In this synthesis of research from more than 30 RAND Corporation reports on talent management of defense knowledge workers, the author presents areas for improvement, ways for the department to proactively approach talent management, and opportunities for future research. Insights are organized along four pillars of talent management: build and organize, train and develop, motivate and manage performance, and promote and retain the right talent.

Talent Management for U.S. Department of Defense Knowledge Workers

What Does RAND Corporation Research Tell Us?

Laura Werber

ResearchPublished Apr 26, 2021

Effective talent management of the U.S. defense workforce, particularly civilians and those performing knowledge work, has become an imperative in recent years. In this report, the author synthesizes the results of more than 30 RAND Corporation reports about the U.S. Department of Defense's talent management of knowledge workers, identifying areas for improvement, ways for the department to proactively approach talent management, and opportunities for future research. Insights are organized along four pillars of talent management: build and organize, train and develop, motivate and manage performance, and promote and retain the right talent.

Key Takeaways

  • RAND research provides insights about four pillars of defense knowledge worker talent management: build and organize, train and develop, motivate and manage performance, and promote and retain the right talent.
  • Diversity management was a theme that cut across these four pillars, with studies featuring observations related to recruitment, development, and retention of such groups as women, racial and ethnic minorities, and people with targeted disabilities.
  • Data issues, such as disconnects between personnel and manpower data systems and limited tracking of development activities, stymie effective talent management.
  • DoD has many policy levers and tools — including some developed by RAND — that it can make greater use of to improve its management of knowledge workers.
  • The private sector and DoD experiments, such as the Defense Acquisition Workforce Development Fund and Civilian Acquisition Workforce Personnel Demonstration Project, are sources of promising talent management practices.

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Werber, Laura, Talent Management for U.S. Department of Defense Knowledge Workers: What Does RAND Corporation Research Tell Us? Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation, 2021. https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RRA950-1.html.
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This research was sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and conducted within the Forces and Resources Policy Center of the RAND National Security Research Division.

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