 

that are related to their academic field of study. Employment as a student is in the excepted service and 

public notice is not required. Participants who meet all 

the requirements of the program may be noncompetitively converted to term, career, or career-conditional 

appointments. SCEP can be used as a tool to grow the 

IT workforce by hiring students into developmental positions to address future agency needs. To participate 

in SCEP, a student must be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a degree-seeking student in an accredited 

high school; technical or vocational school; two-year or 

four-year college or university; or graduate or professional school. All students must be at least 16 years old. 

FEDERAL SERVICE BENEFITS 

• INTERESTING AND CHALLENGING WORK 

Addressing national issues 

Safeguarding critical information and IT infrastructure 

Collaboration with private industry, professional 

organizations and other governmental organizations 

Insight into how government works 

Meaningful public service 

• GUARANTEED RIGHT TO ELIGIBLE BENEFITS 

Transportation subsidies
 

Extensive health care and insurance benefits
 

Ample vacation/sick leave
 

401K Plan
 

• FEDERAL-WIDE JOB OPPORTUNITIES 

Federal IT jobs nation-wide and overseas 

Significant opportunity for advancement and 


professional growth
 

Experience valued: on average, transferring 

employees within the federal IT community make 

more money than new hires 

Personnel details may be available to other agencies 

• FEDERAL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT 

Professional journals, Communities of Interest, other 

publications 

Conferences and webinars 

Associations 

• AND MORE 

Job security
 

Flexible work arrangements
 

Student loan forgiveness after 10 years of 


employment 

Table 10.1 

Federal Benefits to Discuss with Prospective Employees 

(Source: Partnership for Public Service) 

73 
Federal Career Intern Program (FCIP) - The FCIP is designed to help agencies recruit exceptional individuals 

into a variety of occupations at the GS-5, 7, and 9 grade 

levels. Agencies can strategically target entry-level positions and create a pipeline of talent that ultimately 

leads to a journey-level position in the agency. 

Individuals are appointed to a two-year internship that 

provides formal training and developmental assignments as established by the agency. Upon successful 

completion of the program, interns may be eligible 

for non-competitive, permanent placement within the 

agency. 

Individuals with diverse professional experiences, academic backgrounds, and/or relevant skills are eligible 

for the FCIP. The program is not restricted to students 

and career intern appointments may be made at any 

time during the year. 

Many agencies use the FCIP to identify suitable candidates for their agencies, including the General Services 

Administration (GSA), Social Security Administration 

(SSA) and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) who have 

highly successful FCIP initiatives. Additionally, several 

federal agencies have independently established structured development programs including the Emerging 

Leaders Program at the Department of Health and Human Services; the Professional Development Program 

at the U.S. Government Accountability Office and the 

Army Knowledge Leaders (AKL) program at the Department of the Army. 

•	 GSA in Kansas City, Missouri, has been using 

FCIP to fill positions at the GS-5, 7, and 9 levels 

in numerous fields since 2002. An Individual 

Development Plan is prepared for each intern 

who works with a panel to ensure that the intern 

meets specific professional goals. 

•	 FCIP has been used successfully at the SSA in its 

recruitment of Claims Representatives. Applicants 

are identified through other external recruitment 

initiatives such as job fairs, community outreach 

activities, or paid advertising. SSA has found that 

liberal arts graduates do very well at most entrylevel positions and attributes its success in building 

a large and diverse workforce to a balanced and 

targeted use of the hiring authorities available. 

Additionally, it establishes relationships with 

students and college staff, maintaining strong oncampus relationships. 

•	 The MDA used FCIP when faced with a large 

cohort of senior GS-14/15s who were retirementeligible as well as a lack of entry-level people in 

its workforce. High-demand occupations such 

as engineers and accountants were targeted at 

schools that would produce the best candidates. 

In addition, MDA used career fairs, the National 

Association of Colleges and Employees (NACE), 

and Call to Serve* as ways to get exposure for its 

mission and hiring requirements. MDA focused on 

finding the right fit by making sure the job details 

were clear, conducting thorough interviews, 

and assessing behavioral as well as technical 

competencies. 

•	 In 2003, the Department of the Army used the 

FCIP authority to implement an AKL program to 

attract high-achievement university graduates to 

serve as Army IT civilians. The AKL is an ongoing, structured two-year program, with four cycles 

of leadership training and developmental assignments at different Army, defense, or other federal 

locations. The AKL interns learn leadership, business management and IT skills while developing a 

robust peer network, and receiving career ladder 

promotions ranging from GS-7 to GS-12 during 

their internship period. 

Presidential Management Fellowships - The Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) program (or similar 

type program) has been in existence for over 20 years. 

In recent years, the program has expanded in scope to 

enable graduate level students in all academic disciplines to apply for a fellowship within the Federal Government. This program can be an outstanding method 

to attract new Net-Gen talent to IT policy management 

positions within the Federal Government at the GS-9 to 

GS-12 (or equivalent) levels. 

Each year, OPM prescreens all PMF applicants, selects the finalists, and prequalifies them for at least a 

GS-9 position. Although finalists are available for hire 

throughout the year, OPM also sponsors an annual job 

fair in Washington, D.C. each spring where agencies 

can meet multiple candidates. 

Agencies using the PMF program hire suitable fellowship candidates for a two-year period during which they 

complete Individual Development Plans that include 

both formalized training and developmental and rotational assignments. Successful participants may later be 

converted to permanent, full-time employment within 

the participating agency. 

* Call to Serve is a national initiative created by the Partnership for Public Service to educate a new generation about the 

importance of a strong civil service, to help re-establish links between federal agencies and campuses, and to provide students 

with information about the opportunities that Federal employment provides. 

74 
Federal Scholarship Programs - The Federal Government has several scholarship programs suitable for recruiting and retaining IT personnel. These programs 

provide academic funding in exchange for government 

service. These include: 

•	 Federal Cyber Service: Scholarship for Service 

(SFS) – The SFS is a federal-wide scholarship 

program, co-sponsored by the National Science 

Foundation (NSF) and Department of Homeland 

Security (DHS). NSF funds the final two years of 

undergraduate, master’s-level, or doctorate-level 

study in information assurance (IA) academic programs at select colleges and universities throughout the United States. Scholarship recipients must 

perform a two-year payback at an interested federal organization. Agencies interested in hiring 

SFS interns or graduating students can attend the 

annual job fair held each January in Washington, 

D.C., where approximately 100 individuals are 

available for hire as IT professionals. 

•	 Information Assurance Scholarship Program 

(IASP) – The IASP is used to increase the number 

of individuals in DoD who possess key IA and IT 

skill sets. It serves as a mechanism to build the nation’s IA infrastructure through grants to colleges 

and universities jointly designated by the National 

Security Agency and DHS as National Centers of 

Academic Excellence in Information Assurance 

Education or Research, and to develop and retain 

well-educated military and civilian personnel who 

support the Department’s critical IA and IT management and infrastructure protection requirements. This program serves active duty military, 

DoD civilians, and non-DoD students, all of whom 

incur a service payback in exchange for academic 

scholarships in IT/IA disciplines. 

•	 Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) – The SMART Scholarship for 

Service Program was established by DoD to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering 

and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program 

aims to increase the number of civilian scientists 

and engineers working in DoD laboratories. This 

program is open to current DoD employees and 

non-DoD students. All recipients incur a service 

payback in exchange for full scholarships. 

•	 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)/1890 

National Scholars Program – Each year, USDA 

provides full four-year scholarships to high school 

students to attend any of the 17 Historically Black 

1890 Land Grant Institutions or Tuskegee University. Scholars must major in agriculture-related 

fields, food or natural sciences, or other applied 

disciplines such as computer science, pre-veterinary medicine, or biological sciences. Thirty-six 

or more scholarships are awarded annually and 

graduates perform payback service with USDA for 

each year of financial support. 

FEDERAL STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM
 

Paying down educational debt in return for an employment commitment can be a viable way to attract the 

Net Generation to certain career fields. Currently, there 

are five major occupational avenues individuals can 

pursue that have student loan repayment recruitment 

benefits: teachers, national volunteer programs such 

as the Peace Corps and VISTA, health professions, military service, or working as a civilian employee for the 

Federal Government. At a Net Generation conference 

in February 2008, hosted by New Paradigm, pay and 

benefits specialists speculated that a new trend in private industry student loan repayment programs might 

develop as the business world begins to compete for 

Net Generation workers. 

During 2007-2008, graduates amassed an average educational debt of $23,186 for undergraduate degrees 

and $40,297 for graduate degrees. 10 Almost two-thirds 

of undergraduates and over half of grad school graduates incur educational debt, and the debt burden does 

not end there. 11 Unlike when the Baby Boomers went 

to college, Net-Geners have had more ready access 

to consumer credit. According to Anya Kamenetz, author of “Generation Debt,” Nellie Mae reported that 

in 2004, in addition to incurring student loan debt, 

undergraduates carried at least $2,100 in credit card 

debt while graduate students had an average of almost $8,000 in debt. 12 Student credit card debt may 

decline over time, as a result of recent credit reform 

legislation. 

75 
The current federal tool, which is very flexible, allows 

agencies to tailor the program to meet individual needs: 

•	 The maximum annual payment is $10,000 with a 

six-year maximum offering. 

•	 The minimum payback period is 3 years of federal service and an agency can specify a longer 

required payback period. 

•	 The student loan repayment program can be used 

as a recruitment or retention incentive and also 

may be offered in conjunction with recruitment, 

retention, or relocation bonuses. 

•	 There are no mandatory academic program criteria 

and students are not required to have completed 

a degree or certificate/certification to be eligible. 

•	 The program may be tailored to a specific occupation/skill. 

Federal agencies provided student loan repayment 

benefits to 6,879 employees in calendar year 2008, 

with an average annual loan of almost $7,511. 13 Departments and agencies who are members of the Federal 

CIO Council provided loan repayment benefits to 88% 

of total federal benefit recipients; however, only 6% of 

those recipients were members of the Major Federal 

IT Community. Appendix G provides a breakdown of 

IT workforce loan repayment benefits by Federal CIO 

Council membership. 

ADDITIONAL ANNUAL LEAVE FOR NEW 

EMPLOYEES 

The majority of Net Generation individuals hired by federal agencies will be new to the Government and may 

also be new to a structured work environment if they 

have recently completed an academic degree. Unless 

these individuals are authorized to participate in an alternative work schedule, their potential for paid days 

off is limited to 10 structured federal holidays and 13 

individual vacation days annually for the first three years 

of their employment. Increasing annual leave accrual 

as a recruitment incentive or authorizing time-off as a 

performance award (discussed in Chapter 7) provides 

opportunities for additional hours off from work. 

The oldest members of the Net Generation have now 

crested age 30. Those older members, or even younger 

members, with a particularly strong employment record, 

have valuable work experience and may be recruited 

into hard-to-fill or mission critical positions within the 

Federal Government. Those who are newly-appointed 

civilian employees, or have had a 90-calendar day break 

in federal service, can be eligible for a higher annual 

leave accrual rate based on previous years of work experience, including active duty uniformed service. Use 

of this authority requires documenting the length and 

nature of the claimed creditable service and approval 

by an agency‘s authorizing official. All written documentation must be approved prior to the individual’s effective entry on duty. 

