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Federal agencies need top talent to achieve their missions, but highly qualified candidates often struggle to make it through the hiring process.

A new look at federal hiring data from the past two years suggests why. The Hiring Assessment and Selection Outcome Dashboard, released this year reveals that agencies often use only multiple-choice assessment questionnaires completed by the applicant to evaluate candidates for open positions across government. The dashboard shows that hiring managers did not extend job offers to applicants for roughly one-half of the competitive, open-to-the-public federal job announcements in fiscal year 2020.

The dashboard is the first-of-its-kind tool to share publicly available federal hiring data from USAJOBS, and is a collaboration between the Office of Personnel Management, the Office of Management and Budget, the U.S. Digital Service, the General Services Administration and other agency partners. The underlying data set of every job posted to USAJOBS over the past two years is also available and accessible in a machine readable format with an API endpoint for developers.

The tool compares assessment types to selection outcomes and enables users to analyze job announcement and hiring assessment data by job series, title, GS level, agency and bureau, and may help hiring managers use more effective hiring assessments in the future.

A chart from the dashboard looks at the types of assessments hiring managers are using and which most frequently led to a selection.

“At a time when the government urgently needs highly qualified professionals to address the many challenges our nation is facing, the hiring process is failing skilled applicants,” said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. “Implementing more effective hiring practices is time-intensive but necessary to ensure our government recruits the brightest talent with the right technical skills. The dashboard makes this possible by sharing critical hiring data for all of government in an easy-to-use tool.”

The state of federal hiring

Data from the dashboard shows that hiring managers relied solely on self-assessment questionnaires and HR resume reviews to determine applicants’ eligibility for 90% of competitive, open-to-the-public federal job announcements in fiscal 2020. However, hiring managers extended job offers to candidates for only 53% of those announcements.

Why are these hiring assessments so ineffective?

One reason is that candidates tend to either overrate or underrate their own skills when filling out self-assessment questionnaires. Additionally, HR specialists who review federal resumes—which can be up to 20 pages long—are typically not technical experts in the applicant’s field. Applicants who can figure out the best answer and how to create a federal style resume tend to do the best in the process over those who are really qualified.

The dashboard also shows that some of the most frequently announced jobs left vacant were quite critical. For example, agencies posted more than 8,800 announcements for nurses in 2020 and only 59% of these announcements led to a job offer.

Using a new tool to make better hiring decisions

The dashboard was created to be a central resource with easy-to-analyze data for HR teams who are often overworked and understaffed, and need to fill critical positions quickly.

Hiring specialists can look at this tool and see that instead of posting 60 announcements in a year for an IT specialist with no selections, it’s better to do one high-quality hiring action with higher quality assessment hurdles like is done for the Subject Matter Expert Qualification Assessments hiring actions, which use both subject matter experts and HR teams to review candidates.

Given a law approved by Congress to allow agencies to share competitive certificates, agencies could issue higher quality certificates and share them to place as many applicants from a hiring action as possible, saving time for hiring managers, HR and applicants. This strategy was recently piloted using Subject Matter Expert Qualification Assessments to bring in more than 20 customer experience specialists across the government in 2020.

New data will be added to the dashboard each month, and the team is looking at additional data fields, such as the number of job offers made using technical versus behavioral assessments, to improve this hiring tool.

View the Hiring Assessment and Selection Outcome Dashboard here.

Are you an entry-level job seeker with a passion for public service and an interest in finance? The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation hires roughly 200 entry-level bank examiners each year, staffing nearly 80 offices nationwide. To hire new entry-level talent, the FDIC uses two key recruiting initiatives: the Pathways Programs and agency hiring events. Over the past six years, about 40% of entry-level examiners were former FDIC interns. And often at each hiring event, more than 40 attendees receive job offers from the agency.

Pathways internship programs

Pathways Programs are a government-wide initiative designed to help agencies recruit and hire qualified students and recent graduates. The program aims to provide applicants clear paths to federal internships and full-time positions, and offers training, mentoring and career-development opportunities.

The FDIC offers two Pathways internship programs:

The Financial Management Scholars Program is a 12-week paid summer internship for college students earning degrees in finance and business-related majors. The interns participate in a week-long orientation at an FDIC center in Virginia and are then placed at one of the agency’s field offices. The program also pairs interns with full-time employees who serve as mentors and provide additional training. At the end of the internship, the students return to Virginia to present their work and complete a skills assessment test. The agency will then extend full-time offers to interns based on their performance.

