Agencies will increasingly find themselves competing with the private sector, as well as each other, for the same workers. Government faces some inherent disadvantages in this race for talent with the private sector. Many Americans view government careers as uninteresting or unappealing, or believe the federal workplace is in need of reform, making it difficult to attract and retain talent. In the long term, government’s ability to overcome these obstacles and compete effectively will be the key factor in determining whether or not it is able to hire the right talent with the necessary skills and where it is needed. This report lays out a series of recommendations, with emphasis on better strategic planning.