Leadership Responsibilities and Practices

1.      Management Accountability

Management accountability is an element of almost every recommendation on the issue of Hispanic under-representation.  Executive Order 13171 charges agencies with ensuring that the performance plans for executives and managers specifically address accomplishments in diversity recruitment and career development, and that accountability is predicated on these plans. The Order also charges agencies with ensuring that managers and supervisors receive periodic training in managing and maintaining a diverse workforce.  Furthermore, agencies must make the elimination of Hispanic under-representation in the Federal workforce a continuing priority and incorporate actions under the order as strategies for achieving workforce diversity goals in the agency's Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Annual Performance Plan.  

The Hispanic Nine Point Plan, which is embedded in the Order, requires Federal agencies to report on their progress and successes in recruiting, employing, and training Hispanics in their annual Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) report.  The Report to the President's Management Council, also embedded in the Order, incorporates several recommendations regarding management accountability under three main themes – providing guidance to managers and supervisors; conducting progress reviews; and holding managers and supervisors accountable for a diverse workforce, including Hispanic representation 

In its diversity guide, Building and Maintaining a Diverse, High-Quality Workforce: A Guide for Federal Agencies, OPM recommends that agency heads hold their executives, managers, and supervisors accountable for achieving results.  The guide recommends that agencies build accountability for hiring, retaining, and developing a diverse, high-quality workforce into the performance management systems for managers and supervisors.  Furthermore, the guide recommends that agencies ensure that candidates for the Senior Executive Service demonstrate competency in "leveraging diversity," among other leadership competencies.

 Accountability also includes identifying and celebrating success.  The OPM diversity guide recommends that agencies recognize success; identify and reward champions of diversity; consider nominating senior executives for Presidential Rank Awards to recognize their accomplishments in building and maintaining a diverse, high-quality workforce; and consider establishing an agency-wide diversity award.

 2.   Innovative Marketing and Recruitment Strategies 

The purpose of innovative marketing and recruitment strategies is to improve the Government’s capacity to attract strong candidates who are prepared both to meet the agency's strategic goals and priorities and to work in the agency's environment.  The Executive Order charges agencies with providing a plan for recruiting Hispanics that creates a fully diverse workforce for the agency in the 21^st century.   OPM has provided agencies with information about such innovative strategies over the past several years.  The Hispanic Nine Point Plan asks agencies to support and implement the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanic Americans; provide employment information to students, faculty, and the Hispanic community; participate in the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Internship Program; and develop mentoring programs to motivate young people to pursue higher education and Federal careers. 

In addition to the strategies set out in the Nine Point Plan, the Report to the President's Management Council incorporates several recommendations regarding outreach and employment for both entry- and senior-level positions.  For senior level positions, they include developing specific recruitment strategies and activities to increase the number of Hispanics in the SES selection pool, helping prepare Hispanics to become more competitive for SES opportunities, and improving outreach efforts for SES vacancies to people and groups outside the agency.  For entry-level positions, strategies include partnering with other Federal departments and agencies, disseminating information in Spanish to Hispanic media, using the flexibilities of the Student Educational Employment Program to bring Hispanic students into an agency's shortage category occupations, and appointing and supporting full-time Hispanic Employment Program (HEP) managers. 

OPM's diversity guide also makes several recommendations.  They include: ensuring that recruiters and selecting officials work closely with the agency's human resources and civil rights/diversity staff during the recruiting process, understanding the employer competition and its methods, and ensuring that the agency's message can be found throughout the communities.  The Guide also recommends that agencies clearly state their mission and goals to ensure that candidates feel that their personal goals match those of the agency; design a long-term recruitment plan with input from managers, supervisors, and employees; and develop and maintain partnerships with academic and professional associations.  Furthermore, the Guide recommends that agencies select and thoroughly train a diverse cadre of recruiters that includes representatives from program areas as well as staff areas.  Finally, the Guide recommends that agencies follow up with candidates.

 3.   Effective, Results-Oriented Hiring and Retention Strategies

 After conducting effective outreach and recruitment activities, agencies must hire and retain high-quality candidates.  Both the Hispanic Nine Point Plan and the Report to the President's Management Council recommend that agencies promote the participation of Hispanic employees in career development programs.  In addition, OPM's diversity guide reminds agencies to review internal human resources policies, processes, and operations to ensure they are not barriers to making quick job offers; utilize existing hiring flexibilities and authorities, such as student employment programs, Presidential Management Intern (PMI) program, and selective placement; and pay recruitment and relocation bonuses, where appropriate.  The Guide also suggests retention strategies that include a broad model of rewards to sustain employee commitment, including an emphasis on learning and development, a flexible and supportive work environment, high-quality supervision and leadership, and effective rewards and recognition systems.  Executive Order 13171 charges Federal agencies with improving outreach efforts to include organizations outside the Federal Government in order to increase the number of Hispanic candidates in the selection pool for the Senior Executive Service and to promote the participation of Hispanic employees in management, leadership, and career development programs

 4.  Identifying Barriers to Improving Hispanic Representation

The Executive Order requires that agencies assess and eliminate any barriers to the effective recruitment and consideration of Hispanics.  These actions may include  broadening the area of consideration to include applicants from all appropriate sources. 

OPM's diversity guide reminds agencies to review internal human resources policies, processes, and operations to ensure they are not barriers to making quick job offers.  Some of the barriers to progress in this area include the following: clearly stated agency commitment, diversity training, employee involvement, clear and widely-disseminated workforce information, senior management involvement, and the appointment and inclusion of Special Emphasis Program (SEP) managers.

5.  Effective Use of the Bilingual-Bicultural Hiring Authority 

The changing demographics of America mean that the public served by the Federal government is also changing.  When agencies recruit and retain a workforce representative of America and when individual differences are respected, appreciated and valued, diversity becomes an organizational strength that contributes to achieving results.   

For the past several years, Federal agencies have had the ability to hire applicants with Spanish-language proficiency and/or knowledge of the Hispanic culture, where these competencies enhance service to the public.  Agencies make a determination of which entry-level jobs are a good fit for this "Bilingual/Bicultural" program.  Applicants hired to fill these jobs are later "converted" to positions in the civil service.

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