Ep. 321 Skills-Based Hiring and AI in Federal Government HR

https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-gilroy/

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Today we sit down with an HR company, Workday, to see if it can transfer the success it has had in the commercial world into helping federal agencies reach ambitious goals.

Matthew Cornelius works for Workday, but he has spent mor than a decade working in a wider variety of federal agencies. The interview covers topics like the shift towards skills-based hiring, the challenges of outdated HR systems, and the need for comprehensive workforce data.

One concern is that the applicant can report skills. One candidate's Python experience may differ greatly from another's.

Presidential administrations have encouraged the concept of skills-based hiring. However, this is a subject that is difficult to implement. For example, it can clash with the standard GSA classification system. Today's AI skills are changing so rapidly, it would be almost impossible for an HR person to understand what skill sets are important.

Cornelius has firsthand experience in federal HR systems that are dated. He references using Excel spreadsheets that can have issues with version control and backup.

One great place to start is to use a system than can give an HR manager a "birds eye" view of the skills of their current employees. He emphasizes the importance of communication, empathy, and leveraging modern HR technology to improve federal HR processes and outcomes.