RETENTION FLEXIBILITIES
 

Retaining a Net Generation employee may be more 

challenging than retaining the older generations as 

these individuals are still exploring their work identity 

and their passion for work. Compensation, particularly 

paying for performance, will be a factor, but the work 

environment (Chapter 7), professional development opportunities (Chapter 8) and work/life balance (Chapter 

11) will factor into Net-Gener decisions as well. nGenera Insight, after studying Net-Gen behavior and stated 

career goals, has likened Baby Boomer career patterns 

to the game of Shoots and Ladders, where players go 

up or down, and Net-Gen career ideas to a Rubik’s 

Cube, with endless combinations. 14 

Rather than create a lockstep retention strategy, organizations should become comfortable in tailoring retention opportunities to meet individual and agency 

needs. Part of the retention strategy might include an 

employee enrichment program which allows Net-Gen 

employees to team on different projects. Another aspect might include designing a program that facilitates 

moving employees sideways through the organization. 

Such a program can pay off by retaining individuals in 

the organization, while not necessarily in the same job. 

Many retention flexibilities are tied to professional development/educational programs. The two defense 

scholarships previously cited, IASP and SMART, and the 

federal student loan repayment program can also be 

used as retention incentives. Additionally, several other 

academic opportunities exist, as described on the next 

page. Agencies using such programs may require a 

service payback. Information on all of these authorities 

may be found at www.opm.gov. 

* The OPM Report does not identify how many individuals received this benefit as a retention incentive or as a recruitment 

incentive, or how many of the 6,879 individuals were new recipients vice prior year awardees. 

76 
ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
 

Payment for Job-Related Academic Degrees - Agencies may pay for or reimburse employees for the cost of 

academic degree training when it meets certain criteria: 

•	 The training must contribute to meeting a 

specific agency training or staffing need, or to 

accomplishing agency strategic goals. 

•	 The training must be part of a planned, systemic 

and coordinated organizational employee development program which links to accomplishing the 

agency’s strategic goals. 

•	 The academic program must be through an 

accredited college or university in accordance 

with U.S. Department of Education accreditation 

requirements. 

Payment for Professional Credentialing - Agencies 

may pay expenses for employees to obtain professional 

credentials. This includes expenses for professional accreditation, state-imposed or professional licenses, professional certifications, as well as the examinations to 

obtain the credentials. This flexibility may be particularly attractive for IT employees and agencies, both of 

whom can benefit from IT systems and security credentialing programs. 

Academic Incentive Programs - Some agencies have 

developed programs which offer a retention incentive 

for individuals who complete certain educational endeavors. Two examples are provided by the U.S. Department of State and the Defense Information Systems 

Agency. The Department of State has an IT Skills Incentive Program which pays qualified IT employees with 

specific skill codes or in certain IT positions 10% or 15% 

of their basic pay based on attainment of specific professional IT credentials. The Defense Information Systems Agency pays an incentive of $1,000 to $3,000 for 

Paying Training Costs 

approved professional credentialing aligned to DISA’s 

mission and the employee’s IDP, and $1,000 to $5,000 

for attainment of academic degrees which meet similar 

mission and IDP criteria. Both programs require a minimum two-year service agreement. 

Shared Cost Academic Programs - Agencies can establish shared cost programs through full or partial tuition reimbursement programs or other shared cost arrangement. The flexibility of when to attend training 

and how to pay for it may appeal to the Net Generation. 

Some possible program variations are shown in Table 

10.2.15 

Training and Education Unrelated to an Employee’s 

Official Duties - The Net Generation sees value in 

pursuing multiple interests and careers. Agencies can 

support this desire for additional skill development 

by allowing employees time off to take classes not 

specifically related to their official duties. The academic 

studies may not significantly interfere with normal work 

accomplishment and must enable the employee to 

work more effectively within the organization. 

RETENTION BONUSES
 

Agencies may pay individual or group retention 

incentives based on unique qualifications and critical 

need. Individual retention incentives may not exceed 

25% of an employee’s rate of basic pay and group or 

category retention incentives may not exceed 10% 

of the employee’s rate of basic pay, although higher 

awards may be allowed with OPM approval. Awards 

may be paid in installments or a single lump sum after 

completion of the required period of service. Within 

the GS schedule, retention bonuses are more typically 

paid to GS-10 and above; only 42% of federal recipients 

in calendar year 2007 were GS-9 or below. 16 Appendix G 

provides a breakdown of IT workforce retention bonus 

payments by Federal CIO Council membership. 

Training On Duty/Off Duty Hours 

Agency Pays the Costs of Training. 

Agency Pays Some of the Training Costs, 

Employee Pays the Balance. 

Employee Pays All the Training Costs. 

Employee Pays All the Training Costs, 

Agency Reimburses Part or All of Costs 

When Course is Successfully Completed. 

Table 10.2 Agency/Employee Shared Training Cost Examples 

(Source: U.S. Office of Personnel Management) 

Employee Attends During Duty/Non-Duty Hours. 

Employee Attends During Duty/Non-Duty Hours. 

Employee Attends During Duty Hours. 

Employee Attends During Duty/Non-Duty Hours. 

77 

work 

and 

life 

balance 

Research has consistently shown that the Net-Geners seek flexibility and a balance between their 

personal and professional life. Rather than “work/life balance,” Net-Geners see the world as needing 

“life/work balance.” They do not simply define themselves by where they work and what they do; 

that is just part of who they are. 1 They tend to cultivate interests in many areas and their life roles are 

changing as well, with household responsibilities being more equally divided between the genders. 2 

Work is also becoming less compartmentalized. As discussed in Chapters 5 and 10, the lines between 

work and non-work activity are becoming blurred. This has import on the Net-Geners’ need to have a 

work environment that is engaging, collaborative, and fun. 

79 
Figure 11.1 Criticality of Flexible Work Hours to Accepting 

a Job (Source: 2008 nGenera Insight Survey) 

Net Generation 50% 

Generation X 38%
 

Boomers 27%
 

Males 31%
 

Females 42%
 

FLEXIBLE WORKING HOURS
 

In a recent survey conducted by nGenera Insight, half 

of the Net Generation respondents felt that the availability of flexible work hours was critical when deciding 3

to accept a job offer, as shown in Figure 11.1. Although 

this generation may be the most vocal about work/life 

balance, other workers are feeling an increased need 

for flexibility and work/life balance as well. 

The increased number of women in the workplace has 

driven the need for more flexibility for family requirements. According to HR Review, almost two thirds of 

families with preschool children have mothers working 

outside the home; if a child is sick, most often it is the 

mother who is called at the workplace. 4 There is also a 

growing demand for flexibility from employees needing 

time to take care of their own parents, as well as those 

sandwiched caretakers with generational care responsibilities at both ends of the spectrum. The Labor Project 

for Working Families conducted a survey in 2002 and 

found that 40% of family members caring for their parents and grandparents also had child-care responsibilities.5 

Taken to its extreme, flexible work hours would mean 

allowing Net-Geners (and others) to take complete 

charge of their own work schedule, working wherever 

and whenever, as long as they delivered high quality 

results on time. While private industry is taking experimental steps in this direction, less than half of private 

companies currently offer any type of flexible work 

schedules. Thus, the Federal Government, with its authority to offer flexible schedules and telework, can be 

competitive in this work/life area. Currently, the Federal 

Government has four flexible work programs: 

•	 Flexible Work Schedules - Allows the employees 

to have a set work week, however, the reporting 

and departing times could fluctuate day-to-day. 

•	 Compressed Work Schedules - Allows working a 

schedule which consists of less than 10 workdays 

per pay period. Generally, the employee would 

work 9 or 10 hours a day. 

In 2005, Best Buy instituted an innovative work process 

that allowed employees at its corporate headquarters 

to work without a formal work schedule. The results, 

as studied by the University of Minnesota Flexible 

Work and Well Being Center, included improved workfamily interface, improved health practices (more sleep, 

exercise, and energy), a greater intention to stay with 6 the company and more job satisfaction. Best Buy itself 

noted that productivity among participants increased by 

more than 30%. 7 

•	 Flexitour - Allows employees to schedule specific 

work hours based upon their personal circumstances. 

•	 Credit Hours - Used in lieu of paying overtime 

and more so used as compensatory time. 

The application of these flexibilities may vary from 

agency to agency, but those who allow flexible schedules can enhance their organization’s attractiveness 

to prospective Net-Gen employees. Additionally, although some opportunity may exist for job sharing in 

individual agencies, the focus of this guide is on the 

full-time Net-Gen employees. Agencies should not 

underestimate the value of flexible work schedules to 

new government employees. As shown in Figure 11.2, 

working a compressed schedule potentially triples the 

paid time off a Net-Gen employee, new to government 

service, can earn. 

FLEXIBLE WORKPLACE
 

Based upon improvements in technology and the digitalization of the work environment, employees no longer need to be physically situated in a traditional office 

during core working hours. Technology devices such as 

cellular phones, blackberries and other wireless devices 

allow employees the ability to work anywhere and anytime. While no one expects government employees will 

be authorized to text their work in from the ski slopes 

any time soon, even teleworking, the most structured 

version of a flexible workplace, has not caught on as 

much as it should within the Federal Government. In 

its most recent report to Congress on teleworking, the 

Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reported that 

for 2007, the number of federal teleworkers as a whole 

was down (with some of the decline attributed to better data collection and some due to the Department of 

Defense’s continued wartime support and security con­ 8 cerns). Only 8% of eligible personnel were teleworking 

across the Federal Government. 9 The top three barriers to telework cited by agencies were office coverage, 

management resistance, and organizational culture. 

80 

10 
Figure 11.2 Federal Employee Days Off Based on Service Longevity in the Federal Government 

Less than 3 Years in Govt Federal Holidays 10 

Sick leave 13 

Vacation Days 13 

Alt. Work Schedule 26 

3 to <15 Years in Govt Federal Holidays 10 

Sick leave 13 

Vacation Days 20 

Alt. Work Schedule 26 

15 Years or More in Govt Federal Holidays 10 

Sick leave 13 

Vacation Days 26 

Alt. Work Schedule 26 

Ultimately, managers will determine whether an employee’s duties can be performed outside the traditional 

work environment. However, if the manager promotes a 

more flexible and supportive work environment, more 

employees, particularly Net-Geners may be recruited 

and retained. A 2008 report from the Telework Exchange (www.teleworkexchange.com), a public-private 

partnership focused on telework in government, cited 

the two top drivers for federal workers to telework were 

reduced commuting time/costs and work/life balance. 11 

nGenera Insight also states that environmental issues 

are a key concern to Net-Geners who may want to telework.12 

Organizations should review the federal website, www. 

telework.gov, which addresses how to set up a telework 

program and provides training for both managers and 

employees on how to make the program work effectively. 

Additionally, they need to examine why barriers 

may exist within their organization. Understandably, 

managers may have concerns about information security, 

connectivity, and suitable infrastructure, however, these 

are challenges that can be addressed and generally, 

should not hinder an organization’s ability to establish 

a telework program. 

Many agencies have successful established a telework 

program. Some standout agencies cited by OPM in its 

2008 telework report included the Peace Corps and 

the Department of Health and Human Services and 

the General Services Administration gets high marks 

through surveys conducted by the Telework Exchange. 13 

The DoD’s Contract Management Agency (DCMA) has 

successfuly established a telework program that allows 

many of their employees to work remotely and reduced 

office footage while the U.S. Patent and Trade Office’s 

program reduced employee turnover. 

The pressure to increase teleworking and compressed 

work schedule opportunities across the Federal 

Government will most likely increase, from both 

employees and the Congress. The Net-Geners will 

help drive the change by seeking employment at those 

organizations that allow them flexible work locations 

and schedules so they can have work/life balance. 

Congress will be interested in driving to a more 

efficient government; ensuring continuity of operations 

during natural disasters, pandemic health crises and 

other catastrophic unplanned events; and reducing 

dependence on foreign oil. 