The Financial Institution Intern Program is a year-round internship that places college students at nearby field offices to work in part-time or full-time positions. Interns often work for up to 1 ½ years and may be offered a permanent position once they graduate. Between 2014 and 2018, the program hired 46% of its interns as full-time examiners.

Innovative entry-level talent hiring events

Every year, the FDIC hosts several events to identify and hire entry-level examiners. After posting open positions on USAJOBS, the HR team identifies qualified applicants and screens them through a writing assessment. The agency then invites the strongest candidates to participate in a hiring event at FDIC headquarters.

At the event, candidates meet with hiring managers, learn more about the position, attend agency overview sessions, complete assessments in math and financial analysis, and give an oral presentation. The hiring staff compares notes and assessments scores for each candidate and shares them with agency executives who review the candidates’ performance and extend job offers.

Amid the pandemic, the FDIC has continued to bring entry-level bank examiners on board by moving many of its hiring events online.

For more information on how agencies can fill their critical talent needs, read A Time for Talent: Improving Federal Recruiting and Hiring. To learn more about working in the government and starting a federal career, visit gogovernment.org.

The Department of Homeland Security, like many agencies, often struggles to recruit high-quality candidates into government service. DHS recently developed a new digital tool to address this challenge: the Strategic Marketing, Outreach, and Recruiting Engagement platform. This in-house platform, which DHS calls SMORE, enables the agency to use data analytics to recruit and hire new personnel more effectively, providing important statistics on who, where, how and why applicants join the applicant pool and, eventually the agency.

What is it and how does it use data?

The department launched its platform in early 2020, enabling the organization and its components to track their recruitment activities and successes in real time.

The tool has a master calendar DHS can use to predict the composition of an applicant pool based on the location of a recruitment activity, its target audience and the type of event. After the activity, DHS’ components enter additional information into the platform, including the event cost, attendance and promotional material distributed, using drop-down menus and predetermined response options. This method helps DHS minimize data entry errors and ensure standardization.

Importantly, interactive and user-friendly dashboards present the information as data visualizations, providing DHS employees with access to advanced recruitment analytics and promoting knowledge sharing across the agency.

“It’s all about analytics,” said Angela Bailey, the chief human capital officer at DHS. “You can urge components not to limit recruiting to Texas and California, but it can fall on deaf ears. But showing them a map with Texas and California colored dark blue [indicating heavy recruiting] and the rest of the country very pale blue [indicating light recruiting] really drives the point home.”

How does DHS use the platform to improve recruiting?

The marketing, outreach and recruiting platform has made the DHS recruitment process more transparent, efficient, cost-effective and user-friendly. The master calendar, along with snapshots and analytics of recruitment events throughout the fiscal year, enable DHS’ components to stay informed about new recruitment opportunities. For example, if Customs and Border Protection is registered to attend a career fair in San Diego, the Secret Service might notice it on the calendar and ask to join.

“Eventually, we’ll be able to say things like, ‘When we recruit and hire from X university, people stay five years. But when we recruit and hire from Y university, they only stay three months,” Bailey said. “Then we can dig in and find out why. Maybe we’re sending the wrong recruiters or maybe we’re targeting the wrong talent pool.”

Use the platform’s framework to improve talent recruitment at your agency

The Strategic Marketing, Outreach, and Recruiting Engagement platform is a powerful recruiting tool for critical talent. For more information on federal talent acquisition, read “A Time for Talent: Improving Federal Recruiting and Hiring.” You can also visit the DHS website for more information on the new recruiting platform.

From Medicare to stimulus funding to disability payments for veterans, the federal government and the underlying technology it uses to deliver benefits and services have a profound effect on our daily lives and communities.

There has never been a more critical time for technical leaders with a deep commitment to the country to join the federal government. The question for experts in the technology field isn’t, “How can I make this leap?” Right now, the question is “How can I not?”

Our government needs employees and leaders who understand the importance of technology and who can help provide delivery-driven policies and digital initiatives, prevent systemic failures, fix broken services, improve cybersecurity and protect privacy rights. We also need those in government who can leverage rapidly developing technology such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and data science.

The government’s need for tech-savvy leaders and employees is growing as more and more services are provided and policies implemented through the use of technology. Failing to build a high performing technology workforce could not only mean less efficient services, but it will increase the possibility of failures and inefficiencies.

Technologists should consider public service where the impact can be immense and where the need has never been greater. Technical leaders who are dedicated to the public good can help build a better digital government and lend a fresh perspective to improving or modernizing outdated processes.

