Washington, DC - The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) formally launched its Career Patterns initiative during a briefing with federal agency representatives and members of the media. The new Program's main purpose is to help federal agencies transform the hiring process into one that recognizes the needs of the future workforce.

"OPM's Career Patterns initiative is an entirely new approach to hiring and supporting a 21st century workforce," said OPM Director Linda M. Springer. "This transition in our thinking and marketing to the talent pool is particularly critical as we meet the challenge of the pending retirement wave."

Because a large percentage of current employees are becoming eligible to retire, OPM believes it is increasingly important the federal government is positioned to compete for highly qualified job candidates who seek non-traditional career patterns.

The Career Patterns initiative recognizes that employer-employee relationships will increasingly vary across many dimensions, including:

· Time in career (early, middle, late, returning annuitants)
· Mobility (among agencies, between public and private sectors)
· Permanence (seasonal/intermittent, long-term, revolving, temporary, students)
· Mission-focus (program-based, project managers)
· Flexible arrangements (detached from office, job sharers, non-traditional time of day, part time, irregular schedule)