FLEXIBLE WORK ENVIRONMENT
 

Fun in the workplace is not a new concept. Searching 

online for “fun in the workplace” yielded over five 

million results and surveys at top-ranked organizations 

often include statements from employees about their 

organization being a fun place to work. The difference 

with the Net Generation is that it is one of their eight 

norms. They have elevated its importance, largely 

because they are less likely to compartmentalize work 

from other aspects of their life. 14 They may want to take 

a break in the middle of the day to get reinvigorated. 

They like to learn on the job. And, they are more 

adept at switching from work to play to work in their 

task orientation. Creating an environment that enables 

playfulness, creativity, and collaboration can improve 

morale, reduce employee absenteeism from the job, 

and ultimately reduce overall attrition. 

81 
With the increasing reliance on information technology in delivering 

the many missions of the Federal Government – from defending and 

securing our Nation, to conserving natural resources, and ensuring a 

strong economy – today’s leaders must be focused on developing and 

recruiting a strong talent pool to operate and manage this complex enterprise. A well-balanced strategy that recognizes and accommodates 

our generational differences is critical to achieving a high-performing 

Federal IT workforce. The Net-Geners’ experiences, in an on-demand 

world in which collaborative tools, social media, and instant messaging are ubiquitous and have shaped their norms, will continue to drive 

their expectations in the workplace. Our agility and adaptability to the 

changing needs of this and future generations are critical to our success in meeting the challenges faced by the Federal Government. 

ROBERT NAYLOR 

CIO, SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 

AND CO-CHAIR, CIO COUNCIL IT WORKFORCE COMMITTEE 

CHRIS SMITH 

CIO, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 

AND CO-CHAIR, CIO COUNCIL IT WORKFORCE COMMITTEE 
conclusion
 

The federal information technology (IT) environment will be undergoing tremendous change on many 

levels over the next decade. As the Federal Government transforms agencies into a network of more transparent, citizen-centric organizations, implementing the necessary policies, processes, and secure technology to power the exchange of information and ideas will create tremendous challenges for the federal IT 

workforce charged with this transformation. 

The Net Generation, with its inherently more collaborative and IT-savvy nature, is most likely to embrace the 

changes, which will more closely mirror the way they already prefer to engage with technology and to share 

information. Currently, this generation is under-represented in the federal IT workforce, particularly within 

the 2210 series, which is the backbone of the federal IT population. While Net-Geners are more likely to 

be interested in federal service over their Gen X counterparts, post-recession, they will be in high demand 

throughout the public and private sectors due to both job growth and pending retirements within the Baby 

Boomer generation.1 

A great unknown within the federal IT workforce is how quickly the federal Baby Boomers will retire. The ongoing recession may slow down retirements, but failing to plan for the succession of the current workforce 

would be a significant weakness in strategic human capital management. Within this guide were discussed 

the generational expectations and differences that organizations should be aware of as the federal workforce begins to skew younger in age. The following checklist provides organizations with a starting point as 

they prepare for change within the federal IT workforce. 

THE NET GENERATION TOP 20 “TO DO” LIST 

1. Show that the organization understands their world. 

2. Rethink authority and hierarchy within the organization. 

3. Include Net-Geners in re-designing work practices. 

4. Design jobs and work spaces to support collaboration. 

5. Become social media savvy 

6. Invest in technology to power high performance, creativity, and collaboration. 

7. Examine how new technology is deployed within the organization. 

8. Refresh organization websites and their capabilities. 

9. Re-examine career paths for all generations. 

10. Customize training programs for individual workers. 

11. Encourage and incentivize Boomer and Net-Gen mentors. 

12. Examine current and future supervisory bench strength. 

13. Measure performance by productivity, not physical presence. 

14. Retool performance recognition programs and provide more continuous feedback. 

15. Create dynamic recruiting programs that employ a cross section of media. 

16. Be authentic when recruiting; emphasize organization values and strengths. 

17. Create a dynamic onboarding program. 

18. Fund and use hiring flexibilities strategically. 

19. Create a more flexible and fun working environment. 

20. Craft lasting networking relationships with employees who leave the organization. 

83 
84
 
appendices
 
A
 

FY2008 Distribution of the Major Federal IT Population Across the 

Federal CIO Council Membership 

Major Department/Agency CIO Council Members 2210 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 64 1 0 0 0 

Agriculture 3,443 6 31 1 107 

Commerce 3,156 228 309 27 91 

Defense 27,957 4,416 16,486 3,053 3,192 

Education 208 1 0 0 1 

Energy 630 24 108 13 19 

EPA 652 7 0 5 7 

GSA 654 0 7 0 168 

HHS 2,425 176 67 28 367 

Homeland Security 2,249 14 91 13 520 

HUD 215 0 0 0 5 

Interior 2,339 49 23 17 155 

Justice 2,766 37 125 11 492 

Labor 639 0 4 0 6 

NASA 372 197 806 916 21 

NRC 164 0 23 0 6 

NSF 95 34 1 2 0 

OMB 13 0 0 0 0 

OPM 162 0 0 0 9 

SBA 130 0 0 0 3 

SSA 3,683 0 0 0 6 

State 649 3 9 0 105 

Transportation 1,821 168 893 68 75 

Treasury 6,528 28 8 36 168 

VA 5,702 4 4 6 185 

Total 66,716 5,393 18,995 4,196 5,708 

Non-Council Agencies 1,910 11 307 7 79 

Grand Total 68,626 5,404 19,302 4,203 5,787 

Data Source: Appendix A was compiled using publicly available federal IT workforce data from www.fedscope.opm.gov. 

86 
B
 

2210 Community: Personnel Strength and Turnover Rates by 

Generational Age Group 

IT Management 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 20–29) 2,294 2,593 2,874 3,030 2,896 3,144 

All Agency Separations 217 261 292 374 417 336 

Gross Turnover Rate - 10.7% 10.7% 12.7% 14.1% 11.1% 

Federal Service Separations 153 233 252 315 348 271 

Net Turnover Rate - 9.5% 9.2% 10.7% 11.7% 9.0% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 30–44) 22,220 22,220 21,889 21,864 20,833 20,564 

All Agency Separations 1,314 942 1,028 1,130 1,130 1,083 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 4.2% 4.7% 5.2% 5.3% 5.2% 

Federal Service Separations 471 622 696 680 735 664 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 2.8% 3.2% 3.1% 3.4% 3.2% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 45 and up) 38,279 39,924 41,059 42,920 43,481 44,918 

All Agency Separations 3,317 3,006 3,425 3,447 3,424 3,356 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 7.7% 8.5% 8.2% 7.9% 7.6% 

Federal Service Separations 2210 2,658 3,070 2,882 2,944 2,834 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 6.8% 7.6% 6.9% 6.8% 6.4% 

EOY Total Strength (All Ages) 62,793 64,737 65,822 67,814 67,210 68,626 

All Agency Separations 4,848 4,209 4,745 4,951 4,971 4,775 

Gross Turnover Rate - 6.6% 7.3% 7.4% 7.4% 7.0% 

Federal Service Separations 2,834 3,513 4,018 3,877 4,027 3,769 

Net Turnover Rate - 5.5% 6.2% 5.8% 6.0% 5.5% 

Turnover Rate Calculations: The turnover rates calculated in Appendix B were derived by dividing annual losses by average 

personnel strength (adding the beginning and end of fiscal year personnel strength, and dividing by two). Gross turnover is 

the rate of total movement within the workforce, i.e., both separations from federal service and agency transfers. This number 

is useful since it describes the “total churn” within the Major Federal IT Population. Net turnover calculates the more typical 

turnover rate, which is based solely on separations from federal service. 

The source of this data was the online Office of Personnel Management tool, FedScope. Since the data within Fedscope is 

aggregated differently than the age ranges of the Net Generation and Generation X as stated within this guide, the NetGen population is slightly understated in number and the Gen X population number is slightly overstated. Additionally, it is 

recognized that a small number of individuals will cross into a new generation during the fiscal year by turning a year older. 

These differences should not significantly impact the general turnover trends. 

87 
B
 

1550 Community: Personnel Strength and Turnover Rates by 

Generational Age Group 

Computer Science 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 20–29) 817 898 961 962 966 932 

All Agency Separations 35 70 81 114 86 82 

Gross Turnover Rate - 8.2% 8.7% 11.9% 8.9% 8.6% 

Federal Service Separations 33 68 79 103 75 75 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 7.9% 8.5% 10.7% 7.8% 7.9% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 30–44) 2,043 2,018 1,935 1,859 1,779 1,820 

All Agency Separations 48 55 87 78 76 91 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 2.7% 4.4% 4.1% 4.2% 5.1% 

Federal Service Separations 30 37 59 68 58 76 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 1.8% 3.0% 3.6% 3.2% 4.2% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 45 and up) 1,994 2,048 2,207 2,374 2,471 2,652 

All Agency Separations 92 112 127 139 133 143 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 5.5% 6.0% 6.1% 5.5% 5.6% 

Federal Service Separations 83 100 118 123 118 119 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 4.9% 5.5% 5.4% 4.9% 4.6% 

EOY Total Strength (All Ages) 4,854 4,964 5,103 5,195 5,216 5,404 

All Agency Separations 175 237 295 331 295 316 

Gross Turnover Rate - 4.8% 5.9% 6.4% 5.7% 6.0% 

Federal Service Separations 146 205 256 294 251 270 

Net Turnover Rate - 4.2% 5.1% 5.7% 4.8% 5.1% 

88 
B
 

0855 Community: Personnel Strength and Turnover Rates by 

Generational Age Group 

Electronics Engineering 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 20–29) 1,737 1,951 2,128 2,171 2,209 2,273 

All Agency Separations 59 82 140 159 161 154 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 4.4% 6.9% 7.4% 7.4% 6.9% 

Federal Service Separations 54 73 126 146 135 127 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 4.0% 6.2% 6.8% 6.2% 5.7% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 30–44) 9,474 8,550 7,913 7,073 6,347 5,761 

All Agency Separations 183 201 228 176 190 156 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 2.2% 2.8% 2.3% 2.8% 2.6% 

Federal Service Separations 106 140 171 121 124 98 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 1.6% 2.1% 1.6% 1.8% 1.6% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 45 and up) 9,440 9,575 10,171 10,487 10,819 11,268 

All Agency Separations 651 621 674 675 635 681 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 6.5% 6.8% 6.5% 6.0% 6.2% 

Federal Service Separations 579 581 636 631 575 617 

Net Turnover Rate ­ 6.1% 6.4% 6.1% 5.4% 5.6% 

EOY Total Strength (All Ages) 20,651 20,076 20,212 19,731 19,375 19,302 

All Agency Separations 893 904 1,042 1,010 986 991 

Gross Turnover Rate - 4.4% 5.2% 5.1% 5.0% 5.1% 

Federal Service Separations 739 794 933 898 834 842 

Net Turnover Rate - 3.9% 4.6% 4.5% 4.2% 4.4% 

89 
B
 

0854 Community: Personnel Strength and Turnover Rates by 

Generational Age Group 

Computer Engineering 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 20–29) 655 848 922 881 898 901 

All Agency Separations 21 37 40 56 62 63

Gross Turnover Rate - 4.9% 4.5% 6.2% 7.0% 7.0% 

Federal Service Separations 20 36 40 48 55 54

Net Turnover Rate - 4.8% 4.5% 5.3% 6.2% 6.0% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 30–44) 1,779 1,768 1,704 1,575 1,445 1,392 

All Agency Separations 44 28 42 50 42 54 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 1.6% 2.4% 3.0% 2.8% 3.8% 

Federal Service Separations 26 21 29 36 29 37 

Net Turnover Rate - 1.2% 1.7% 2.2% 1.9% 2.6% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 45 and up) 1,238 1,359 1,475 1,602 1,782 1,910 

