An Eye for Upskilling: Acuity’s Vision for Overcoming Recruitment Challenges in the Federal Sector

By Peter Alcantara, Lead Recruiter, National Security and University and Intern Lead

The recruiting landscape is changing—particularly in the federal technology sector. Government entities are looking for extremely specific skills, while the candidate pool is shrinking. While many factors are contributing to this shift, the reduction in on-the-job training is playing a surprising role. Here is some of what we are seeing, and what we are doing about it.

Reduction in On-The-Job Training

Recent research indicates many employers are offering significantly less on-the-job training than before. In fact, they are looking for candidates who require little to no training. While this may reduce initial training costs and might lead to new hires being productive more quickly, it also reduces the pool of qualified candidates for many roles.

In addition to making it harder to find the right people, inadequate training for new hires can lead to a need for even more new workers. Undertrained employees feel less prepared and less confident taking on additional tasks, leading to lower productivity and lower job satisfaction—common reasons people leave their jobs. In an ironic twist, while some companies are reluctant to invest in training because they fear that the employees will take their new skills elsewhere, employees who do not get training often leave because they do not feel that their careers are progressing.

Feeling the Impact

The lack of on-the-job training is having a major impact on entry-level employees and those who are new to the workforce. As employers move toward hiring based on demonstrable skills, new workers have no opportunity to get in and start learning. Even those who are hired feel the impact, as they are left with gaps in the foundational skills they need to perform successfully and move upward within an organization.

Acuity’s Vision

As a government IT consulting firm, Acuity is tasked with finding talented individuals to fulfill specific needs for government projects. Acuity’s recruiters are always looking for strong candidates with technical experience who can make a difference for a client from day one. This is why we carefully screen candidates and ask in-depth technical questions in the interview process.

However, Acuity recognizes the benefits of hiring individuals who can learn and adapt to innovative technologies that are rapidly and continuously changing. Acuity combines stringent hiring processes with a full-fledged commitment to training and upskilling. This ensures that our employees meet the criteria not just for the current project, but for the next project or job role. Training opportunities and incentives also increase job satisfaction, which improves retention and contributes to the general success of the company. Acuity’s training programs include:

• Online training. Acuity uses Udemy Business, providing employees with access to high-demand, online training material. With licenses granted to every employee, there has been a 90% adoption rate with an average of 18 hours of learning per user.
• Training and Development. Acuity has a dedicated Training and Development arm that expands the company’s training portfolio, learning resources, and upskilling initiatives. This includes manager training, in-house teambuilding opportunities, and a leadership development series.
• Technical Boot Camps and Programs. The company offers a new-hire technical boot camp, a summer internship program, and other technical learning experiences.
• Customized Learning Plans. Acuity provides customized learning plans tailored to individual learning needs, leveraging various internal and external learning resources.
• Technical Communities and Workshops. Additional training opportunities include internal technical Communities of Interest and the “Lunch, Learn, Lead” series of workshops, emphasizing the importance of upskilling in both soft skills and leadership competencies. We also support our employees attending national, technology-focused conferences and seminars.
• Employee Recognition. Acuity implemented the ICON Program, a corporate-wide employee recognition program and points-based rewards system designed to inspire, recognize, and reward employee behaviors that bolster individual achievement and engagement.

What We See Ahead

The rapid advancement of technology and automation make it imperative for employers to provide the foundation for self-training, upskilling, and knowledge sharing to stay relevant and competitive in 2024 and beyond. Employees need to understand that to stay relevant and make an impact, they must take responsibility to continuously focus on upskilling. In collaboration between leadership and staff, Acuity can simultaneously address the need for government agencies to have workers ready to go on day one of a project while bucking the trend of not providing training. The ability to offer this combination is an incentive to potential employees that we can use as recruiters to attract the best candidates for our federal clients.

To continue the conversation, connect with Peter Alcantara on LinkedIn. Learn more about working for Acuity at Careers – Acuity.