Hiring freezes are often seen as pauses on workforce-related activities, yet to maintain a leading edge they need for the future, organizations should never take their eye off the talent pipeline. For government institutions, these periods can serve as crucial opportunities. Hiring freezes can be a great time to focus on training current employees to meet new mandates and assessing which kinds of skills they’ll need in the future.
By aligning workforce skills-building with evolving mandates and focusing on internal team development, agencies can ensure their teams are ready for whatever comes next.
Understanding the Distinction: Hiring Freeze vs. Planning Freeze
On April 17, 2025, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum temporarily extending a federal hiring freeze through July 15, 2025. Exceptions include federal hiring in roles in immigration enforcement, national security, and public safety. After that, agencies will be able to hire no more than one employee for every four employees that depart from federal service, with a few exceptions in the same workforce areas exempt from the freezes.
It’s important to remember that a “hiring freeze” isn’t the same as “planning freeze.” Even during hiring freezes, people-managers can still assess which skills they’ll need in the future. Leaders can also focus on activities like aligning skills with federal mandates, supporting new managers, succession planning, and skills building, ensuring that their organizations remain flexible and prepared for future needs.
Navigating Evolving Mandates: An Opportunity for Workforce Training
Recent executive directives underscore the importance of continuous skills-development, especially for government employees who may be tasked with implementing them. For example, Executive Order 14278: Preparing Americans for High-Paying Skilled Trade Jobs of the Future (April 23, 2025), aims to modernize federal workforce development programs, with an emphasis on preparing America’s workers for the AI revolution and re-industrialization.
Under the directive, The Departments of Labor, Education, and Commerce are tasked with reviewing and streamlining federal workforce programs to address the needs of emerging industries and support the administration’s reshoring efforts.
These existing mandates are proof of how important it is to think about skills-building and workforce planning, regardless of hiring freezes, in order to build the team that’s needed to help best drive mission success. Online learning platforms can help your team build skills independently, at a time that fits into their schedules, while still acquiring new skills related to everything from AI, data science, and management.
Leveraging Internal Resources: Mobility and Manager Support
In the absence of external hiring, agencies can focus on encouraging internal mobility, training new managers, and assessing and building the skillset within their teams.
Encouraging team members to consider internal mobility can address skill gaps and increase efficiency by hiring from within when hiring freezes end, reducing the time and cost associated with external hiring. This practice also empowers employees to broaden their skill sets and career trajectories, contributing to a more versatile and resilient workforce.
Supporting new managers is equally crucial. As the federal workforce has changed, some employees have been promoted into more senior roles. But transitioning into a managerial role presents unique challenges. Providing targeted training and mentorship on best practices for new people leaders can ease this shift. Equipping new managers with the necessary tools and knowledge ensures they can lead effectively, fostering a positive team environment and driving organizational success
Continue Skills Audits, Training, and Succession Planning
Strategic workforce planning is another vital activity during hiring freezes. It involves conducting skills assessments, or audits, to identify current capabilities and pinpoint areas for skills development. Insights from skills assessments help you plan targeted training and upskilling programs to ensure employees are equipped to meet new federal mandates. Regular skills audits also inform strategic planning, aligning workforce capabilities with broader agency goals.
Another part of strategic workforce planning includes succession planning. This involves identifying and developing high-potential employees for future leadership roles, allowing organizations to ensure continuity and stability. This proactive approach mitigates the risks associated with sudden departures and prepares the organization for future challenges.
By focusing on these areas, leaders can maintain momentum during hiring freezes, ensuring the organization remains dynamic and prepared for future opportunities.
Hiring Freezes Don’t Have to Chill Workforce Development
Despite the name, a hiring freeze can be a great opportunity to evolve and invigorate your workforce strategy. Forward-looking people-managers understand that workforce excellence is built through intentional investment in the people already on board.
By using this time to empower new managers, focus on internal mobility, and invest in training and upskilling, agencies can position themselves for long-term success. Aligning all these internal efforts with emerging federal mandates ensures that talent development stays relevant and mission-driven.
Agencies have the opportunity to maintain momentum during hiring freezes. One thing is certain. The organizations that seize these moments to reimagine and strengthen their talent pipelines will be the ones best equipped to stay ahead and make an impact in an ever-changing landscape.
Mike Furgason is a dynamic sales and leadership executive with a proven track record at top-tier organizations including LinkedIn, Amazon, and Grainger. Currently serving as LinkedIn’s Head of Sales for Government and Academic North America, he leads high-performing teams focused on strategic hiring and learning solutions. Mike brings deep expertise in enterprise sales, leadership development, and go-to-market strategy. He has successfully driven multimillion-dollar growth initiatives and coached hundreds of leaders. A former military professional and Business Administration graduate, Mike is known for combining disciplined execution with visionary leadership to exceed targets and empower teams across both public and private sectors.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.