All Agency Separations 44 53 90 87 76 85 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 4.1% 6.4% 5.7% 4.5% 4.6% 

Federal Service Separations 42 49 84 72 55 77 

Net Turnover Rate - 3.8% 5.9% 4.7% 3.3% 4.2% 

EOY Total Strength (All Ages) 3,672 3,975 4,101 4,058 4,125 4,203 

All Agency Separations 109 118 172 193 180 202 

Gross Turnover Rate - 3.1% 4.3% 4.7% 4.4% 4.9% 

Federal Service Separations 88 106 153 156 139 168 

Net Turnover Rate - 2.8% 3.8% 3.8% 3.4% 4.0% 

90 
B
 

0391 Community: Personnel Strength and Turnover Rates by 

Generational Age Group 

Telecommunications Management 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 20–29) 109 118 133 170 180 189 

All Agency Separations 30 27 26 33 66 47 

Gross Turnover Rate - 23.8% 20.7% 21.8% 37.7% 25.5% 

Federal Service Separations 16 26 23 31 46 45 

Net Turnover Rate - 22.9% 18.3% 20.5% 26.3% 24.4% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 30–44) 1,709 1,683 1,651 1,631 1,572 1,560 

All Agency Separations 243 99 90 97 172 90 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 5.8% 5.4% 5.9% 10.7% 5.7% 

Federal Service Separations 57 72 72 70 69 65 

Net Turnover Rate - 4.2% 4.3% 4.3% 4.3% 4.2% 

EOY Personnel Strength (Age: 45 and up) 4,141 4,037 4,048 4,016 3,942 4,038 

All Agency Separations 630 365 375 385 493 315 

Gross Turnover Rate ­ 8.9% 9.3% 9.5% 12.4% 7.9% 

Federal Service Separations 285 320 342 355 293 278 

Net Turnover Rate - 7.8% 8.5% 8.8% 7.4% 7.0% 

EOY Total Strength (All Ages) 5,959 5,838 5,832 5,817 5,694 5,787 

All Agency Separations 903 491 491 515 731 452 

Gross Turnover Rate - 8.3% 8.4% 8.8% 12.7% 7.9% 

Federal Service Separations 358 418 437 456 408 388 

Net Turnover Rate - 7.1% 7.5% 7.8% 7.1% 6.8% 

91 
C 

FY2008: Average Salary by Community 

and Generation 

New Net-Gen Net-Gen Gen X Gen X Gen X Boomer Boomer Boomer Boom+ Boom+ 

Hires 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65+ 

2210 $49K $60.8K $70.2K $77.6K $77.7K $80.6K $85.1K $81.9K $82.7K $74.5K 

1550 $52.1K $60.9K $71.3K $84.3K $88.4K $92.3K $102.5K $98.3K $95K $104.3K 

0855 $51.6K $58.4K $64.7K $74.5K $85.4K $89.8K $88.9K $106.4K $109.3K $116.1K 

0854 $54.2K $59.2K $76.4K $86K $94.1K $107.1K $96.3K $124.8K $0K $101K 

0391 $46.3K $54.1K $62.5K $66.5K $66.6K $70.4K $72.2K $63.9K $68.3K $78.1K 

On Net-Gen Net-Gen Gen X Gen X Gen X Boomer Boomer Boomer Boom+ Boom+ 

Board 20–24 25–29 30–34 35–39 40–44 45–49 50–54 55–59 60–64 65+ 

2210 $50.2K $64.6K $73.6K $81.7K $86.3K $88.9K $91.2K $93.2K $93.4K $95.8K 

1550 $57.3K $71.9K $81.6K $90.3K $101.1K $106.1K $106.7K $111.1K $116.8K $120.2K 

0855 $55.6K $70.1K $79.6K $90.5K $102.9K $107K $106.7K $109K $111.5K $113.4K 

0854 $57.5K $72.6K $82.7K $93.2K $101.8K $107.6K $108.9K $109K $111.2K $114.3K 

0391 $46.3K $56.6K $64K $73K $76.3K $80K $82.2K $85.1K $87K $88.6K 

FY2008: Gender Representation by Community 

and Generation 

Net-Gen Gen X Boomer/+ 

Community Gender 19–29 30–44 45+ Total 

IT Management - 2210 Male 72% 67% 72% 64% 

Female 28% 33% 38% 36% 

Computer Science - 1550 Male 79% 70% 72% 72% 

Female 21% 30% 28% 28% 

Electronics Engineering - 0855 Male 84% 86% 93% 90% 

Female 16% 14% 7% 10% 

Computer Engineering - 0854 Male 86% 79% 82% 82% 

Female 14% 21% 18% 18% 

Telecommunications Male 84% 81% 79% 80% 

Management - 0391 Female 16% 19% 21% 20% 

Data Source: Appendix C was compiled using publicly available federal IT workforce data from www.fedscope.opm.gov. 

92 
FY2008: 2210 Minority Representation by Generation 

Net-Gen Minority 

Non-Minority 

36% 

64% 

Gen X Minority 

Non-Minority 

36% 

64% 

Boomer/+ Minority 

Non-Minority 

29% 

71% 

FY2008: 1550 Minority Representation by Generation 

Net-Gen Minority 

Non-Minority 

29% 

71% 

Gen X Minority 

Non-Minority 

33% 

67% 

Boomer/+ Minority 

Non-Minority 

21% 

79% 

FY2008: 2210 Racial/Ethnic Population Distribution 

by Grade 

GS5 White 0% 

Black 1% 

Hispanic 0% 

Asian 0% 

GS7 White 1% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 2% 

Asian 1% 

GS9 White 6% 

Black 7% 

Hispanic 9% 

Asian 5% 

GS11 White 14% 

Black 14% 

Hispanic 20% 

Asian 11% 

GS12 White 25% 

Black 14% 

Hispanic 20% 

Asian 11% 

GS13 White 22% 

Black 22% 

Hispanic 17% 

Asian 27% 

GS14 White 10% 

Black 9% 

Hispanic 6% 

Asian 13% 

GS15 White 4% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 2% 

Asian 3% 

N/A White 18% 

Black 16% 

Hispanic 19% 

Asian 15% 

FY2008: 1550 Racial/Ethnic Population Distribution 

by Grade 

GS5 White 0% 

Black 0% 

Hispanic 0% 

Asian 0% 

GS7 White 2% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 2% 

Asian 1% 

GS9 White 2% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 3% 

Asian 3% 

GS11 White 6% 

Black 11% 

Hispanic 7% 

Asian 5% 

GS12 White 15% 

Black 20% 

Hispanic 16% 

Asian 19% 

GS13 White 29% 

Black 24% 

Hispanic 27% 

Asian 24% 

GS14 White 10% 

Black 7% 

Hispanic 7% 

Asian 8% 

GS15 White 8% 

Black 5% 

Hispanic 3% 

Asian 5% 

N/A White 28% 

Black 29% 

Hispanic 35% 

Asian 35% 

C 

93 
FY2008: 0855 Minority Representation by Generation 

Net-Gen Minority 

Non-Minority 

34% 

66% 

Gen X Minority 

Non-Minority 

33% 

67% 

Boomer + Minority 

Non-Minority 

24% 

76% 

FY2008: 0854 Minority Representation by Generation 

Net-Gen Minority 

Non-Minority 

29% 

71% 

Gen X Minority 

Non-Minority 

38% 

62% 

Boomer + Minority 

Non-Minority 

26% 

74% 

FY2008: 0855 Racial/Ethnic Population Distribution 

by Grade 

GS5	 White 0% 

Black 0% 

Hispanic 0% 

Asian 0% 

GS7 White 1% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 1%
 

Asian 1%
 

GS9 White 1% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 4%
 

Asian 0% 

GS11 White 2% 

Black 3% 

Hispanic 4%
 

Asian 3%
 

GS12 White 11% 

Black 13% 

Hispanic 13%
 

Asian 16%
 

GS13 White 30% 

Black 24% 

Hispanic 24%
 

Asian 25% 

GS14 White 12% 

Black 9% 

Hispanic 9%
 

Asian 7%
 

GS15 White 10% 

Black 5% 

Hispanic 4%
 

Asian 4%
 

N/A White 33% 

Black 41% 

Hispanic 41%
 

Asian 42%
 

FY2008: 0854 Racial/Ethnic Population Distribution 

by Grade 

GS5 White 0% 

Black 0% 

Hispanic 0% 

Asian 0% 

GS7 White 2% 

Black 0%
 

Hispanic 2%
 

Asian 2% 

GS9 White 2% 

Black 1%
 

Hispanic 0%
 

Asian 2%
 

GS11 White 4% 

Black 7%
 

Hispanic 5%
 

Asian 5% 

GS12 White 19% 

Black 20%
 

Hispanic 27%
 

Asian 28% 

GS13 White 32% 

Black 32%
 

Hispanic 27%
 

Asian 31%
 

GS14 White 12% 

Black 13%
 

Hispanic 7%
 

Asian 9% 

GS15 White 8% 

Black 7%
 

Hispanic 4%
 

Asian 4% 

N/A White 20% 

Black 20%
 

Hispanic 29%
 

Asian 18% 

C 

94 
C 

FY2008: 0391 Minority Representation by Generation 

Net-Gen Minority 

Non-Minority 

24% 

76% 

Gen X Minority 

Non-Minority 

30% 

70% 

Boomer + Minority 

Non-Minority 

29% 

71% 

FY2008: 0391 Racial/Ethnic Population Distribution 

by Grade 

GS5 White 0% 

Black 0% 

Hispanic 0% 

Asian 0% 

GS7 White 2% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 2% 

Asian 0% 

GS9 White 9% 

Black 8% 

Hispanic 9% 

Asian 10% 

GS11 White 19% 

Black 21% 

Hispanic 21% 

Asian 23% 

GS12 White 20% 

Black 21% 

Hispanic 30% 

Asian 21% 

GS13 White 17% 

Black 20% 

Hispanic 12% 

Asian 9% 

GS14 White 6% 

Black 6% 

Hispanic 3% 

Asian 5% 

GS15 White 2% 

Black 2% 

Hispanic 1% 

Asian 0% 

N/A White 24% 

Black 20% 

Hispanic 21% 

Asian 32% 

95 
D 

IT Occupational Forecast for 2018 

Related Education 

Department of Labor Occupation Description Job Titles Series Requirement 

Computer and Information Plan, coordinate, and IT Directors or 2210, Usually requires 

Systems Managers direct research and Managers, Chief 1550, a bachelor’s 

facilitate the computer- Technology 0854 degree, and 

related activities of Officers, often, a graduate 

the organization. Management degree is 

Manage technology Information preferred for 

implementation, Systems Directors, management 

business planning, Project Managers, positions. 

network security, and IT Information Wide variety of 

operations. Security Managers certifications 

or Specialists, available. 

Network Managers 

Computer Operators Oversee the operation Computer 0332 Typically requires 

of computer hardware Operators on-the-job 

systems, ensuring that training. 

machines run efficiently 

and securely. 

Computer Programmers Write, test, and Application 2210, In 2006, more 

maintain detailed Programmers, 1550, than 68% of 

computer instructions Systems 0854 computer 

as well as design and Programmers, programmers 

test logical structures Programmer- had a bachelor’s 

for solving problems. Analysts degree or higher. 

Programmers often This percent 

are identified by the is expected to 

function they perform increase. 

or environment in 

which they work. 

