A working group studying ways to improve the representation of Hispanics in the federal workforce for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has called for more accountability in management and proactive recruiting.
“The federal government needs to radically change its hiring and recruitment practices and put them in line with corporate employers,” said Eugenio Sexton, a member of the working group and the executive director for the Department of Homeland Security’s Human Capital Operations and Services.
Among the group’s suggestions was better use of intern programs for Hispanic students, including the Federal Career Internship Program and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities Hispanic Heritage Foundation’s Latinos on Fast Track Program
It also said agencies should develop targeted recruitment campaigns at Hispanic-serving institutions and through Hispanic collegiate organizations.
The EEOC reported that Hispanics account for an ever-increasing portion of the U.S. population, but their representation in the federal government has remained relatively stagnant. Hispanics represent 7.9 percent of the government, up from 6.6 percent a decade ago. Their presence in the Senior Executive Service is even smaller, at 3.6 percent, according to the EEOC’s Office of Federal Operations.
During an EEOC meeting, the working group said agencies must stop making excuses for lagging diversity and adopt a more modern approach to recruitment and retention. If the EEOC approves the recommendations, agencies could have added obligations.
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