How do we know this can work? Simply put, we’ve been here before. Our government has faced similar challenges in the past and found meaningful paths forward through technology. In 2013, for example, Healthcare.gov was launched with the hope of being a one-stop-shop for Americans to register and purchase healthcare for themselves and their families. The initial enrollment for HealthCare.gov was marred by server overloads, website crashes and an overall frustrating experience. As a result, more than 2.8 million Americans visited the website on the first day, with only six people completing the sign-up process.

HealthCare.gov’s initial failures pushed the government to reassess and build a broad, sturdy technology foundation for future policies and projects. A key factor in this response was an influx of knowledgeable, talented individuals.

There are many ways technology experts can serve. The Tech Talent Project, for example, is currently developing a network of technology leaders who are ready for a tour of duty in America’s public agencies. It will not be easy or quick, but service creates opportunities to tangibly improve the lives of real people and lay the foundation for future solutions. Now, more than ever, technologists should consider answering the government’s call to service.

This post is part of the Partnership’s Ready to Serve series. Ready to Serve is a centralized resource for people who aspire to serve in a presidential administration as a political appointee.

When an employee leaves a job, it can take months to recruit and hire a replacement. And those lengthy vacancies can overwhelm staff and jeopardize an agency’s ability to deliver on its mission. Agencies can look to an FBI model to minimize how long positions remain unfilled by forecasting attrition and recruiting before a position becomes vacant.

How the FBI forecasts job vacancies

In December 2019, the FBI’s human resources team created a model that forecasts vacancies up to nine months out in every occupation. The model estimates how many people are likely to leave, how long it takes to bring a new employee on board, and what percentage of job offers leads to hiring a new employee.

That information helps the bureau understand when it should start recruiting new talent and how many offers it needs to ensure it remains fully staffed. An FBI field office supervisor, for example, can check the model to see how many IT specialist positions are vacant and how many are projected to be vacant in three, six and nine months. If the model shows one vacancy now, but none in three months, it signals there are candidates completing background investigations, and the position is on its way to being filled.

However, if the model shows vacancies in six or nine months, it tells the manager there aren’t enough candidates in the pipeline and to begin the hiring process, given how long the background investigation can take.

The model also considers the percentage of candidates who don’t successfully pass the background investigation, helping supervisors understand how many people they need to interview and how many provisional offers they need to make to fill a position.

Early skepticism about the model

When the FBI’s human resources team rolled out the model, offices were slow to adopt it and didn’t always trust what it was telling them. “We put it out there and the field offices did not know how to use it,” said Peter Sursi, senior executive for recruitment and hiring at the FBI. “Hiring ahead of attrition was so alien to everybody’s experience and everything they had ever been told.”

Gradually, the HR team gained buy-in by making the model more user-friendly, teaching the field offices how to use it, and demonstrating how it can help them keep their mission-critical positions filled—a longstanding challenge for the FBI.

“Now divisions can look at their nine-month attrition forecast and say, ‘Well, I don’t have a vacancy now, but the model says that I’m going to need a nurse and two evidence techs and three IT specialists in nine months,” Sursi said. “So, let me conduct interviews and put those candidates in background now, and they should be landing right about the time those vacancies are being realized.”

Use the FBI’s model to implement your own solution

The FBI’s attrition model shows that, while it might take time for staff to buy into new innovative hiring practices, there is always room to improve how agencies find, acquire and develop new talent.

For more information on federal talent acquisition, read the report: A Time for Talent: Improving Federal Recruiting and Hiring.

Although the federal government has more than 2 million employees, more people are needed to address our most pressing challenges. National crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and talent gaps in emerging fields have led agencies to consider initiating rapid hiring surges.

Why should someone work in government? For many reasons.

Earlier this year, we surveyed federal employees about their work experiences to honor Public Service Recognition Week. Some 130 public servants at 45 federal agencies responded, offering insights into the benefits of working in public service and advice for a government career.

Many employees described the satisfaction that comes with making a difference.

“If you have professional pride, and a true desire to help others and contribute in a meaningful and selfless way, public service is where you belong,” said Robin W., a federal employee of 31 years working at the Department of Commerce.

For Linda S., a senior analyst at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, the people and work environment make public service jobs appealing. “You will never find more dedicated co-workers.”

Ellen D. from the Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation echoed Linda’s sentiment, noting, “collaboration and partnerships are critical to creating and implementing solutions that work for the public.”