Data Source: Appendix D was compiled using data from U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational 

Outlook Handbook, 2008–2009 and 2010–2011 Editions 

96 
D
 

Projected Employment 

Near to Long Term 2008 2018 Change by 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements Employment Employment 2018 Long Term Job Prospects 

Advanced technical knowledge in web 293,000 342,500 Increase 17%, Excellent, closely related 

applications and Internet technologies. growth faster to the growth of the 

Business insight. Knowledge of security than average. occupations they supervise. 

to be able to protect infrastructure and 

Internet sites. Keen understanding of 

people, management, processes, and 

customers’ needs. Specialized technical 

knowledge. Strong communications 

skills, management skills and an 

understanding of business practices 

and principles. Strong interpersonal and 

leadership skills. 

Familiar with a variety of operating 110,000 89,500	 Rapidly Face the higher competition 

systems and knowledge of the declining by for fewer openings that will 

latest technology, analytical and 19%. require more highly skilled 

communication skills. Able to work work as many routine tasks 

independently. Automation of routine are automated. Advances in 

tasks will shift work responsibilities to technology will continue to 

network operations, user support, and eliminate the need for human 

database maintenance areas. interaction. 

Knowledge of a variety of operating 426,700 414,000 Slow decline Numerous openings will 

systems, able to configure and adapt by 3%. result from the need to 

operating systems. Able to work with replace programmers. 

database systems (i.e., DB2, Oracle, or The consolidation and 

Sybase) and object-oriented languages centralization of systems and 

and tools (i.e., C++, Java). Familiar applications, developments 

with 4th and 5th generation languages, in packaged software, 

computer-assisted software engineering advances in programming 

(CASE) tools, and multimedia technology. languages and tools, and the 

Attention to detail. Teamwork, rising ability of users able to 

communication, business, and analytical design, write, and implement 

skills. Knowledge of the latest technology their own programs; 

to include programming languages will mean that more 

and techniques that apply to computer programming functions can 

networking, database management and be performed by other types 

Internet application development. Able of information workers. Has 

to support data communications and the higher risk of offshore 

help implement business strategies in outsourcing. 

client/server, Web-based, and wireless 

environments. Knowledge of digital 

security issues and skilled in applying 

security technology. 

97 
D
 

Related Education 

Department of Labor Occupation Description Job Titles Series Requirement 

Computer Scientists and 	 Work supports new Computer 1550, Prerequisite 

Database Administrators	 areas of specialization Scientists, Database 0854, for many jobs 

or changes that result Administrators, 2210 is a bachelor’s 

from rapidly and Network Systems degree, but 

continually evolving and Data some jobs may 

technology. Communications require only a 

Analysts, Network 2-year degree. 

Architects, Internet Computer 

Developers, Web Scientists in the 

Developers, research area 

Web Designers, may require a 

Webmasters Ph.D. 

Computer Scientists and 

Database Administrators Subgroup Description 

Computer and Work as theorists, researchers, or inventors. Work requires higher level of 

Information Scientists, Research theoretical expertise and innovation to address complex problems and the 

creation or application of new technology. 

Database Administrators Work with database management systems software and determine ways to 

organize and store data. 

Network Systems and Design, test, and evaluate systems and networks, and other data 

Data Communications Analysts communications systems. Perform network modeling, analysis, and planning, 

often requiring both hardware and software solutions. 

Computer Specialists, Work may include: Integrate computer and communications equipment. Design 

all other voice and data communications systems. Supervise the installation of systems, 

and provide maintenance and other services. Design, develop, and maintain 

websites and servers. 

98 
D 

Projected Employment 

Near to Long Term 2008 2018 Change by Long Term 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements Employment Employment 2018 Job Prospects 

Knowledgeable about network, 650,600 865,200 Increase of 33%, growth Excellent job prospects 

data, and communications much faster than average. as demand increases 

security. Skilled in developing and to facilitate sharing 

supporting Internet and intranet information and 

applications. Ability to apply protecting systems and 

technology to more effectively networks caused by 

communicate with employees, expansion of electronic 

clients, and consumers. Broad commerce and greater 

knowledge of computer systems need to safeguard 

and technologies, business information. 

management, strong problemsolving and analytical skills, 

interpersonal and team skills, 

physical sciences, mathematics, 

engineering, graphic design. 

28,900 35,900 Computer and Information 

Scientists, Research 

(Increase of 24%). 

120,400 144,700 Database Administrators 

(Increase of 20%). 

292,000 447,800 Network Systems and Data 

Communications Analysts 

(Increase of 53%). 

209,300 236,800 Computer Specialists, all 

other (Increase of 13%). 

99 
D
 

Related Education 

Department of Labor Occupation Description Job Titles Series Requirement 

Computer Software Engineers Apply the principles Computer 0854 At least a bachelor’s 

of computer science Applications degree in computer 

and mathematical Software Engineers, engineering, 

analysis to the design, Computer Systems computer science, 

development, testing, Software Engineers) or computer 

and evaluation of the information systems. 

software and systems Some vendor 

that make computers certifications 

work. As technology available. 

evolves, so too do new 

areas of specialization. 

Computer Software 

Engineers Subgroup Description 

Computer Applications Software Work involves the user needs analysis, design, development, and maintenance 

Engineers of general computer applications software or specialized utility program, which 

may include package systems or systems software or creation of customized 

applications. 

Computer Systems Work involves the coordination of development, maintenance, protection, and 

Software Engineers expansion of an organization’s computer systems, which may include intranets. 

Computer Support Specialists Work involves Computer Support 2210, Greater prospects 

and Systems Administrators providing advice Specialists, 0335, for college graduto users, day-to­ Technical Support 0332 ates with degrees in 

day administration, Specialists, computer science or 

maintenance, and Helpdesk information systems. 

support of computer Technicians, Demand for strong 

systems and networks. Network and computer skills will 

Computer Systems continue to qualify 

Administrators, entry-level positions 

Systems without college deAdministrators, grees. Certifications 

Computer Security are essential. 

Specialists 

100 
D 

Projected Employment 

Near to Long Term 	 2008 2018 Change by 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements Employment Employment 2018	 Long Term Job Prospects 

Knowledge of the latest technology. 909,600 1,204,800	 Increase of 32%, Excellent, largest 

Strong programming, systems analy­ growth much faster employment increase of 

sis, interpersonal, business, problem- than the average. any occupation spurred 

solving, and analytical skills. Ability to by the creation of 

effectively communicate. Skills in the sophisticated technological 

industry in which they work. Internet, innovations. Though 

intranet, and web applications. Ability outsourcing may temper 

to implement, safeguard, and update the growth, the occupation 

computer systems and resolve prob­ is less vulnerable to 

lems. Skills to support the new growth outsourcing as the work 

areas stemming from the increasing requires innovation and 

uses of the Internet, the prolifera­ intense research and 

tion of websites, mobile technology, development. 

hand-held computers, and wireless 

networks. Skills to support the integration of current computer systems with 

new, more mobile technology. Strong 

business skills and training could lead 

to a career progression of project 

manager, information systems manager, and/or CIO positions. 

514,800 689,900 Computer 

Applications 

Software Engineers 

(Increase of 34%). 

394,800 515,000 Computer Systems 

Software Engineers 

(Increase of 30%). 

Latest technological skills. Strong 

fundamental computer skills 

combined with good interpersonal 

and communication skills. Knowledge 

of new mobile technologies. Skills 

in safeguarding data, systems, and 

networks. Wide skill requirement is 

expected as the increasing use of 

electronic commerce and adoption 

of mobile technologies will require 

support to help use new technology 

to communicate with employees and 

customers. 

905,200 1,062,100	 Increase of 17%, 

growth much faster 

than the average. 

Demand will grow as 

new technologies and 

the security of data 

and systems increases, 

generating many new 

systems administrator 

jobs. The demand may 

be tempered for network 

and computer systems 

administrators by off-shore 

outsourcing as technology 

will increasingly enable 

computer systems to be 

managed remotely. 

101 
D 

Related Education 

Department of Labor Occupation Description Job Titles Series Requirement 

Computer Support Specialists 

and System Administators Subgroup Description 

Computer Support Specialist: Provide technical assistance, support, and advice to customers. May install, modify, 

Technical Support Specialists, clean, and repair computer hardware and software as well as support user training. 

Helpdesk Technicians 

Network and Computer System Design, install, and support an organization’s computer systems, local-area networks, 

Administrators: System Administra­ wide-area networks, network segments, and Internet and Intranet systems. May plan, 

tors, Computer Security Specialists coordinate, and implement network security measures, including user security training. 

Computer Systems Analysts Work related to Computer Systems 2210, Preference is at least 

solving computer Analyst, System 1550, a bachelor’s degree. 

problems and use of Architects, Systems 0854 If in a technical envicomputer technology Designers, ronment, may need a 

to meet the needs Software Quality degree in computer 

of an organization. Assurance Analysts science, information 

Systems architects science, applied mathhelp an organization ematics, engineering, 

select the proper or the physical scisystems software and ences. If in a business 

infrastructure. Systems environment, may 

designers develop need a degree in manand fine-tune systems. agement information 

Software quality systems or a master’s 

assurance analysts degree in business 

do more in-depth administration with a 

testing as they work concentration in inforwith programmers to mation systems. For 

eliminate errors. more technically complex jobs, a graduate 

degree is preferred. 

Top Executives Chief Information Chief Information 2210, Formal education 

(includes Chief Information Officer Officer: Responsible Officer (also and required. 

(CIO) as well as Chief Executive 

Officer, Chief Operating Officer, 

Chief Financial Officer, General and 

Operations Manager) 

Chief Executive for the overall other 

Officer, Chief technological direction series 

Operating Officer, of their organization Chief Financial and involved in Officer, General strategic business and Operations planning. Manager) 

102 
D 

Projected Employment 

Near to Long Term 2008 2018 Change by 

Knowledge and Skill Requirements Employment Employment 2018 Long Term Job Prospects 

565,700 643,700 Computer Support Specialist 

(Increase of 14%). 

339,500 418,400 Network and Computer System 

Administrators (Increase of 23%). 

Latest technical skills, especially in 532,200 640,300 Increase by Very good with strong 

information security. Knowledgeable 20%, growth job growth and need for 

about systems integration and much faster replacement of workers. 

network, data, and communications than the Growth may be tempered 

security. Good interpersonal and average. somewhat as jobs are 

business skills. In addition to the latest outsourced. 

technical skills, the ability to integrate 

Internet, wireless, and mobile 

computer technologies into business 

is increasing as is the information 

security. Strong leadership and 

business skills could lead to a career 

progression of information systems 

manager and/or CIO positions. 

2,133,500 2,125,700 Little to no Keen competition, many 

change executives who leave 

Note: Note: their jobs transfer to other 

Specific 

numbers for 

Specific 

numbers for 

executive positions that 

creates a barrier for new 

CIOs are not CIOs are not entrants. 

available. available. 

