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September 18, 2013

DHS Must Measure and Track Its Recruitment

(WASHINGTON) – Today, Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member of the Committee on Homeland Security, released the below statement in response to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on recruiting and employment at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The report, entitled "DHS Recruiting and Hiring: DHS Is Generally Filling Mission-Critical Positions, but Could Better Track Costs of Coordinated Recruiting Efforts" (GAO-13-742) found that while DHS and some of its components are implementing strategies to recruit for and fill its more critical positions, it does not have sufficient methods for measuring success or tracking costs.

"To my dismay, this report shows that DHS does not have a Department-wide strategy for measuring recruitment, gauging diversity goals, or tracking the costs of recruitment. They also do not require this of its components. Proper recruitment – including the measuring and tracking of it – is essential for a large, diverse and relatively new institution such as DHS. Without a robust strategy, gauging real success at the Department will be extremely difficult and it will not have any means to measure what they may or may not be accomplishing. The results of this report make clear that the department has not resolved its long-standing difficulties in securing a diverse workforce. I urge the Acting Secretary to take immediate steps to rectify these long-standing problems."

Link to Report

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Media Contact: Adam Comis at (202) 225-9978