Some employees described pluses such as good work-life balance, ample opportunities for advancement, strong benefits and mentorship possibilities.

“You will be given authority and responsibilities that are earned and entrusted to you. Start your career with the intent and desire to learn all you can and set your goals high!” said Tony R., a government employee for 37 years.

Some respondents offered advice on landing a federal job.

Brandon S., an intelligence specialist at the Defense Department, advised prospective candidates to use internships and volunteer opportunities to gain experience. He recommended networking at hiring events, researching the agency’s mission and history, and customizing resumes to match the exact skills outlined in a job description.

Tammy L. V. K., executive director at the Federal Aviation Administration, encouraged applicants to contact current federal employees. “There are a number of paths that someone can take to obtain a position and advance their careers in the federal government; you just need to ask.”

Some respondents shared advice on how to succeed in a government career.

Steve C., with 26 years of service across four agencies, said employees aren’t always recognized for their work by the public or within the workforce, but should “take a great deal of satisfaction from knowing that you have done the right thing, and that what you do truly matters in the long run.”

Professionalism is important, according to several respondents. Lolita D. of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said, “You have to set aside your biases, judgments and stereotypical views of others.” Mark R. of the Social Security Administration noted “the needs of the clients are an important aspect to what we do [so] always stick to policy and procedure.”

A public service career comes with many benefits, including exciting work in many fields, and the opportunity to drive change and innovation for the greater good—making a federal career a significant and worthwhile endeavor.

To share your own experiences of working in the federal government, take the #WhyIServe survey. You can also visit gogovernment.org for more information on federal jobs.

The federal government has difficulty attracting the talent it needs. The applicant experience is plagued by confusing job announcements, a USAJOBS platform that’s difficult to use and a cumbersome hiring process that can take months to complete. And it’s made worse by outdated methods of evaluating candidates, such as applicant self-assessments. Agencies can help the federal government improve its talent pipeline with these nine strategies from the Partnership’s new report: A Time for Talent.

#1 – Determining today’s hiring requirements

To hire smarter, some agencies have developed workforce plans, ranging from a few months to several years. The complexity of these plans can vary based on the scope of an agency’s mission and the makeup of its workforce, but they are valuable tools to inform organizations’ staffing needs. Workforce plans help agencies identify the organization’s priorities, the number of employees currently in each type of role, how many employees are needed and skills the workforce must have for the organization to accomplish its goals.

#2 – Identifying who will do tomorrow’s work

Many factors influence an agency’s talent needs, including retirements, changes to the mission, new ways of doing work and major crises like a pandemic. Identifying talent needs early—using strategic plans, attrition projections and workforce skills assessments—can help agencies ensure they have people on board with the right abilities. To identify their talent needs, agencies need to think critically about the work they’ll be doing, rather than what has been done in the past.

#3 – Being proactive

Agencies should seek out top-tier candidates and court them, rather than simply post a job announcement online—especially for harder-to-fill jobs, as government competes for talent with the private sector. For example, when the FBI worked with LinkedIn recently, the agency discovered that the way an advertisement was worded appealed to people differently, depending on the industry they were in. The FBI changed how it reaches out to job applicants and found the number of female applicants for special agent positions increased by 14 percentage points over the past three years.

#4 – Building and promoting the brand

Building brand awareness is an integral part of an effective recruiting strategy. According to a 2018 survey by the job-search website Glassdoor, candidates are 40% more likely to apply for a job if they’ve heard of the company and understand what it does. While the overall federal government doesn’t have a strong reputation, agencies can build their own brands to distinguish themselves. Some agencies have tried to increase their brand awareness, publicize the essential work they do for the country and clear up misperceptions about what it’s like to work for the government.

#5 – Keeping in touch with former employees

One under-tapped source of talent for government is its former employees. According to interviews with Amazon Web Services and Ernst & Young LLP, former federal employees who left in good standing are often great options for filling positions. They’re known entities and they’re familiar with the workplace culture and what it takes to thrive on the job.

#6 – Reaching young people

The federal government often struggles to recruit young people, but some agencies are making inroads. For example, the Government Accountability Office and Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation maintain a robust talent pipeline through actively engaging with colleges and universities. Additionally, DOD has found the direct hire authority helpful for attracting and hiring young people. Indeed, the Air Force has used this hiring authority to bring interns on board full time once they graduate, and to make on-the-spot offers to highly qualified candidates at job fairs.

