Waving the public service banner at the Kennedy School

An event during the first week of classes illustrates why it can be a challenge to attract students to work for government, writes blogger Steve Kelman.

How not to recruit potential employees and influence people

Cartoonist John Klossner says federal recruiters might not want prospective employees to check out the reader comments at FCW.com

Unions fire back at Gates for insourcing about-face

The American Federation of Government Employees wants answers from Defense Secretary Robert Gates on how his plans to save DOD money will affect insourcing efforts and federal employees.

4 reasons why federal managers resist telework

In response to a recent blog post, federal managers explain why they would rather not allow employees to work from home.

The 3 most common complaints about federal managers

Without a doubt, the most common complaint we hear from federal employees is that some federal managers are falling down on the job, writes the FCW Insider.

Industry retirees leave mainframe computers behind

Old mainframe computers stay at a company longer than the employees who know how to run them, according to a news report.

Should being a fed be a round-the-clock job?

Federal employees might take off their badges when they get home, but they never stop being federal employees, even on Facebook, one reader writes.

Five reasons why some feds would rather not telework

Make no mistake: The vast majority of readers commenting on telework stories in recent weeks clearly favor having the option to work from home on a regular basis. But here is the minority report.

Why do federal managers oppose telework?

We have to ask: Do government supervisors have legitimate reasons for not letting federal employees telework?

Steve Kelman's summer reading list

Blogger Steve Kelman is keeping busy with books about organization theory and public administration.

How to improve the performance of the federal workforce

Civilian agencies need to take a cue from the Defense Department and begin focusing their employees on mission, not process, according to one reader.

The first affliction of the federal workforce: Low expectations

The surest way to nurture mediocrity is to expect mediocrity. That, in a nutshell, is one of the major afflictions of the federal workforce in many offices across the government, according to readers commenting on stories at FCW.com.

Is your company on the Do Not Pay list?

The Obama administration is developing a governmentwide Do Not Pay List to track debarred contractors, deceased individuals and others ineligible for federal payments.

Industry embraces telework

Federal information technology workers were much less likely than their private-sector counterparts to regularly or exclusively telework despite having favorable opinions of telecommuting, according to a report released today.

Is it leadership and innovation? Or leadership vs. innovation?

FCW cartoonist John Klossner ponders the different approaches to managing for change.

Contest: How many federal employees does it take to change a light bulb?

FCW cartoonist and blogger John Klossner is taking entries now, with plans to publish the best and worst in a future blog post.

Let the VA's Acquisition Academy serve other agencies!

Blogger Steve Kelman believes the VA's acquisition program offers an innovative approach not available in other training programs.

Bill would require small-business training for contracting officers

A Senate measure would require a training and certification program to teach the acquisition workforce about small business set-aside programs.

Why agencies can't attract top talent

Federal agencies may be their own worst enemy when it comes to recruiting top performers.

New federal hires want meaningful work

Any instance these young people experience where they are not given work sends a terrible signal to them about expectations of federal employees, writes blogger Steve Kelman.