103 
E 

FY2007: Time Off Awards by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Average Average 

Major Dept/ Individual Rate/100 Award Group Rate/100 Award 

Agency Members Time Off Employees Amount Time Off Employees Amount 

of the CIO Council* Awards (in hours) in Hours Awards (in hours) in hours 

AID 47 1.9 13.1 0 0 0 

Agriculture 7,649 7.5 16.9 1,977 1.9 12.3 

Commerce 1,270 3.1 12.8 259 0.6 13.4 

Department of the Air Force 76,645 56.9 19.0 15,851 11.8 8..7 

Department of the Army 43,265 20.4 19.7 645 0.3 14.2 

Department of the Navy 20,578 11.9 14.9 14,559 8.4 11.0 

Education 219 5.0 12.0 114 2.6 8.2 

Energy 1,238 8.3 18.9 1,091 7.3 14.8 

EPA 5,667 31.3 17.3 875 4.8 7.8 

GSA 42 0.3 21.5 260 2.2 8.5 

HHS 7,908 7.5 16.9 2,075 3.1 11.5 

Homeland Security 27,797 16.7 14.7 3,501 2.1 12.3 

HUD 2,437 25.1 13.1 93 1.0 10.5 

Interior 10,315 14.4 16.3 1,445 2.0 6.2 

Justice 22,684 21.4 13.8 4,175 3.9 12.0 

Labor 2,384 15.5 10.6 3 <0.1 16.0 

NASA 3,324 18.1 16.8 1,345 7.3 136 

NRC 187 5.1 16.0 85 2.3 10.0 

NSF 0 0 0 0 0 0 

OMB 0 0 0 0 0 0 

OPM 116 2.1 12.9 17 0.3 8.9 

SBA 1,298 25.1 9.2 0 0 0 

SSA 28 <0.1 2.3 0 0 0 

State 118 1.1 21.8 9 0.1 15.1 

Transportation 1,053 11.7 17.6 536 6.0 12.9 

Treasury 12,430 11.3 34.3 575 0.5 13.0 

VA 7,522 3.1 8.4 13,964 5.7 7.0 

*Agencies with populations of less than 1,501 were not listed separately and Department of Defense data was not aggregated 

in the OPM Federal Awards Statistics for Fiscal Year 2007 report (the latest available report as of publication of this guide). 

Additionally, this OPM report does not provide data by occupational series. 

104 
F 

FY2007: Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Statistics by Federal CIO 

Council Membership 

Major Dept/Agency 

CIO Council Members* 

Average 

FY2007 

Payment R

Total 

LRP 

ecipients 

2210 

or 

2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 R

% of 

IT LRP 

ecipients 

AID 

Agriculture $7,626 53 1 1 2% 

Commerce $6,535 3 0% 

Defense $3,378 1,860 86 19 90 32 12% 

Education $5,488 4 

Energy $6,767 68 1 1 3% 

EPA $5,598 14 0% 

GSA $7,677 9 1 11% 

HHS $7,680 144 0% 

Homeland Security $7,813 71 1 1% 

HUD $3,342 179 6 3% 

Interior $8,292 41 3 7% 

Justice $8,347 2,463 75 2 1 9 4% 

Labor $5,279 36 1 3% 

NASA $6,794 38 0% 

NRC $9,192 15 0% 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM $3,333 6 0% 

SBA 

SSA 

State** $5,976 626 21 3% 

Transportation $9,226 36 1 3% 

Treasury $5,115 26 9 35% 

VA*** $7,716 129 13 10% 

*The average payment across the entire Federal Government was $6,377.
 

**The State Department also provided loan repayment benefits to 16 Information Management (FS-2880) and 1 Information 


Management Tech (FS-2882) individuals.
 

***The VA also has separate student loan authority repayment authority under 38 USC 7681 for certain healthcare occupations.
 

Data Source: Federal Student Loan Repayment Program Fiscal Year 2007 Report to Congress by the Office of Personnel 

Management. 

105 
F 

CY2008: Loan Repayment Program (LRP) Statistics by Federal CIO 

Council Membership 

Average Total 2210 % of 

Major Dept/Agency CY2007 LRP or IT LRP 

CIO Council Members ayment* P Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 Recipients 

AID $7,237 114 0% 

Agriculture $7,596 48 2 4% 

Commerce $7,505 10 1 10% 

Defense $6,063 1,286 15 13 55 18 8% 

Education $5,333 3 

Energy $4,999 105 3 2 5% 

EPA $5,683 15 1 6% 

GSA $6,233 64 2 3% 

HHS $7,590 287 2 0.7% 

Homeland Security $7,546 80 5 6% 

HUD $2,752 251 4 2% 

Interior $6,997 60 4 7% 

Justice $8,973 2,610 71 2 4 5 3% 

Labor $7,335 3 

NASA $5,052 7 

NRC $9,115 21 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM $8,500 4 

SBA 

SSA 

State** $6,442 713 19 3% 

Transportation $9,797 37 1 3% 

Treasury $4,593 51 9 18% 

VA $8,056 130 18 14% 

*The average payment across the entire Federal Government was $7,511.
 

**The State Department also provided loan repayment benefits to 15 Information Management (FS-2880), 1 Information 


Management Tech (FS-2882) and 2 Information Tech Management (FS-2884) individuals.
 

Data Source: Federal Student Loan Repayment Program Calendar Year 2008 Report to Congress by the Office of Personnel 

Management. 

106 
G 

CY2007: Recruitment Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Recruitment 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 

Agriculture 368 1 

Commerce 957 18 2 1 1 

Defense 4,033 56 64 317 43 6 

Education 1 

Energy 85 3 

EPA 17 1 

GSA 10 

HHS 349 2 

Homeland Security 108 1 

HUD 1 

Interior 46 1 

Justice 240 11 2 

Labor 27 3 

NASA 64 1 2 3 

NRC 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM 2 

SBA 

SSA 4 2 

State 

Transportation 41 1 

Treasury 34 2 

VA 1,223 3 

There were 5,658 recruitment incentives paid to individuals in the General Schedule; another 2,158 awards were received by 

individuals across 42 other pay plans. 

Data Source: Recruitment, Relocation, and Retention Incentives Calendar Year 2007 Report to Congress by the Office of 

Personnel Management. 

107 
G 

CY2007: Retention Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Retention 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 33 32 1 

Agriculture 96 1 

Commerce 173 3 3 7 2 1 

Defense 11,058 335 145 2,299 28 66 

Education 

Energy 136 1 1 

EPA 15 5 1 

GSA 20 10 

HHS 2,098 55 2 2 1 

Homeland Security 656 3 1 

HUD 3 

Interior 91 3 

Justice 1,528 17 2 4 1 

Labor 5 2 

NASA 13 

NRC 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM 1 

SBA 

SSA 4 3 

State* 1,038 285 2 18 

Transportation 11 1 

Treasury 118 40 

VA 5,606 31 1 1 

*The State Department also provided retention bonuses to 372 Information Management (FS-2880), 78 Information 

Management Tech (FS-2882), and 138 IT Management (FS-2884) personnel. 

108 
G 

CY2007: Relocation Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Relocation 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 

Agriculture 77 2 

Commerce 11 2 

Defense 1,093 31 5 26 3 1 

Education 

Energy 22 2 1 

EPA 

GSA 19 

HHS 141 1 

Homeland Security 21 2 

HUD 2 

Interior 31 1 

Justice 145 2 

Labor 7 

NASA 21 

NRC 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM 1 

SBA 

SSA 

State 

Transportation 3 1 

Treasury 25 

VA 350 8 

109 
G 

CY2008: Recruitment Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Recruitment 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 1 

Agriculture 297 5 

Commerce 1,402 27 1 

Defense 5,455 111 84 327 69 2 

Education 

Energy 163 2 

EPA 19 

GSA 7 

HHS 527 3 

Homeland Security 240 11 1 

HUD 

Interior 54 4 

Justice 607 11 3 2 

Labor 29 

NASA 86 2 2 1 

NRC 

NSF 2 

OMB 

OPM 4 

SBA 1 

SSA 3 3 

State 

Transportation 39 1 

Treasury 160 4 1 

VA 2,131 8 1 

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) publicly released the Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives Calendar 

Year 2008 Report to the Congress in March 2010, too late to include the data within Chapter 2 of this guide. These tables, 

based on the 2008 report, are provided as supplemental information. 

There were 11,396 recruitment incentives paid in CY2008, a 46% increase from CY2007 in total awards received. A total of 199 

incentives were paid to individuals in the 2210 series (versus 108 paid in CY2007), with 4% of new hires receiving an award. 

Forty-one percent of newly hired Computer Scientists received a recruitment incentive in CY2008 (up from 17% in 2007), while 

36% (332) of new Electronics Engineers and 26% (70) of Computer Engineers did so. 

110 
G 

CY2008: Retention Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Retention 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391
 

AID 8
 6
 1
 

Agriculture 91
 6
 

Commerce 193
 3
 8 6 2
 

Defense* 11,815 437
 109 1,354 27 86
 

Education 

Energy 347
 1 1
 

EPA 13
 5
 

GSA 19
 8
 

HHS 1,971 54
 3 2 1
 

Homeland Security 25
 5
 

HUD 1
 

Interior 84
 4
 1
 

Justice 2,158 21
 1 3 10
 

Labor 12
 4
 

NASA 20
 1
 

NRC 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM 

SBA 

SSA 4
 4
 

State** 1,071 235
 12
 

Transportation 21
 4
 

Treasury 130
 24
 

VA 6,713 107
 1 1
 

There were 24,808 retention incentives received in 2008. In the 2210 community, 970 individuals received an award, an 


increase of 139 over CY2007. In the Electronics Engineering 0855 series, 1,362 engineers received a retention incentive, down 


from 2,314 recipients in 2007. The number of awards to other series in the Major Federal IT Community remained small. 


*DoD data for the 0855 series was extrapolated, due to a missing data field on page 75 of the 2008 OPM report.
 

**The State Department also proved retention incentives to 540 Information Management (FP-2880), 77 Information 


Management Tech (FP-2882), and 55 Information Tech Management (FP-2884) individuals.
 

111 
G 

CY2008: Relocation Incentives by Federal CIO Council Membership 

Total 

Major Dept/ Relocation 2210 

Agency Members Bonus or 

of the CIO Council Recipients 2299 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 

Agriculture 88 1 

Commerce 16 3 

Defense 2,123 71 18 64 19 6 

Education 

Energy 47 2 1 1 

EPA 1 

GSA 13 

HHS 56 3 

Homeland Security 45 1 

HUD 2 

Interior 45 1 

Justice 238 6 

Labor 1 

NASA 21 

NRC 

NSF 

OMB 

OPM 1 

SBA 2 

SSA 

State 

Transportation 3 

Treasury 46 1 

VA 544 9 

112 
H 

FY2009 Distribution of the Major Federal IT Population Across the Federal 

CIO Council Membership 

Major Department/Agency Members 

of the CIO Council 2210 1550 0855 0854 0391 

AID 67 1 0 0 0 

Agriculture 3,449 6 34 1 108 

Commerce 3,333 232 303 27 84 

Defense 30,121 4,787 16,870 3,204 3,297 

Education 211 1 0 0 1 

Energy 635 24 93 14 16 

EPA 648 9 0 4 8 

GSA 667 0 5 0 178 

HHS 2,529 204 61 29 387 

Homeland Security 2,546 15 97 14 570 

HUD 218 0 0 0 5 

Interior 2,381 63 23 18 162 

Justice 2,955 47 126 10 511 

Labor 696 0 2 0 7 

NASA 374 188 838 904 20 

NRC 173 0 25 0 8 

NSF 99 38 1 2 0 

OMB 12 0 0 0 0 

OPM 160 0 0 0 8 

SBA 126 0 0 0 4 

SSA 3,911 4 0 0 6 

State 653 3 8 0 107 

Transportation 1,961 194 903 77 75 

Treasury 6,426 34 7 34 156 

VA 5,981 3 4 7 182 

Total 70,382 5,853 19,400 4,345 5,900 

Non-Council Agencies 1,975 12 295 9 89 

Grand Total 72,357 5,865 19,695 4,354 5,989 

Data Source: Appendix H was compiled using publicly available federal IT workforce data from www.fedscope.opm.gov. 