#7 – Recruiting and hiring more efficiently

One way that agencies can be more efficient is by recruiting in bulk, hiring multiple candidates from a single job announcement. Indeed, the practice could be particularly helpful for agencies rushing to add staff in response to COVID-19. By knowing which units within an agency might like to make a hire, you can tailor the job announcement to include a description of the units and the type of work they do. After the posting closes and the applicants are evaluated, you can share a list of qualified candidates with all departments and teams, and they can schedule interviews and hire people as needed.

#8 – Choosing the best applicants

To ensure agencies hire the best candidates, they should critically assess how they evaluate applicants, and change course if necessary. They also should try new and creative approaches to build their talent pipelines. For example, some agencies recently experimented with new ways of appraising applicants, generating higher-quality shortlists while still adhering to regulations giving certain candidates preference, such as veterans. And, agencies that used subject matter experts to evaluate applicants’ qualifications, rather than relying on candidates’ self-assessments, developed lists for hiring managers that contained better-qualified candidates.

#9 – Improving the candidate experience

It takes the federal government an average of 98 days to hire a new employee—more than twice the time it takes the private sector—with some delays due to the need for background checks, mandatory medical exams and security clearances. Fortunately, agencies can reduce the time it takes. The Air Force, for example, developed a dashboard that shows the status of every job search underway, and who’s responsible for taking the next action and by what date. This transparency holds staff accountable and helped the Air Force cut hiring time by more than 40 days.

Going forward

An aging workforce and growing skills gaps in mission-critical positions underscore the need for government to attract new talent. Agencies can employ these nine strategies to significantly improve how they attract, acquire and retain talent.

For more information on building your talent pipeline, read the report: A Time for Talent: Improving Federal Recruiting and Hiring.

When Michelle Massarik graduated from the State University of New York at Albany in May, she wasn’t sure how she would apply her cybersecurity degree. Then she found the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative, a program that places recent college graduates in two-year assignments at federal agencies followed by opportunities to work in the private sector.

“The CTI had a lot of benefits that excited me,” Massarik said, citing a placement at one of 13 different government agencies, student loan assistance and an invitation to apply for a job with the program’s corporate partners at the end of the two years.

Because the program required applicants to have graduated in the spring of 2020, she asked herself, “What better way to get work experience in the government?” She applied, and a few months later was accepted as a fellow in the program’s first cohort. “I felt like an industry pioneer,” she recalled. “I was so excited.”

Starting a new job remotely has been challenging, but Massarik said it’s well worth it. “I really enjoy working with my group because the culture is very welcoming and diverse,” Massarik said. “I’m new and have a lot of questions, but everyone is willing to help me learn new things.”

“The government has a lot of senior employees and that’s why this is such a good opportunity for a young professional like me to gain this work experience,” she said. According to data from 2019, only about 23% of cybersecurity positions in the federal government are held by people under the age of 40.

When asked to give advice to other women who want to pursue cybersecurity careers, Massarik said, “Go for it. There’s a lot to learn and it feels good to do something outside the box and do something different.”

Massarik isn’t sure what her future looks like, but she is excited to be a part of the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative and see where this experience takes her.

“It’s a great opportunity, and the program has a lot of career development opportunities for anyone who is unsure of what they want to pursue,” she said. “It’s a great stepping stone in the right direction.”

For more information on the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative and to find out who else is in the program’s first group, visit the CTI website or contact Brittany Moore at bmoore@ourpublicservice.org.

Read more about the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative on our blog:

This post was written by Abby Palazzo, a former intern on the Partnership’s communications team.

CyberVista, a cybersecurity workforce development company located in Arlington, Virginia, builds and strengthens organizations by providing cybersecurity professionals with the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to drive defense. We sat down with CyberVista CEO Simone Petrella and asked her about their role as sole technical partner for the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative and why she is committed to the growth and development of cyber employees in the federal government.

What inspired you to collaborate with the Partnership to train the cohorts in our program?

Petrella: My cybersecurity career has taken me to both the government and private sectors, and I’ve seen firsthand the impact of knowledge transfer between the two. When I started my career, the federal government was one of the only places doing computer network operations and information security work in a substantial way. In recent years, cybersecurity has become a bigger priority for both federal agencies and private companies, which benefited from recruiting former military and government cybersecurity experts.

The cybersecurity talent gap continues to grow, putting a strain on the security needs of both the federal and private sector workforces. The Partnership’s Cybersecurity Talent Initiative is a model for the public and private sectors to formalize a working relationship and provides an avenue for new talent to be considered for cybersecurity positions. At CyberVista, we believe that employers can, and should, invest in developing talent from within, as well as identify new sources of external talent that can be grown into cybersecurity roles.

