Employer of Choice Vision
DISA CONTINUES EFFORTS TO ATTRACT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN A HIGH QUALITY WORK FORCE.
DISA continues its vision to be an “employer of choice” by constantly looking to improve its ability to attract, develop and retain a high quality work force. First-rate people make first-rate things happen.
As DISA focuses on a strategy of surety, reach and speed, Lieutenant General Charles Croom, the DISA director, has written, “The ‘we’ at DISA is our people—our most valuable asset.” With this focus, DISA will continue to recruit, develop and professionalize the work force to lead DoD in achieving net-centric operations and warfare.
With a corporate strategy to recruit and retain the right mix of people, DISA constantly seeks the highest quality work force. The agency’s recruitment strategy involves a blended approach, providing promotional opportunities for the current work force while also filling many mid- and senior-level positions from other federal agencies, former military personnel and the private sector.
With its aggressive intern and student programs, DISA has also reduced the average age of its work force to three years below the federal average. The goal is to select the best of the best. In order to compete in the highly competitive civilian marketplace, DISA offers its managers flexibility to recruit a quality workforce. Once on board, DISA offers employees many quality-of-worklife programs, including telework, compressed work schedules (CWS), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and the Wellness Program.
With the expansion of the telework program, there has been an eight-fold increase in participation, and DISA has become a federal leader in teleworking. DISA also has a unique one-of-a-kind wellness program, allowing employees to take three hours of duty time per week to exercise without leave, which has increased employee satisfaction and serves as a very effective recruitment and retention tool. Other work life initiatives are being actively pursued.
SUCCESSION PLANNING
Considering an aging workforce and contending with the possible departure of retirement-eligible employees and leaders (and acknowledging the potential of losing a highly skilled workforce during the BRAC move to Fort Meade, Md.), DISA has undertaken an aggressive succession planning initiative. DISA grooms its future leaders via three key development programs: Intern Career Development Program (ICDP), Emerging Leaders Program (ELP), and Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP).
Each of these programs involves intensive course training, improving individual leadership skills while developing a consistent knowledge base; rotational assignments or special projects, developing deeper understandings of less familiar agency organizations and initiatives; mentoring and coaching, actively participating in the agency’s program as a mentor, associate or both; and many more individual and team developmental activities. The direct involvement of senior leaders, a key component to a successful succession planning program, enhances the stature and credibility of the programs’ graduates. The capstone ELDP was recently selected as the “best leadership development program” at the Human Capital Management for Defense conference.
In addition to these competitive development programs, the agency employs a comprehensive Career Management Program (CMP) that provides a learning and growth roadmap for all agency employees. The CMP develops employees within their career paths by implementing step-by-step action plans to follow. These development plans were created by subject matter experts for their respective career fields.
The ultimate goal of this dual-pronged succession plan is to develop a cadre of high-potential candidates to assume key agency positions as they become available. The availability of DISA’s unique employee development programs augments the agency’s recruiting and retention efforts, helping fill positions with highly qualified candidates both from within and outside of DISA.
DISA relentlessly seeks to achieve optimal work force performance by ensuring that the agency has the right employees, with the right skills, in the right positions, at the right time. The agency’s continuous commitment to develop, maintain and invest in a high-performing work force focuses on three drivers—leadership, recognition and development.
DISA provides progressive programs, services, products and information that enhance the performance of individual employees. These efforts help encourage employee development and growth, foster organizational commitment and teamwork, provide work tools and resources, increase employee job satisfaction, and reduce employee turnover. Through these efforts, DISA is truly earning the reputation as an employer of choice. ♦
