By Scott Kupor, Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management
April 9, 2026

Across our federal government, thousands of Human Resources (HR) professionals empower every mission, in every agency, every day.

They recruit and hire the talent we rely on. They help managers lead. They support employee accountability. They empower employees through every stage of their careers. At the end of the day, strong HR makes strong government possible. Every agency depends on it.

Supporting this community—and setting it up for success—is something I take seriously as the federal government’s HR leader.

But here’s the reality: we can and should be doing better.

For years, OPM has documented persistent skill gaps in the federal HR workforce and the real impacts those gaps have on hiring, performance management, employee experience, and other critical areas. Strategic Human Capital Management has been on GAO’s High-Risk List for a quarter century and OPM has defined HR as a Mission Critical Occupation since 2011. This tells us something. Agencies rely on HR every day, but for too long, we have not consistently given HR professionals the tools they need to truly excel.

Part of the challenge is structural.

Agencies have largely been left to build their own training and development approaches. The result is what you’d expect: duplication, inconsistency, and in many cases, gaps. Some agencies have invested in this area, duplicating the investments of others, while others have few resources in this area. Across government, there’s no single, coordinated approach.

That’s something we at OPM are going to change.

Under our broader HR transformation efforts, known as “Federal HR 2.0,” OPM is investing in a more centralized, deliberate, and high-quality approach to HR workforce skill building. We are working to establish a standardized HR training and certification program to strengthen workforce capability, develop early-career talent pipelines, and expand access to training that builds both technical and leadership skills across the HR profession.

This represents a shift that reflects the importance of the HR workforce to mission delivery across the government. The goal is straightforward: reduce duplication, improve quality, and make better use of taxpayer dollars while ensuring HR professionals have the tools and resources they need to deliver for their agencies.

This won’t happen overnight. But it starts with giving HR professionals a clearer picture of their own career paths and opportunities.

That’s why we’ve launched the HR Career Compass as a harbinger of greater things to come.

The HR Career Compass is a simple idea: help HR professionals understand the landscape of the federal HR profession and the many directions their careers can take. It highlights key HR specialties, shows how they connect, describes skills, and provides a clearer view of how careers can grow and evolve over time.

It’s not a training program. It’s a starting point—a compass to help bring clarity to a complex career field that can be difficult to navigate. It gives current HR professionals and those considering a career in federal HR a better sense of direction.

And this is just the beginning.

For too long, our HR professionals have had the responsibility to deliver results without having consistent access to the support they need. That’s not a sustainable model, and it’s one we’re committed to improving.

You should expect to see more from OPM in this space.

Because when it comes to navigating a career in federal HR, you don’t always need a rigid roadmap.

Sometimes, what you really need is a compass to help you chart your own path.

Visit the HR Career Compass at www.OPM.gov/HRCareerCompass