Every CHRO knows the challenge of not just finding talent to fill an open role—but the right talent. As the CHRO of ITC Federal, a company based in Fairfax, Virginia, that provides IT solutions for federal agencies, Janet Hanofee feels the pain acutely. “Hiring tech talent is hard. Hiring cleared, specialized tech talent in AI, ML and cyber who want to work outside the contiguous U.S. is ‘hold-my-coffee-level’ hard,” she says.
As a global HR executive in the government contracting space for more than two decades, she has developed a detailed strategy to bring on the right people—and get them to stay. In an interview with StrategicCHRO360, she shares her key insights.
With your background in the federal sector, what innovative approaches have you seen success with in retaining specialized tech talent, particularly in fields like AI and cyber where skillsets evolve rapidly?
Hiring in this type of environment requires an evolved approach—a job description alone isn’t sufficient to reel in the kind of tech unicorns we’re after. Our team has seen success with an approach that includes:
Mission-first storytelling: Tech folks—especially those in AI/ML and cyber—aren’t solely looking for a paycheck; they’re looking for purpose. At ITC Federal, we have doubled down on connecting our mission to national security outcomes. Direct, human language matters—candidates don’t get excited about paragraphs of clearance jargon, but tell them how they’ll be helping protect critical infrastructure or enable AI to help the government catch bad guys? Now you have their attention.
Internal mobility with intent: Instead of trying to win every bidding war, we started investing in internal growth pathways, setting teammates on meaningful career tracks. Our top cloud engineer today might be tomorrow’s cloud architect rockstar if we give them the time, tools and training. Partnering with government leaders to consider a long-range view on talent and flexibility when we “promote” teammates to different contracts allows us to truly invest in our talent and provide a robust career path that is not stifled by the labor category restrictions.
Flexible work that actually works: Flexibility doesn’t mean chaos. It creates policies that respect the work and the worker. By partnering with our government leaders and utilizing secure tech platforms, we have expanded flex/remote/hybrid models—even for cleared talent. On the flip side, clear communication and trust also retains talent as folks opt to stay despite a less flexible work schedule.
Are there any lessons learned from the way federal and defense agencies grow their AI talent? What can the government learn from ITC Federal’s approach in doing the same?
The federal government has done an excellent job instilling its focus on AI by making a long-term investment in AI strategies and R&D, signaling to top talent and contractors that this field is here to stay. The intentional focus on responsible and ethical AI use appeals to mission-driven professionals as well.
You also must be able to speak “tech” fluently. Our job postings, interviews and internal promotions speak the language of the tech community with fewer buzzwords and more substance. Clear role definitions and actual technical assessments support clear career growth maps.
We also build talent internally, including “tech bootcamp” and cyber upskilling program pilots. We identify promising internal candidates—even if they don’t tick every box—and invest in getting them there.
What role do public-private partnerships, academic collaborations and talent pipeline programs play in your long-term talent strategy?
Public-private partnerships play a critical role; we cannot do this alone. They give us access to shared data, funding and the opportunity to shape the future of tech policy and workforce development. These alliances help align mission with the market and create real-world application pipelines for emerging talent.
Academic collaborations—especially with institutions that have robust tech programs—help ensure students graduate with AI/ML and cybersecurity skills that employers actually need. Together we’re shaping curriculum to reflect real-world needs—and actively recruiting from those programs, which are a gamechanger for talent pipelines.
For example, I worked with an Army leader and a local university to build an internship program designed to feed the military cleared tech talent. The Army sponsored code challenges, screened interested students and sponsored clearances for interns, who gained an understanding of mission operations through the program.
When the new graduates finished their degree program, they were cleared and available for either the government or private sector work. It was a truly impactful internship program, and nothing builds loyalty like giving someone their first start.
When trying to “win the war” in hiring tech talent, what performance indicators set your team up for retention success?
The most important metric is quality of hire, which tracks how quickly new hires ramp up, contribute to mission outcomes, achieve high engagement productivity scores and feel embedded in the culture. This requires hiring the right people, onboarding and training them effectively and providing new hires meaningful work.
As a result, we’ll see retention after 18 months, high internal mobility rates—because the best future AI lead might already work for you—achievement of training and certifications. These employees have strong engagement pulse scores, especially in high-burnout areas like cyber ops.
Retention is always the best recruiting strategy. The best metric is a bench full of people who could leave but choose to stay.
Hiring tech talent is hard. Hiring cleared, specialized tech talent in AI, ML and cyber who want to work outside the contiguous U.S. is “hold-my-coffee-level” hard. It’s possible with a blend of mission-driven messaging, speed, skill-building, partnerships and culture. We’re not just building a workforce—we’re building critical infrastructure for the most important customer, the U.S. government.
