Source: Fortune.com
Summary
The FBI and Justice Department are struggling to rebuild their workforce after a wave of departures, with the FBI easing hiring requirements and accelerating recruitment. The FBI has turned to social media campaigns and relaxed requirements for support staff seeking to become agents. The Justice Department has opened the door to hiring prosecutors right out of law school. Some current and former officials see these changes as a lowering of long-accepted standards. The FBI defended the changes as a necessary modernization of its hiring pipeline.
Our Reading
The announcement sounds familiar. The FBI is waiving requirements for support staff to become agents, and the Justice Department is hiring prosecutors with less experience. The FBI is promoting employees with less experience into leadership positions. The agency is facing turnover among senior leaders, with some special agents in charge having been in the job for under a year. The Justice Department has lowered hiring prerequisites for federal prosecutors, including suspending a policy that required at least one year of experience practicing law.
The strategy enters a familiar phase: the FBI and Justice Department are trying to stabilize their workforce, but some see the changes as a reduction in standards.
Author: Evan Null
