Are people really that stupid/desperate?

[Anonymous]

I think a lot of the applications are coming from people already in the agency or at another agency. But otherwise yeah, hard to see who thinks it is a great time to make the jump. My guess is that it is a lot of frankly less qualified people for whom the salary is a big jump up, and maybe also lawyers who hate firms so much that the govt seems like a better bet. I also think people correctly believe that the worst is over.

[Anonymous]

What happened is terrible. And I really appreciate the people who made a public statement by stepping down rather than countenance illegal or unethical things. I’m thinking specifically of the NY AG office and the Minneapolis DOG office. (I’m not a lawyer so these titles may be wrong).

That being said, I can’t blame anyone for wanting to put food in their family’s mouth.

[Anonymous]

They "get away with it" because it's a terrible job market. Private sector companies can get away with a lot RN too. Doesn't mean the feds are going to get the same caliber of people for a long time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They "get away with it" because it's a terrible job market. Private sector companies can get away with a lot RN too. Doesn't mean the feds are going to get the same caliber of people for a long time.

+1. Layoffs do affect how many people apply and who they are. But many people can't afford to be choosy.

And unless you have the application data, you're doing the hiring, or you're tracking new hires and you know what 'quality' looks like, you're not going to be able to evaluate how the applicant pool has been affected, except when it's something like DOJ recruiting on twitter/removing experience requirements.

[Anonymous]

Folks are playing the long game. A federal career is still a good investment, and in a few years, things will change considerably. I'm a fed and miserable - but this to shall pass. I'm can't retire, and I'm not going to throw it all away. I can survive for two more years. I can totally see why someone would apply with the same perspective.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amazing how many agencies are hiring lately and apparently have gotten applicants. How is that possible after the year of abuse — RIFs, doge, cancellation of TW and CBAs, low or zero pay raises, 5 bullets, criticism and insults, etc etc.

If any private company did something like that, they’d never get away with it — nobody would apply to work there for a long time. So how does the federal government get away with it?

Your post reveals your complete ignorance about private sector working conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Folks are playing the long game. A federal career is still a good investment, and in a few years, things will change considerably. I'm a fed and miserable - but this to shall pass. I'm can't retire, and I'm not going to throw it all away. I can survive for two more years. I can totally see why someone would apply with the same perspective.

I totally understand and am in roughly the same position. But for new hires, it would benefit them to understand how the pension system works—how much they contribute every year and how much it pays out, because it’s no longer the good deal that it used to be (and there’s a case to be made that you’d be better off keeping the 4.4% mandatory contributions as opposed to being forced to participate in the pension plan).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My office is part time and hiring. We are getting a lot of overqualified people who were RIF'd from much higher, full time positions. So yes, people are desperate for anything.

Or they want part time? I'm a fed and would LOVE to be part time.

[Anonymous]

There are many “boomerangs” at Meta and Amazon and other companies who are known for continually laying people off. I work in tech and got laid off recently, and I'm now in another job where it may happen again because that is the culture in these companies. I guess the main difference here is that until last year the government was not known for that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if many former employees reapplied because if they liked their jobs before and they have unique skills suited to these roles, it makes sense for them to put the hurt aside and go back to it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are many “boomerangs” at Meta and Amazon and other companies who are known for continually laying people off. I work in tech and got laid off recently, and I'm now in another job where it may happen again because that is the culture in these companies. I guess the main difference here is that until last year the government was not known for that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if many former employees reapplied because if they liked their jobs before and they have unique skills suited to these roles, it makes sense for them to put the hurt aside and go back to it.

I left and what's keeping me away isn't that they hurt me, it's that most of the reasons I left still apply. It's still a bad place to work.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shame on you. Many jobs in the federal government are highly specific to their agencies and departments and do not exist anywhere else. The people who were laid off probably had difficulty finding work that matches their specific skillset. Of course they're going to try to return. Now DOGE has disappeared, job security is a little more guaranteed. And most agencies are apolitical.

A lot of friends who were laid off are re-applying.

The administration will change in 2029. The President is cuckoo for cocoa puffs and Congress is a failure. People need to feel safe, that gas won’t be $10/gallon, the price of food will skyrocket, that retirement won’t be impossibly at age 75, even that AI won’t send surveillance drones into your backyard, all that shit.

It’s not the job, it’s the boss, and the boss will get fired.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many “boomerangs” at Meta and Amazon and other companies who are known for continually laying people off. I work in tech and got laid off recently, and I'm now in another job where it may happen again because that is the culture in these companies. I guess the main difference here is that until last year the government was not known for that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if many former employees reapplied because if they liked their jobs before and they have unique skills suited to these roles, it makes sense for them to put the hurt aside and go back to it.

I left and what's keeping me away isn't that they hurt me, it's that most of the reasons I left still apply. It's still a bad place to work.

Not every role has a good private equivalent

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are many “boomerangs” at Meta and Amazon and other companies who are known for continually laying people off. I work in tech and got laid off recently, and I'm now in another job where it may happen again because that is the culture in these companies. I guess the main difference here is that until last year the government was not known for that. But I wouldn’t be surprised if many former employees reapplied because if they liked their jobs before and they have unique skills suited to these roles, it makes sense for them to put the hurt aside and go back to it.

I left and what's keeping me away isn't that they hurt me, it's that most of the reasons I left still apply. It's still a bad place to work.

Not every role has a good private equivalent

I understand there are many people who don't have better choices. But among people who are staying away, I've never heard anyone say it's because "oh, they hurt me."

[Anonymous]

people have to eat

[Anonymous]

At my agency you younger graduates will work for about 2 years or so and then move to private industry.

DOGE and republicans have pretty much made the working conditions worse than private industry and the pay is lower, so fed employment is just a step on the way to a career.

Assume the current administration doesn't want qualified people to actually stay, so it's a win win for them. Once the current supervisors who are constantly restraining everyone retire, we'll see what happens.