113 
H 

FY2009 Personnel Update 

2210 1550 0855 0854 0391 

Personnel Strength 72,357 5,865 19,695 4,354 5,989 

% Change from FY2008 5.4% 8.5% 2.0% 3.6% 3.5% 

New Hires 6,540 593 1,201 294 594 

Agency Transfer-In 661 27 68 31 52 

All Accessions 7,201 620 1,269 325 646 

Quit 649 67 130 46 78 

Retirement 1,682 45 308 35 151 

Reduction in Force (RIF) 5 0 1 0 0 

Termination or Removal 416 23 52 9 74 

Death 132 4 29 3 12 

Other Separation 1 0 0 0 0 

Federal Service Separations 2,885 139 520 93 315 

% Change from FY2008 -23.4% -48.5% -38.2% -44.6% -18.8% 

Agency Transfer-Out 981 56 155 41 92 

All Separations 3,866 195 675 134 407 

Net Turnover Rate 4.1% 2.5% 2.7% 2.2% 5.3% 

Gross Turnover Rate 5.5% 3.5% 3.5% 3.1% 6.9% 

Turnover Rate Calculations: The turnover rates calculated in Appendix H were derived by dividing annual losses by average 

personnel strength (adding the beginning and end of fiscal year personnel strength, and dividing by two). Gross turnover is the 

rate of total movement within the force, i.e., both separations from federal service and agency transfers. This number is useful 

since it describes the “total churn” within the Major Federal IT Population. Net turnover calculates the more typical turnover 

rate, which is based solely on separations from federal service. 

114 
115
 
End Notes 

Chapter 1: Defining the Federal IT Workforce 

1. Clinger-Cohen Act, U.S. Code 40 (2007), §11101. 

2. United States Office of Personnel Management, Occupations of Federal White-Collar and Blue-Collar Workers 

As of September 30,1997, Table W-C1, http://www.opm.gov/FedData/ocwcbc97.pdf. 

Chapter 2: Current Workforce Environment 

1. All FY2007-FY2009 personnel strength data cited in this chapter were obtained from the U.S. Office of 

Personnel Management’s (OPM) publicly available online tool, FedScope. FY1997 data cited were from the OPM 

publication, Occupations of Federal White-Collar and Blue-Collar Workers As of September 30,1997. 

2. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, 

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm. 

Chapter 3: Forecast of Future Labor Supply and Demand 

1. Tamara Erickson, Retire Retirement: Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation (Boston: Harvard Business 

Press, 2008), 80-81. 

2. United States Office of Personnel Management, An Analysis of Federal Employee Retirement Data Predicting 

Future Retirements and Examining Factors Relevant to Retiring from the Federal Service, April 2008, 5. 

3. United States Office of Personnel Management, Federal Workforce Overview FY 1994 - FY 2004 Special Focus 

Research Brief, April 2006, 11. 

4. United States Office of Personnel Management, An Analysis of Federal Employee Retirement Data Predicting 

Future Retirements and Examining Factors Relevant to Retiring from the Federal Service, April 2008, 8. 

5. Lynn Taylor, “How to Manage Gen U: Generation Unretired,” BusinessWeek, November 17, 2009, http://www. 

businessweek.com/managing/content/nov2009/ca20091116_911018.htm. 

6. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Working in the 21st Century, Annual Rates of Labor Force 

Growth 1950-2025” chart, July 2008, http://www.bls.gov/opub/working/chart1.pdf. 

7. Arlene Dohm and Lynn Shniper, “Employment Outlook - Occupational Employment Projections to 2016,” 

Monthly Labor Review, Vol. 130, No. 11, November 2007, 86. 

8. Ibid. 

9. Ibid. 

10. United States Government Accountability Office, GAO-05-620T, Testimony Before the Special Committee 

on Aging, U.S. Senate, “REDEFINING RETIREMENT: Options for Older Americans,” Statement of Barbara D. 

Bovbjerg, Director Education, Workforce, and Income Security, April 27, 2005, 4. 

11. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, 

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos305.htm. 

12. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2008, 

Table 271, 398. 

13. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens (nGenera Corporation, 2008), 3. 

14. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, The Condition of Education 2009, 

Figure 11-1, 25, http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/2009/charts/chart11.asp?popup=true. 

15. William J. Hussar and Tabitha M. Bailey, Projections of Education Statistics to 2018, NCES 2009-062, National 

Center for Education Statistics, Institute of Education Sciences, September 2009, 14. 

16. U.S. Department of Education, National Center of Education Statistics, The Condition of Education 2008 in 

Brief, NCES 2008-032, 14. 

17. Ibid. 

18. Sylvia Ann Hewlett, Carolyn Buck Luce, and Lisa J. Servon, “Stopping the Exodus of Women in Science,” 

Harvard Business Review, June 2008, http://hbr.org/2008/06/stopping-the-exodus-of-women-in-science/ar/1 

116 
End Notes
 

19. John Markoff, “Computer Science Programs Make a Comeback in Enrollment,” The New York Times, March 

17, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/17/science/17comp.html?_r=1. 

20. Eleanor Chute, “Lack of Diversity Part of Equation in STEM Fields,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 10, 

2009, http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09041/947952-298.stm#ixzz0gelaZ0ir 

21. William J. Hussar and Tabitha M. Bailey, Projections of Education Statistics to 2017, NCES 2008-078, U.S. 

Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2008, 10,13. 

22. American Council on Education Issue Brief, Students on the Move: The Future of International Students in the 

United States, October 2006, http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=InfoCenter&CONTENTID=18573 

&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm 

23. Phil Murphy, Alex Cullen, with Marc Cecere, Tim DeGennaro, Skills Assessment – A 21st Century Imperative 

for CIOs (Forrester Research Inc., September 13, 2007), 1. 

24. Gregg Carlstrom, “Converting from COBOL-Agencies transition to newer programming languages,” Federal 

Times, September 15, 2008, 24-25. 

25. Dale Vecchio, Impact of Generational IT Skill Shift on Legacy Applications (Gartner Research ID Number: 

G00146492, March 14, 2007), 1. 

26. Phil Murphy, The Pending Legacy IT Skills Shortage, Baby Boomer Retirement Sets Stage for “A Perfect 

Storm” (Forrester, July 30, 2007) 

27. Partnership for Public Service. Where the Jobs Are: Mission Critical Opportunities for America, 2nd Edition, 

2007, 5. 

28. U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2010-2011 Edition, 

http://www.bls.gov/oco/. 

29. W.J. Hussar and T. M. Bailey, Projections of Education Statistics to 2017, NCES 2008-078, 13. 

30. U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Digest of Education Statistics 2007, 

Table 265, 396-410. 

31. Brian Prentice, The 20-Hour Job Description: Driving Digital Free Agency, (Gartner Research ID Number: 

G00147014, April 11, 2007). 

32. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, As Supervisors Retire: An Opportunity to Reshape Organizations, 

October 2009, 4. 

33. Ibid, i-ii. 

34. Association for Federal Information Resources Management, The Federal Chief Information Officer Twelfth 

Annual Top Ten Challenges Survey, December 2007, 6, 11. 

35. Association for Federal Information Resources Management, The Federal Chief Information Officer Thirteenth 

Annual Top Ten Challenges Survey, December 2008, 2, 15. 

36. Steven Ostrowski, “Go Wireless Young Tech Worker: CompTIA Survey Reveals Wireless Skills Will Top 

Future...”, Thomson Reuters Business Wire, April 7, 2008, http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/ 

idUS143694+07-Apr-2008+BW20080407. 

37. Robert Half International and Career Builder, The EDGE Report – A Preview of the Post Recession Job Market, 

September 2009, 2. 

38. Liz Ryan, “Yes, There’s Still a Talent War,” BusinessWeek, April 3, 2009, http://www.businessweek.com/ 

managing/content/apr2009/ca2009043_830365.htm. 

39. Meridith Levinson, “IT Skill Shortage Spells Opportunity for Unemployed Workers,” March 12, 2009, www.cio. 

com. 

40. Robert Half International and Career Builder, The EDGE Report – A Preview of the Post Recession Job Market, 

3. 

41. Robert Half Technology, “More Than Enough Work to Go Around,” news release December 15, 2009, http:// 

rht.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=131&item=865. 

42. Jennifer Deal, How Different Generations Are Reacting to the Recession – And What to Do about It (nGenera 

Corporation, 2009), 7. 

43. Ibid, 11. 

117 
End Notes
 

Chapter 4: Strategic Workforce Planning 

1. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, Job Simulations: Trying Out for a Federal Job, September 2009, 5, citing 

the work of Frank L. Schmidt and J.T. Russel described in the Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol 23, 1939, and 

Lyle Spencer in “The Economic Value of Emotional Intelligence Competencies and EIC-Based HR Programs,” The 

Emotionally Intelligent Workplace: How to Select for, Measure, and Improve Emotional Intelligence in Individuals, 

Groups, and Organizations. 

Chapter 5: Norms and Characteristics of the Net Generation 

1. John Geraci, Brendan Peat, and Stanley Rodos, Meet the Net Generation (New Paradigm Learning Corporation, 

December 2006), 5. 

2. Don Tapscott, grown up digital, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009), 74. 

3. Don Tapscott and Bill Gillies, The 8 N-Gen Norms: Characteristics of a Generation (New Paradigm Learning 

Corporation, February 6, 2007), 3. 

4. Janet Hardy and Bill Gillies, Attracting and Engaging the N-Gen Employee (New Paradigm Learning 

Corporation, June 2007), 10-11. 

5. Ibid. 

6. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens (nGenera Corporation, 2008), 8-9. 

7. Janet Hardy and Ian Da Silva, Finding the Right Balance: Developing a Total Rewards Strategy that Reflects Net 

Generation Values and Needs (New Paradigm, 2008), 15. 

8. Partnership for Public Service, Making the Difference, A Blueprint for Matching University Students with Federal 

Opportunities, October 2007, 6. 

9. The Council for Excellence in Government, The Appeal of Public Service: Who...What...and How? May 2008, 4. 

10. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens, 8-9. 

11. Ibid, 8. 

12. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008), 11-12. 

13. Don Tapscott and Bill Gillies, The 8 N-Gen Norms: Characteristics of a Generation,13. 

14. Ibid, 10, inside back cover. 

15. Ibid. 

16. Don Tapscott, grown up digital, (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009), 94. 

17. Don Tapscott and Bill Gillies, The 8 N-Gen Norms: Characteristics of a Generation, 10-11. 

18. Lisa Chen, Mike Dover, and John Geraci, The Generation Lap: Youth As Recognized Authorities (New 

Paradigm Learning Corporation, 2006), 1. 

19. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens, 29. 

20. Jean M. Twenge, Generation Me (New York: Free Press, 2006), 53. 

21. Anastasia Goodstein and Mike Dover, The Net Generation “Dark Side”: Myths and Realities of the Cohort in 

the Workplace and Marketplace (New Paradigm Learning Corporation, 2007), 6-7. 

22. Ibid, 7. 

23. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens, 23. 

24. The Pew Research Center for the Public and the Press, How Young People View Their Lives, Futures, and 

Politics: A Portrait of “Generation Next,” January 9, 2007,12. 

25. Ibid, 8. 

26. Anastasia Goodstein and Mike Dover, The Net Generation “Dark Side”: Myths and Realities of the Cohort in 

the Workplace and Marketplace, 2. 

27. Ibid, 19. 

28. Ryan Healy, “It’s Not 1968: Why You Should Trust Everyone over 30,” The Brazen Careerist blog, June 19, 

2008, www.brazencareerist.com/2008/06/19/it039. 

118 
End Notes
 

Chapter 6: Opportunities and Challenges of a Multi-Generational Workforce 

1. Bruce Sellery, Maximizing the Potential of All: Creating an Inclusive & Diverse Work Environment (nGenera 

Corporation, 2008), 6-7. 

2. Rebecca R. Hastings, “Silent Generation Speaks Up About Work,” HR Magazine, September 2008, http:// 

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_9_53/ai_n29460523/. 

3. Ibid. 

4. Ibid. 

5. Tamara Erickson, Retire Retirement; Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation (Boston: Harvard Business 

Press, 2008), 77-80. 

