U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

"Given the interest in and the importance of the work of Government, we owe it to the American people to have hiring systems in place to ensure we have the right people on board doing the vital work of the Government." OPM News Release, March 15, 2004

The Talent Management system focuses on agencies having quality people with the appropriate competencies in mission-critical activities.

• Definition
• Standard
• Critical Success Factors
• Applicable Merit System Principles

Definition

A system that addresses competency gaps, particularly in mission-critical occupations, by implementing and maintaining programs to attract, acquire, develop, promote, and retain quality talent.

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Standard

The agency has closed skills, knowledge, and competency gaps/deficiencies in mission-critical occupations, and has made meaningful progress toward closing skills, knowledge, and competency gaps/deficiencies in all occupations used in the agency.

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Critical Success Factors

The Talent Management system is comprised of two critical success factors that work together to ensure agencies have people with the right skills, in the right places, at the right times. Addressing the critical success factors helps eliminate gaps and deficiencies in the skills, knowledge, and competencies of employees of mission-critical occupations in the current and future workforce. The two success factors usually work together.

• Recruitment
• Retention

Each critical success factor has several key elements that indicate effectiveness and are linked to suggested indicators that identify how well the agency is doing relative to key elements.

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Applicable Merit System Principles

The following merit system principles are especially relevant to the Talent Management system (5 U.S.C. 2301):

• Recruitment should be from qualified individuals from appropriate sources in an endeavor to achieve a work force from all segments of society, and selection and advancement should be determined solely on the basis of relative ability, knowledge and skills, after fair and open competition which assures that all receive equal opportunity. (5 U.S.C. 2301(b)(1))
  
  
• All employees and applicants for employment should receive fair and equitable treatment in all aspects of personnel management without regard to political affiliation, race, color, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, age, or handicapping condition, and with proper regard for their privacy and constitutional rights. (5 U.S.C. 2301(b)(2))

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