Some federal missions require agencies to recruit, onboard, train, equip, and deploy enormous workforces against deadlines that cannot move. Success depends not simply on filling positions, but on ensuring the right people and capabilities are ready when and where the mission requires them.
MeriTalk recently sat down with Evan Davis, executive managing director of federal growth at Maximus, to discuss how agencies can prepare for large, time-bound operations that may require hundreds or thousands of temporary workers. The conversation explores how unified workforce data, incremental modernization, artificial intelligence (AI), and outcome-focused industry partnerships come together to improve workforce readiness and deliver measurable mission impact.
MeriTalk: Federal agencies that run large-scale, time-bound operations face some of the most demanding workforce challenges in government. From your experience supporting one of the largest decennial mobilizations in federal history, what does it take to scale a workforce of that size?
Davis: This is one of the most rewarding challenges in federal service. When you’re supporting a national-scale operation with a fixed date, you may be scaling to hundreds of thousands of temporary workers in a matter of months, across every time zone and every kind of community. They all need to be recruited, onboarded, trained, equipped, and deployed on a fixed timeframe.
Here’s where I always start: The mission is the outcome, not the headcount. Too many workforce efforts begin with “we need X thousand people” before defining what those people will do and how their work connects to the result that matters.
The goal isn’t just filling positions. It’s delivering an accurate result, on time, with quality the public can trust. Define that goal first, then build the workforce strategy backward from it. That’s how you deliver measurable mission impact, not just a filled roster.
MeriTalk: Oversight bodies have flagged recruiting shortfalls and unfinalized staffing plans at agencies preparing for these kinds of operations. How can agencies get ahead of these issues?
Davis: The key is to treat workforce planning as a mission data problem, not just a hiring problem. Create a single source of truth early: Who’s applying, where they’re coming from, how long onboarding takes, and where people are dropping out of the pipeline.
I’ve seen agencies where recruiting, onboarding, and training data live in separate systems that don’t talk to each other. You can’t protect the mission if you can’t see the pipeline.
When leaders have a real-time view of that data, they can adjust recruiting strategies, accelerate onboarding where needed, and make sure trained people are in the field when the mission requires them. That turns workforce planning from a reactive scramble into a proactive advantage.
MeriTalk: Many agencies preparing for large-scale operations are also dealing with legacy systems that are decades old. How can they modernize workforce systems while keeping the mission moving forward?
Davis: I’m optimistic here because the technology has caught up with the need. Modernization no longer has to mean ripping everything out and starting over.
Agencies can build a modern layer on top of what they already have. Application programming interfaces (APIs) can connect a new recruiting portal, streamlined application process, or onboarding experience to existing systems of record. Applicants get a modern experience, recruiters get better tools, and back-end payroll and HR systems keep running.
For an agency facing a fixed deadline, that continuity matters enormously. Every month spent waiting to decommission a legacy system is a month the workforce isn’t getting better tools. Incremental modernization reduces cost and risk while protecting the systems the mission already depends on.
MeriTalk: Agency technology leaders are increasingly talking about deploying agentic artificial intelligence (AI) to support workforce productivity. How should agencies think about AI in the context of scaling a workforce for the mission?
Davis: The framing I find most useful is this: AI augments the workforce; it doesn’t replace it. The judgment calls, community engagement, and situations that don’t fit a script are human work. That’s where people shine.
AI can handle structured, repeatable workflows that consume enormous amounts of time: processing applications, routing inquiries, answering common onboarding questions, scheduling training, and flagging incomplete paperwork.
The agencies getting this right are deploying AI within defined boundaries around structured workflows. Let automation handle the volume so people can focus on mission-critical work. That’s a force multiplier. At Maximus, we’re helping agencies put this into practice through responsible AI implementation grounded in thorough assessment.
MeriTalk: You’ve said digital first doesn’t mean digital only. How does that principle connect to mission outcomes?
Davis: Large-scale federal operations aren’t just digital operations. They’re human operations. Workers go into communities, people have questions, and outreach and trust-building matter.
Digital should be the front door that’s open 24/7, but never the only door. A job applicant should be able to start online, get a text when a background check clears, call a person when a question isn’t answered digitally, and attend training in person. A field recruiter should see the same information as someone at headquarters.
When you build experiences across channels, you reduce friction and errors. People move from hired to productive to the field faster, where the mission lives. The technology makes the human work better; it never makes the human less necessary.
MeriTalk: You’ve advocated for managed service models focused on outcomes. How does that help agencies scale a workforce for the mission?
Davis: Increasingly, agencies are taking this approach because it allows contractors to bring in the best tools and practices while being held accountable for measurable results.
For a large-scale mobilization, an agency might partner with industry to manage the recruiting pipeline, onboarding process, or contact center supporting field workers, with the partner accountable for milestones such as time to hire, training completion, and field readiness.
The agency keeps control of the mission and standards. The partner brings scale, technology, and operational discipline. In my experience, the agencies that succeed at this are the ones that understand technology is necessary but never sufficient on its own. Scaling a workforce successfully happens when you pair the right tools with the right people and the right partnership.
MeriTalk: If you gave agency leaders three priorities for workforce readiness over the next year, what would they be?
Davis: First, define your goals and build a data-driven staffing plan around a single source of truth so you can see the workforce pipeline in real time and keep the mission on track.
Second, modernize the workforce experience incrementally. Use APIs and modern frontends to improve recruiting, onboarding, and training while keeping the back end stable.
Third, put AI and automation to work on repetitive tasks while investing in people. Train them well, give them the tools and data they need, and trust them to do the work that matters.
Agencies that get this balance right and partner with industry for measurable results will scale faster, operate more efficiently, and deliver the accurate, high-quality results that businesses, communities, and policymakers depend on.