"Our country is a fabulous country. It is. Mainly, because the people are so great. And our country is richer because of the Hispanic influence. I know. I came from a state that has a tremendous Hispanic influence. And I know I shouldn't say this: I happen to think it's the greatest of all states, but partly because of our history and tradition and relationships in the Hispanic community."

Executive Summary

Executive Order 13171, Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government, was issued on October 12, 2000, to focus on the continued underrepresentation of Hispanics in the federal workforce. The Executive Order requires an annual report to the President from the Director of the Office of Personnel Management on the progress made by agencies and recommendations. While the Administration has set a strong example for Federal agencies and departments by recruiting and hiring highly qualified Hispanics, continued, sustained and aggressive leadership is needed to make meaningful progress in correcting the chronic under-representation of Hispanics in the overall Federal workforce.

Hispanic Underrepresentation Remains a Problem

Efforts to improve Hispanic employment in the Federal government date back at least three decades. Progress has been limited at best, and Hispanics today remain the most underrepresented minority group in the Federal workforce. According to the most recent census survey, Hispanics represent over 12.5 percent of the general population and comprise 11.8 percent of the national civilian labor force (CLF). Yet only 6.6 percent of permanent Federal employees are Hispanic. Moreover, the gap between Hispanics in the Federal workforce and in the CLF is growing. Further, for Hispanics in the Federal workforce, career paths show less progress than other groups; the current internal career development programs that ensure a steady flow of Senior Executive Service candidates do not seem to be reaching Hispanic men and women already in the Federal ranks.

The Federal workforce must present an image of public service that is inclusive and provides opportunity to all citizens. Not only is this the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. There is growing recognition, made even more evident by the events for the last month, that the Federal government needs to recruit new talent into its workforce. In today's competitive labor market, the net must be cast as widely as possible. Further, to be truly citizen-centered, it is important that the Federal government continues to build and maintain a workforce that reflects the rich diversity of our people.

Actions under Executive Order 13171

Executive Order 13171 calls for the establishment of an Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment with senior-level representation to help carry out its objectives. These members are predominately political appointees, many of whom have only recently been confirmed. In the interim, the Office of Personnel Management established a Work Group on Hispanic Employment, which developed the criteria used for assembling this first report.

The Work Group surveyed Federal departments and agencies on specific practices in management accountability, innovative marketing and recruitment strategies, effective results-oriented hiring and retention strategies, identifying barriers to improving Hispanic representation, and use of the bilingual/bicultural hiring authority. Agencies also were asked to report on how these activities aligned with the agency's Annual Performance Plan under the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA).

The Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment in the Federal Government convened on October 4, 2001. Members were given an opportunity to review the draft report, and their additional input has been incorporated.

Agency Progress and Activities

Agency reports demonstrated varying degrees of progress and activities in the five survey areas:

• Management accountability - Some agencies have established reporting requirements and scorecards to compare the performance of various agency components; others have incorporated a critical element into the performance plans for managers and supervisors and/or established a reward and recognition system. Still other agencies ensure that their leadership is aware of the agency's concerns and commitment.
  
  
• Innovative marketing and recruitment strategies - Many agencies have developed multiple approaches, which include establishing partnership agreements, innovative marketing, outreach, and targeted recruitment at Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs).
  
  
• Effective, results-oriented hiring and retention strategies - At least one agency created a database for resumes collected at career and job fairs, while other agencies have conducted targeted recruitment activities at HSIs, pursued marketing and advertising strategies, and enhanced recruitment from all sources.
  
  
• Identifying barriers to improving Hispanic representation - Few agencies reported on their process and/or results in identifying barriers to improving Hispanic representation. At least one agency established a consultation process with either community organizations or advisory councils composed of senior agency employees. A few limited themselves to discussing the hiring processes as a barrier.
  
  
• Bilingual-Bicultural Program - Only two agencies reported using the Bilingual-Bicultural program.

Next Steps and Conclusion

Agency personnel and operations must reflect the commitment of the President to Hispanic employment. Department and agency leadership is essential to the successful accomplishment of this objective.

Because Hispanics remain the most severely underrepresented minority group in the federal workforce, agencies must target their recruitment resources more effectively, especially within non-traditional markets, to take advantage of the full range of opportunities available to recruit Hispanics. Once on board, agencies must assure that the full range of development and advancement opportunities are available to Hispanic employees. Small agencies may have to work closely to identify barriers to recruitment and hiring, and jointly devise new or innovative practices to address the identified barriers.

As the Federal government's human resources agency, OPM is taking pro-active steps to enhance Hispanic recruitment government-wide and will help agencies develop integrated strategies by facilitating the sharing of information and best practices and through the Interagency Task Force on Hispanic Employment.

To better meet the objectives of this Administration, OPM will take the following specific steps:

1. provide guidance to agencies to ensure that they are taking full advantage of existing managerial flexibilities and programs;
2. assure the development of clear measurement and accountability guidelines;
3. convene a conference of agency officials to identify and address barriers to effective recruitment and utilization of Hispanics;
4. showcase innovative agency outreach, recruitment, hiring, career development, and retention efforts; and
5. submit semi-annual statistically based reports to the President.

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