OPM Director Beth Cobert on attracting, retaining and recognizing public servants

Beth Cobert, the acting director of the Office of Personnel Management, is working to improve federal hiring practices, bring a new generation into government, provide better services to federal employees and retirees, and tout the important work of the civil service.

Cobert spoke about these issues and her efforts to deal with a major data breach at the agency in an interview with Tom Fox, a guest writer for On Leadership and the vice president for leadership and innovation at the nonprofit, nonpartisan Partnership for Public Service. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: It's Public Service Recognition Week. What do you think managers and senior agency leaders should be doing to show their appreciation for federal employees?

A: I think Public Service Recognition Week is a terrific opportunity for managers and leaders to do what we all are hopefully doing every single day--thank the members of the federal workforce for what they do to deliver for the American people. Frankly, I think it's also a terrific opportunity for managers and leaders to make sure they're telling their friends, neighbors and families who aren't in the federal government a great story about someone in the government who did something terrific.

This post was originally featured on The Washington Post's website.