Government as Employer Playbook
Traditional hiring practices, which often prioritize degrees over demonstrated skills, are limiting public sector agencies' ability to find the talent they need to serve their communities. This creates barriers for the more than 70 million workers in the U.S. who are Skilled Through Alternative Routes (STARs).
The Government as Employer Playbook is a practical, action-oriented resource from Opportunity@Work, designed in partnership with public sector partners, to help public sector leaders and practitioners adopt and scale skills-based talent practices. It provides a clear roadmap to reimagine government as a model employer that hires for skills.
Inside the Playbook
This playbook provides clear guidance, practical strategies, and real-world examples to help you take action, no matter where you are on your skills-based journey.
Understand the STARs Talent Pool
Find Your Starting Point
Get Practical Tools and Templates
Learn from Real-World Examples
Measure Your Progress
Learn who STARs are and how tapping into this deep pool of talent can help you address critical talent gaps, advance economic mobility, and build a stronger, more diverse workforce.
Take a short Archetype Quiz to identify your role—Explorer, Activator, Ally, Builder, or Connector—and get tailored, relevant guidance to drive change effectively from your position.
Access actionable resources for every stage of implementation, from building a data-driven narrative and crafting a vision to developing a work plan and aligning stakeholders.
Draw inspiration from case studies and success stories from state and local governments that are already putting these skills-based practices into action and seeing results.
Discover the key metrics you should track across the talent lifecycle—from hiring and advancement to retention—to measure the impact of your efforts and communicate your success.
Ready to build a stronger public sector workforce?
Download the Government as Employer Playbook
Get the practical guidance, tools, and examples needed to implement skills-based talent practices today.