6. Carolyn A. Martin and Bruce Tulgan, Managing the Generation Mix: From Collision to Collaboration (Amherst: 

HRD Press, 2002), 6-7. 

7. Ibid. 

8. Tamara Erickson, “Our Generation X President’s First Year,” Harvard Business Review, January 26, 2010, http:// 

blogs.hbr.org/erickson/2010/01/our_first_year_with_a_generati.html 

9. Carolyn A. Martin and Bruce Tulgan, Managing the Generation Mix: From Collision to Collaboration, 29. 

10. Kris Dunn “Five Reasons Gen X Is Cool with Gen Y,” Workforce Management, www.workforce.com. 

11. Tamara Erickson and Dennis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting 

and Hiring the Right Net Gens (nGenera Corporation, 2008), 4. 

12. Jean M. Twenge and Richard Lauf, Fast Track to Success: Onboarding Net Gen Talent (nGenera Corporation, 

2008), 4. 

13. Jeffery H. Davis, “Managing Multiple Generations at Work,” Organizational Renewal Organization, AGA Sixth 

Annual National Leadership Conference, Washington, DC, February 21, 2008, 27. 

14. Elizabeth Guss and Mary C. Miller, Ethics and Generational Differences: Interplay Between Values and Ethical 

Business Decisions, Society of Human Resources Management White Paper. 

Chapter 7: Management and Employee Engagement 

1. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, The Power of Federal Employee Engagement, September 2008, 7-8. 

2. Federal Register, Volume 74, Number 236, December 10, 2009, Rules and Regulations, 65383-65390. 

3. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens (nGenera Corporation, 2008) 22. 

4. The Council for Excellence in Government & The Gallup Organization, Within Reach...But Out of Synch, The 

Possibilities and Challenges of Shaping Tomorrow’s Government Workforce, May 2007, 11. 

5. The Council for Excellence in Government & The Gallup Organization, The Appeal of Public Service: Who... 

What...And How? May 2008, 4. 

6. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes, Table 

1 (as reported in BusinessWeek) (nGenera Corporation, 2008), 8. 

7. Universum Group, The Universum American Student Survey, Universum Ideal Employer Top 100 Student 

Rankings, 2009, http://www.universumglobal.com/IDEAL-Employer-Rankings/The-National-Editions/AmericanStudent-Survey 

8. Tamra Hall, Building the Next-Generation IT Workforce (Gartner: 2006), 10. 

9. U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, The Power of Federal Employee Engagement, September 2008, 40-41. 

10. Carolyn Hirschman, “Playing the High-Stakes Hiring Game,” HR Magazine, March 15, 1998, BNET, http:// 

findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/is_n3_v43/ai_20853288/?tag=content;col1 

11. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008), 9. 

12. Janet Hardy and Ian Da Silva, Finding the Right Balance: Developing a Total Rewards Strategy that Reflects 

Net Generation Values and Needs (New Paradigm, May 2008), 6. 

13. Mike Dover and John Geraci, “Highlights of the 2008 Quantitative Study,” nGenera Talent 2.0 Meeting, 

Orlando, Florida, November 2008, 49. 

119 
End Notes
 

14. United States Office of Personnel Management, Federal Awards Statistics for Fiscal Year 2007, 2. 

15. Ibid. 

16. Ibid. 

17. United States Office of Personnel Management, Federal Human Capital Survey 2008, Results from the 2008 

Federal Human Capital Survey, 17. 

18. United States Office of Personnel Management, Federal Awards Statistics for Fiscal Year 2007, 2, 8-9. 

19. Ibid, 2. 

20. Anthony D. Williams and Alexander Tapscott, Gov 2.0 Wikinomics and Government Democracy (New 

Paradigm, 2008), 13. 

Chapter 8: Professional Development and Career Management 

1. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes, 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008),11. 

2. United States Office of Personnel Management, “Executive Core Qualifications,” http://www.opm.gov/ses/ 

recruitment/ecq.asp 

3. Ibid. 

4. Grant Buckler, Capturing N-Gen Mindshare and Attention: Designing and Implementing Multi-Dimensional 

Learning (New Paradigm Learning Corporation, 2008), 3. 

5. Ibid, 15. 

6. Entertainment Software Association, “Use of Video Game Technology in the Workplace Increasing,” June 23, 

2008, www.theesa.com. 

7. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens (nGenera Corporation, 2008), 21. 

8. Kathryn Tyler, “Generation gaps: millennials may be out of touch with the basics of workplace behavior, HR 

Magazine on BNET, January 2008, http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3495/. 

9. Jean M. Twenge and Richard Lauf, Fast Track to Success: Onboarding Net Gen Talent (nGenera Corporation, 

September 2008), 6. 

10. Diane Berry, “Bench Strength Performance, Supersize the Development Plan for your Next Generation 

Leaders,” Gartner Brief, 15. 

11. United States Office of Personnel Management, Best Practices: Mentoring, September 2008, 4-5. 

12. Lynda Gratton and Tamara J. Erickson, “Eight Ways to Build Collaborative Teams,” Harvard Business Review 

(reprint), November 2007, 7. 

13. Jeff DeChambeau, “From Competitive Instinct to Competitive Advantage: Gamers as Employees and 

Customers,” nGenera Insight All Members Meeting, Memphis, Tennessee, December 2009, 9,14. 

14. Tamara Erickson and Denis Hancock, Engaging and Assessing Net Gen Talent: Approaches for Recruiting and 

Hiring the Right Net Gens, 20-21. 

15. Alexander Werrell, interview by Lois Gruendl, teleconference, Yale University, September 2009. 

Chapter 9: Shaping the Workplace Through Web 2.0 Technologies 

1. Rob Salkowitz, Managing Across the Technology Age Gap (New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2008), 100. 

2. Mike Dover, Mikki Papadopoulos, and Karolina Kibis, The Net Generation: Key Findings from the Qualitative 

Study “My Internet Life” (New Paradigm, July 2007), 1. 

3. Danna L. Walker, “The Longest Day,” The Washington Post, August 5, 2007; W20. 

4. Paul Regan and Mathew Ingram, “Enhancing Community, Collaboration and Communication: The Effective Use 

of Technology and Non-Technological Solutions,” nGenera Talent 2.0 Meeting, Toronto, Canada, May 15, 2008, 7. 

5. Mark Tutton, “Learn the five secrets of innovation,” Executive Education, December 1, 2009, CNN.com, http:// 

www.cnn.com/2009/BUSINESS/11/26/innovation.tips/index.html. 

6. Ibid. 

120 
End Notes
 

7. John Geraci, Mike Dover, and Ian Da Silva, Talent 2.0: Insights from nGenera Proprietary Survey Research 

(nGenera Corporation, November 2008), 5. 

8. Ibid. 

9. Paul Regan and Mathew Ingram, “Enhancing Community, Collaboration and Communication: The Effective Use 

of Technology and Non-Technological Solutions,” nGenera Talent 2.0 Meeting, Toronto, Canada, May 15, 2008, 

15. 

10. Mathew Ingram, Art & Science Part 1: Background on Community Building (nGenera Corporation, September 

2009), 9. 

11. Margaret Schweer and Richard Lauf, Lighthouse Case Study, Social Media & the U.S. State Department: 

Enabling digital diplomacy (nGenera Corporation, 2010), 3. 

12. Margaret Schweer and Richard Lauf, The New Social Media Mindset: Organizational principles and 

governance processes (nGenera Corporation, 2010), 1. 

Chapter 10: Workforce Compensation, Benefits, and Flexibilities 

1. Partnership for Public Service and Grant Thornton LLP, Federal Human Capital: The Perfect Storm; A Survey of 

Chief Human Capital Officers, July 2007, 10-11. 

2. Partnership for Public Service and Grant Thornton LLP, Elevating Our Federal Workforce: Chief Human Capital 

Officers Offer Advice to President Obama, 2008, 9. 

3. Information Technology Association of America and Grant Thornton LLP, Transforming IT to Support the 

Mission, February 2008, 9. 

4. Partnership for Public Service, Great Expectations, What Students Want in an Employer and How Federal 

Agencies Can Deliver It, January 2009, 3. 

5. Partnership for Public Service, Why Federal Service Might Be Right for You, August 2008, http://www. 

ourpublicservice.org/OPS/programs/fedexperience/FedExperience_WhyFederalService.pdf 

6. Mike Dover and John Geraci, “Highlights of the 2008 Quantitative Study,” nGenera Talent 2.0 Meeting, 

Orlando, Florida, November 2008, 62. 

7. Ibid, 63. 

8. The Council for Excellence in Government, The Appeal of Public Service: Who...What...And How? May 2008, 5. 

9. United States Office of Personnel Management, Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives Calendar 

Year 2007 Report to the Congress, September 2008, 4,18. 

10. FinAid, The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid, Student Loans, http://www.finaid.org/loans/, accessed 

March 11, 2010. 

11. Ibid. 

12. Anya Kamenetz, Generation Debt (New York: The Penguin Group, 2006, 2007), 18-19, 50. 

13. United States Office of Personnel Management, Federal Student Loan Repayment Program Calendar Year 

2008 Report to the Congress, July 2009, 3. 

14. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008), 5. 

15. U.S. Office of Personnel Management, “Training and Policy Development, Human Resources Development 

Flexibilities,” accessed March 8, 2010, http://www.opm.gov/hrd/lead/Policy/flex.asp#related4 

16. United States Office of Personnel Management, Recruitment, Relocation and Retention Incentives Calendar 

Year 2007 Report to the Congress, September 2008, 22-23. 

Chapter 11: Work and Life Balance 

1. Lisa Chen and Ian Da Silva, Architecting the Future: Net Gen Career and Talent Management Processes 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008), 3. 

2. John Geraci and Rahaf Harfoush, The Rise of the Net Generation: How the N-Gen Defines Gender (New 

Paradigm Learning Corporation, 2006), 2. 

3. John Geraci, Mike Dover, and Ian Da Silva, Talent 2.0: Insights from nGenera Proprietary Survey Research 

(nGenera Corporation, 2008), 8. 

121 
End Notes
 

4. John Lewison, “The Work/Life Balance Sheet So Far,” online Journal of Accountancy, August 2006, http://www. 

journalofaccountancy.com/Issues/2006/Aug/TheWorkLifeBalanceSheetSoFar.htm 

5. Ibid. 

6. Phyllis Moen and Erin L. Kelly, Flexible Work and Well-Being Study Final Report, Fall 2007, University of 

Minnesota, Minnesota Population Center, vii. 

7. “Smashing the Clock,” BusinessWeek, December 11, 2006, http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/ 

content/06_50/b4013001.htm. 

8. United States Office of Personnel Management, Status of Telework in the Federal Government Report to the 

Congress, December 2008, 5. 

9. Ibid, 28. 

10. Ibid, 12. 

11. Tandberg, Telework Eligibility Profile: Feds Fit the Bill, A Telework Research Report, February 19, 2008, http:// 

www.teleworkexchange.com/eligibility/slides.asp?slide=5. 

12. Janet Hardy and Bill Gillies, Attracting and Engaging the N-Gen Employee (New Paradigm Learning 

Corporation, 2007), 9. 

13. United States Office of Personnel Management, Status of Telework in the Federal Government Report to the 

Congress, December 2008, 14. 

14. Janet Hardy and Bill Gillies, Attracting and Engaging the N-Gen Employee (New Paradigm Learning 

Corporation, 2007), 8. 

Chapter 12: Conclusion 

1. Tammy Johns, “Net Generation Work Practice Changes,” nGenera Talent 2.0 All-Members Meeting, Toronto, 

Canada, May 14, 2008. 

122 

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