There continues to be an excess of open cybersecurity positions, not only in the federal government, but across the country. How does a program like CTI help address that, and what role does CyberVista play in reducing the gap?

Petrella: We acknowledge that there needs to be a focus on developing and investing in the growth of entry-level talent, while recognizing that today’s talent is unlikely to stay in one place for their entire careers. By providing incentives on both the public and private sides, the program brings more high-quality talent into the cybersecurity industry than each sector would on its own.

At CyberVista, we provide measurable diagnostic performance data, as well as foundational cybersecurity training, to elevate participants’ on-the-job experience. In the beginning, we assess their skill level to gather baseline data for each participant which enables us to measure improvement and provide unique insights relative to each individual’s role. As participants continue in the program, we provide focused training to help fill gaps in their cybersecurity skills.

CyberVista is the sole technical partner for the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative. Now that applications are being accepted for the second cohort, what have you learned from being a part of the first?

Petrella: We have learned how important it is for participating federal agencies to be proactive and involved in the process from start to finish. The initiative’s overarching goal is to recruit and develop an effective cybersecurity workforce that can contribute to both the public and private sectors. That’s why government agencies reserve positions specifically for these participants – because the long-term benefits of establishing a program like this, where private and public sectors can work together, are well worth that initial investment.

As the initiative continues to grow, how do you envision the program, and CyberVista’s role within it, evolving to fill more cybersecurity gaps across the country?

Petrella: As more cohorts are placed, we will have more data on our participants’ backgrounds, their starting skill levels and how they have evolved over time. Analyzing that data can provide valuable insights on the overall skill level required for successful entry-level talent and allow us to identify trends in their development.

The Cybersecurity Talent Initiative has the potential to become a robust recruiting pipeline for government cybersecurity jobs, while simultaneously creating a predictable, reliable and skilled workforce for private sector jobs. It breaks down the assumption that professionals need to choose a career path in either the government or the private sector and instead demonstrates that a person can do both. I’d like to see more government agencies participate in the program, and entice additional corporate partners to support the initiative and hire graduates of the program.

Why should college students interested in cybersecurity work for a federal agency or at least begin their career there?

Petrella: First, the federal government has some of the most exciting and meaningful cybersecurity missions that make tangible differences in our society and country. Additionally, federal agencies tend to have a greater willingness than the private sector to support career advancement and professional development training. Unlike the private sector where any investment in developing talent directly impacts the bottom line, the federal government has a vested interest in identifying and fostering talent to make employees more effective in their roles and strengthen our national security.

To learn more about the Cybersecurity Talent Initiative visit www.cybertalentinitiative.org or read more about the initiative on our blog.

Social distancing doesn’t require social disconnection, and thanks to an abundance of technology tools, you can still grow your network while working from home. All it takes is an internet connection and openness to new experiences. Research shows that social interaction at work is important, especially as it helps create a sense of belonging. So we wanted to share with you some ways you and your organization can improve its relationships in a virtual environment.

Schedule virtual coffee or happy hours with your coworkers. Take the initiative to arrange online meetups with your coworkers and friends. Socializing through a computer screen is different than interacting in person because it’s more difficult to pick up on nonverbal cues and a faulty internet connection could cause the screen to freeze. But it doesn’t take long to get used to it, and the adjustment is worth it.

Attend virtual conferences and speak up. Many conferences that used to be in person are now virtual. Find ones that interest you and participate in the conversations. You might find you’re able to network with more people than you typically would. For example, a person from California who is interested in a conference offered by a government agency in Washington, D.C., might be able attend a virtual event he or she wouldn’t have been able to attend if it meant buying a ticket and spending hours traveling each way.

Use LinkedIn to grow and maintain your professional network. LinkedIn, which has more than 575 million active users, is a great way to grow your professional network. You can find and connect with others who share your areas of expertise and encounter similar work-related problems, and you might find ideas for new career opportunities. A recent study showed that people who used LinkedIn more regularly and have a large number of connections had better career outcomes than those who didn’t.

Remember that social connection enables positive mindsets, which are important for productivity. To stay productive, consider these three tips as you continue working virtually.

For more tips on working in a virtual environment, check out:

This post is by Zach Taylor, a former intern on the Partnership’s Communications team.

A new tool to help HR teams improve federal hiring