OPM directs federal agencies to prioritize tech hires and early-career talent
The Office of Personnel Management issued new guidance urging all federal departments to make technology recruitment central to their staffing plans and to aim for at least one-third of external hires to be early-career workers.
The Office of Personnel Management released guidance on July 30 instructing federal agencies to place technology recruitment at the heart of their staffing plans for the next fiscal year. Agencies are asked to reserve roles for experts in areas like artificial intelligence, data science and cybersecurity, and to meet a governmentwide goal that at least 33% of external hires be early-career professionals. OPM recommends leveraging the Tech Force program, which seeks early-career software and data engineers for two-year terms, and the Scholarship for Service initiative, now updated to stress AI competence.
The guidance also calls for agencies to outline how they will use AI to upskill existing staff and streamline operations. It notes that roughly 19,500 technology workers exited the federal workforce in 2025 and that the Early Career Talent Network will aid in attracting younger talent. The memo aligns with an October 2025 executive order that mandates detailed agency staffing plans to identify skill gaps and reduce duplication across the government.
Why it matters
Federal hiring rules will shape the government's ability to staff critical tech roles and modernize public services.
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