The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued the 2022 Federal Workforce Priorities Report, in which it asks agencies to choose two workforce priorities from a list of four to focus on until the next edition of the report scheduled for 2026.
OPM selected four primary priorities in this year’s report, along with four enabling priorities. Agencies are being instructed to select two of the primary priorities and leverage the enabling priorities to support their efforts.
Primary priority number one in the report focuses on leveraging technology and modernizing IT processes. If agencies select this priority, they will need to “research, acquire, and develop enterprise technological solutions to assist the Federal human capital community with human capital analysis; [and] increase data available to inform management decision-making and to support the workforce.”
The other primary priorities include recruitment, succession planning, and knowledge transfer; enhancing employee experience, fostering employee well-being, and building a diverse and inclusive workforce; and fostering an agile organization and a growth mindset.
“Agencies can no longer afford to react to workforce and technological changes when they occur,” the report says. “While agencies continue to systematically identify the required workforce skills, roles, and competencies, they should also anticipate changes and plan early to successfully address future opportunities and challenges.”
The enabling priorities, which will help agencies to maximize their workforce success, include enhancing customer experience; leveraging data as a strategic asset; preparedness and resilience; and developing an agency foresight capability.
The new priorities come after the release of OPM’s 2021 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) results, which showed that Federal employees are less satisfied and less engaged with their jobs.
OPM said its research team analyzed the FEVS results, along with other documents, to develop its primary priorities.
“These priorities, grounded in rigorous research, are a foundation for the future and should assist agencies in long-term strategic planning for future success,” the report says.
