La'Toya Prieur
Chief Human Capital Officer
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Episode 308
Federal HR: How Dedicated Study & Responsiveness Fast-Track Your Career Impact.
Current chapter: Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built By PeopleFebruary 10, 2025 · 20:54
Thesis
“Dedicated study, responsiveness, and a mission-driven approach are foundational for rapid career progression and making a significant impact within the federal HR landscape, challenging conventional timelines and perceptions.”
Show notes
Navigating Federal HR: From Entry-Level to Executive with La' Toya In this episode of the Built by People podcast, sponsored by Previ, host Dave D'Angelo welcomes La' Toya, an HR executive with over 20 years of experience in federal HR. La' Toya shares her inspirational career journey from a college student searching for part-time work to becoming an executive in federal HR. She discusses her experiences in federal staffing, mass hiring for Veterans Affairs, and aligning HR initiatives with organizational missions at FEMA. La' Toya also offers practical advice for those considering a career in federal HR, emphasizing the importance of preparation, continuous learning, and maintaining professionalism. 00:00 Introduction to the Built by People Podcast 00:16 Sponsorship Message from Previ 00:44 La' Toya's Career Journey in HR 02:30 Navigating Federal HR: Challenges and Successes 07:32 Mass Hiring in the Federal Government 11:47 Advice for Aspiring Federal HR Professionals 14:44 Aligning HR Initiatives with Organizational Mission 18:13 Parting Advice and Conclusion
What you'll take away
- 1Mastering your HR craft, particularly complex regulations, is crucial for rapid career advancement and becoming an indispensable subject matter expert.
- 2Prioritize responsiveness and kindness to 'customers' (employees) to build strong relationships and enhance HR effectiveness within the organization.
- 3Successfully executing large-scale hiring initiatives requires robust marketing campaigns, strategic partnerships (e.g., with schools), and highlighting a compelling employee value proposition.
- 4Embrace HR innovation, such as automated interviewing systems and secondary assessments, to efficiently manage high-volume applications and streamline recruitment.
- 5Craft results-driven resumes that showcase leadership and project participation, rather than merely copying job descriptions, ensuring they are error-free and compelling.
What most organizations get wrong
- •While often perceived as 'not sexy' compared to Fortune 500 companies, federal government HR offers a 'fantastic place to work' with a 'noble mission,' challenging typical employer branding.
- •Despite common beliefs about slow advancement, it's possible to achieve rapid career progression (e.g., GS-4 to GS-14 in 7 years) in the federal government through dedication and skill mastery.
In La'Toya's words
“I was able to rise from a GS-4 to a GS-14 where I was making over 6 figures in 7 years, and that is almost unheard of in the federal government. But it's because I took the time to read. I was responsive to my customers.”
Highlights personal agency and specific actions for rapid career growth in a bureaucratic system.
“I just encourage any supervisor, anyone that is in human resources to just really become a master of your craft because I was able to rise from a GS-4 to a GS-14 where I was making over 6 figures in 7 years, and that is almost unheard of in the federal government.”
Emphasizes the importance of deep expertise and continuous learning in HR for career advancement.
“So it's not sexy to work in the federal government. We're not a Fortune 500 company. We're not Google or Meta or any of those places. So when people think about where they want to work, the federal government usually is not on the list.”
Acknowledges the perception challenge of federal employment and implicitly sets up her counter-narrative of a noble mission.
“It is impossible to interview everyone that is highly qualified. So some of my friends that work in Fortune 500 companies have been using automated interviewing for years. This is something relatively new to the federal government...”
Illustrates the federal government's adoption of innovative HR tech to manage high-volume recruitment challenges.
“Don't copy from the position description of your job because I know what an IT specialist does, what a human resources specialist does. You should really build your resume on things that you have participated in. So if you have written a paper, if you have led an organization, if you have a budget that you are responsible for formulating and executing, write your resume based on things you've led, uh, and projects that you've participated in. And really make it results-driven.”
Provides comprehensive, actionable advice on crafting a compelling resume that stands out to hiring managers.
The problems this episode addresses
- •High-volume application screening: Organizations, especially in government, struggle to efficiently process and interview hundreds of thousands of applicants for single roles.
- •Attracting talent to less 'sexy' sectors: Government and public service roles face perception challenges when competing for talent against high-profile corporate employers.
- •Slow time-to-hire: Federal agencies operate under lengthy hiring models (e.g., 80-day time-to-hire), indicating potential delays in filling critical positions.
- •Employee financial well-being: Covering monthly expenses is a top concern for employees, highlighting a need for voluntary benefits that offer significant cost savings.
- •Navigating complex HR regulations: Specialized HR fields, like federal government, require extensive knowledge of intricate codes and regulations with numerous exceptions.
In this episode
Covering monthly expenses is the number one concern for employees in 2024
Built by People
Your career in HR began more than 20 years ago
A Federal Servant's Career Journey
You went from police department to executive level in human resources
Employees on the Journey to the Federal Government
You touched on a topic, uh, staffing earlier. I wanted to ask what challenges and successes you've experienced in federal hiring
How the federal government is hiring
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in federal HR
Federal HR: What to Know
Your organization is focused on employee empowerment and engagement
How to Drive Employee Engagement and Diversity
Latoya, what parting advice would you like to share with our audience
Latoya On Her Resume
Topics covered
Organizations and entities mentioned
Full transcript
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