1. United States Department of Agriculture
U.S. Forest Service and University Partners: Recruiting our Next Generation of Leaders
Asheville, NC
January 9-10, 2017
Forest Service October 2014

2. Workforce Plans in the USFS Southern Region and Southern Research Station
Rick Lint, Forest Supervisor, Francis Marion & Sumter NF
Gerry Jackson, Assistant Director, Business Operations, SRS

3. 5 year workforce plans Include the following information:
Factors affecting recruitment, retention and development of the workforce
Workforce diversity and trends
Mission critical occupations (MCO’s)
Gaps to having a well developed, quality, diverse organization
Strategies to address those gaps

4. 1. Factors affecting recruitment, retention and development
Southern Region (R8)
Southern Research Station
Increasing complexity and scale in research questions
Greater policy interest in research results
Reduced numbers of scientists and technicians on the rolls due to diminished funding.
Limited ability to fill vacant positions due to funding.
Reduced capacity for collaboration with universities, other partners
Increasing complexity in landscapes surrounding NF’s
Expanding urban areas and land uses
Increasing demands for visitor services, recreation special uses
Increasing encroachment
Reduced competition in timber
Increased focus on watershed
Changing demographics

5. 2. Workforce diversity and trends
Southern Region (R8)
Southern Research Station
337 permanent employees (20% decline since 2010)
99 FIA employees; 36 field crew
25 temporary
Approx. 10 post-doc students
81% of the permanent workforce is white (Fy2015 data)
Women, Persons with Targeted Disabilities and Veterans are underrepresented compared to the civilian labor force
2,320 permanent employees (18% decline since 2010)
200 temporary employees (35% decline since 2010)
78% of the permanent workforce is white (Fy2015 data)
Women, Persons with Targeted Disabilities and Veterans are underrepresented compared to the civilian labor force

6. 2. Workforce diversity and trends (continued)
Trends in Separations
Anticipated Hiring
Anticipated hiring in R8 in the next 4 years includes 307 permanent and 67 temporary positions
Anticipated hiring in SRS in the next 4 years is estimated at positions
Retirement is the primary type of separation
Millennials had the highest percentage of resignations

7. 3. Mission critical occupations
Southern Region (R8)
Southern Research Station
GS-460 – Research Forester
GS-110 – Research Economist
GS-408 – Research Ecologist
13%, 0% and 10% of the current SRS employees in these series, respectively, will be eligible to retire between now and 2020
GS-340 – Program Management
GS-462 – Forestry Technician
GS-1102 – Contracting
45%, 18%, and 27% of the current R8 employees in these series, respectively, will be eligible to retire between now and 2020

8. Southern Research Station
4. Workforce gaps
Southern Region (R8)
Southern Research Station
Retirement of research scientists in critical skill areas
Challenge finding new recruits for highly specialized science fields
Limited access to high quality pool of applicants
Increasing ability to use special hiring authorities to fill positions requiring a high level of expertise
‘One scientist standing’ in some areas
Lack of career ladders for advancement, lack of lower graded career ladders
Lack of clarity on employee developmental paths
Loss of corporate knowledge
Weak outreach to non-traditional sources
Limited use of special hiring authorities

9. 5. Strategies to fill gaps
Focus agency efforts on:
Recruitment and retention using all tools available for new hires
Employee development and training
Workforce and organizational change/re-alignment
Knowledge management and transfer
Recognize what new recruits want in their careers
Flexible work schedules and workplaces
Career development and advancement
New technology, applications

10. 5. Strategies to fill gaps (cont’d)
Nurture additional “soft” skills:
Teaming
Partnerships
Oral and written communications
Interdisciplinary skills
Conflict management

11. Next… understanding USFS hiring processes and authorities