Service to America Medal Finalists: Homeland Security and Law Enforcement

• By Lara Shane
• September 12, 2013
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There are numerous unheralded civil servants who play critical roles protecting the nation and its citizens from criminal activity and foreign threats.

On Oct. 3, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service will present the prestigious Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medal for Homeland Security and Law Enforcement to one of the five finalists profiled below. The accomplishments of the individuals include freeing a kidnapped 5-year-old boy held hostage by an armed killer, reducing crime on American Indian reservations, helping to develop and obtain licensing for a new foot-and-mouth disease vaccine to guard against agro-terrorism, tracking down child pornographers and disrupting the operations of two New York organized crime families.

These public servants are among 31 finalists honored in seven categories ranging from citizen services to science and the environment. Here are the stories of the Service to America Medal finalists for the Homeland Security and Law Enforcement category.

Stephen E. Richardson: Oversaw harrowing FBI rescue of a 5-year-old held hostage by an armed killer

It was a harrowing life-or-death decision, one that FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Richardson felt he had no choice but to make.

After a tense six-day standoff, Richardson ordered an FBI hostage rescue ...

So Many Bosses, But Who’s Doing the Real Work?

• By Henry Romero
• September 11, 2013
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Many supervisors today were promoted or hired into their managerial positions after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001, so they have only known a world of government expansion and increased staffing allocations -- especially for national security and law enforcement agencies. Before sequestration, some agencies rushed to fill jobs with as many seasoned employees as possible, creating more supervisory and senior staff positions than were necessary or advisable.

During this boom period, organizations often established high-graded expert and coordinator positions, at the expense of mission-critical jobs that represent the primary work of the agency. Many agencies hired more program analysts and program coordinators than food inspectors, air traffic controllers or park rangers; and established additional supervisory layers between policymakers and the employees actually doing the work.   

Look at any federal agency’s organizational chart and you are likely to find as many staff offices and positions that report to the agency chief as there are organizational units that perform the core work. Often, it is difficult to figure out the chain of command and how authority flows through the organization. Many organizations are top-heavy with program analysts and special assistants at the top of the General Schedule, but don’t have ...

Former Convicts Make Bad Employees — And Other Hiring Myths Big Data Expose

• By Jim Meyerle
• September 11, 2013
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Despite the high rate of unemployment in the US, 4 million job openings remain unfulfilled. Attrition and lost productivity contribute to $350 billion in annual losses for US businesses; outdated hiring and workforce management practices are largely to blame.

Used in the right way, big data technology can decode factors that contribute to smarter hiring and optimal employee performance. These findings challenge conventional wisdom about what makes great employees. Think experience matters? It doesn’t. Concerned that job-hoppers, the long-term unemployed, or even ex-convicts make bad hires? They don’t.

My co-founder Max Simkoff and I started Evolv after our own attempts at workforce management in executive roles failed. We personally struggled to retain and advance employees across a large workforce, even after painstakingly selecting and nurturing the “most qualified” candidates. This seemingly unsolvable problem left us wondering if there was a better way. 

Read more analysis at Quartz.

5 Ways to Get Your Conference Approved

• By Goran Gligorovic
• September 11, 2013
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Budget cuts and tighter regulations in the wake of high-profile cases of excessive conference spending have combined to put the squeeze on federal off-site gatherings this year.

However, the U.S. Chief Financial Officers Council shared guidance recently indicating that government travel is, by no means, forbidden. “As each agency reviews its travel and conference-related activities, it is critical for each agency to continue to recognize the important role that mission-related travel and conferences can often play in government operations,” the council said in a May 28 Controller Alert.  

For government officials scrambling to re-evaluate travel plans for important meetings and conferences, these five tips can help them economize without sacrificing quality and effectiveness.

1. Clearly define the purpose of the meeting. The more compelling the case for the gathering, the more likely it will receive approval. For instance, the guidance indicates collaborations among government scientists with industry and academic colleagues to drive innovation could be one approved purpose. Meetings for specific program reviews and oversight boards, law enforcement training and international operations are among other reasons for meeting in person. If the conference is a training event, the learning objectives and mission or job performance outcomes should be included ...

Unless You Live in Europe, You Are More Likely to Be Hired Than Fired in the Fourth Quarter

• By Jason Karaian
• September 10, 2013
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Want to boost your odds of getting a job? Consider moving to India. The latest results of Manpower’s quarterly survey of employers suggest they are approaching hiring with caution for the rest of the year. Of the 42 countries where hiring managers are surveyed, companies in 29 of them expect to boost jobs in the coming quarter. This is down slightly from 32 countries with a net positive hiring balance in the previous survey. The strength of expected job gains is also somewhat weaker in the latest survey, with 14 countries more upbeat on hiring versus 19 where firms are paring back hiring plans.

Still, across Asia and the Americas more companies expect to hire than fire in the fourth quarter, with Indian firms the most bullish in the world. Notably, Japanese hiring managers are marginally more upbeat than their Chinese counterparts. (In the charts, the percentages reflect the balance of employers expecting to boost hiring in the fourth quarter less those expecting to cut jobs over the same period.)

Brazil, Latin America’s largest economy, is also its most bullish. In the US, meanwhile, employers expect to add jobs at the strongest pace since early 2008, which may ...