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Center Events
HR Directors Series, October 24, 2002
The National Academy of Public Administration's
Center for Human Resources Management hosted a Human Resources
Directors Series luncheon on October 24, 2002. Robert Hosenfeld
of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), joined by colleagues
Norman Schmidt and Greg Huttman, presented USGS's software
solution to workforce planning. The model is an automated
integrated program designed to facilitate workforce planning
and identify employee skills and competencies. USGS believes
that its solution can be easily duplicated in most government
agencies using commonly found resources.
USGS developed a skill and competency self-assessment survey
while investigating the different methods of workforce planning
and capitalizing on its investment in QuickHire, the automated
process to respond to job skills requirements in USGS vacancy
announcements. USGS engaged employees to complete assessment
forms, identifying their various skills and competencies;
the employees were invited to assign a level of proficiency
to each skill or competency. That self-assessment was then
reviewed and verified by a supervisor who used the information
as a basis for decision-making regarding available skills
for future work. This automated workforce-planning tool, which
is simple for line managers to use, was demonstrated on October
24.
USGS' human resources office realized that
an efficient and effective workforce planning process requires
the organization to determine its future work; identify the
skills and competencies needed to accomplish it; and inventory
the skills and competencies that currently exist and are lacking.
In addition, USGS line managers now use the tool to facilitate
discussions with employees about training and development
for future career opportunities. USGS reported that it has
incurred slightly more than $7,000 to develop this tool.
Huttman walked the audience through a live
demonstration of the software. By logging into the USGS database,
employees can view their own records and complete and update
the survey. Managers can access all employee surveys and create
a search based on a number of variables, ranging from how
employees answered particular questions to their representative
skills and proficiency levels. The USGS database has myriad
search options that make finding specific skills amazingly
easy.
Hosenfeld, Schmidt, and Huttman were
candid when saying that the true test of this program's success
will be when its future skills needs are appropriately identified,
and strategies developed for assuring their availability in
the future workforce. Another test will be whether management
assumes responsibility for a greater focus on recruiting for
and retaining future job skills and competencies.
The next HR Directors Luncheon will be held
on January 21, 2003, and the topic will be announced soon.
For questions about the series, please contact
Catherine Garcia by e-mail at cgarcia@napawash.org
or by phone at 202-347-3190. We look forward to seeing you
at our next meeting.
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