From Bureaucracy to Breakthrough
Next week Data Center Recruiter, Roxxann Sczepanik, will be speaking at TBM Group’s Excellence in Data Center Construction Forum in Dallas, where one key theme is clear: delays in hiring lead to delays on site. In mission-critical construction, the right team at the right time makes all the difference. This blog explores how recent federal hiring reforms offer smart, practical strategies private firms can use to speed up recruitment and keep projects on track.
Hiring Fixes Mission Critical and Data Center Construction Can Steal
When the Talent Pipeline Slows, So Does the Project
In data center construction and mission critical infrastructure, success depends on building the right team at the right time. Schedules are tight. Expectations are high. Delays are expensive. Yet many companies continue to face hiring slowdowns, especially when federal funding is part of the equation.
Compliance requirements often push decision making into a holding pattern. The process becomes more important than the people. As a result, field crews remain understaffed and project managers scramble to cover the gaps.
But recent action from the federal government suggests a new direction. On May 29, 2025 the U.S. Office of Personnel Management released updated policies aimed at transforming how federal agencies recruit and select candidates. These policies prioritize skills, reduce red tape, and set clear performance benchmarks.
And while they are written for public agencies, the ideas translate easily into private sector hiring for mission critical and data center work.
A Return to Skills and Speed
The Merit Hiring Plan outlines a number of changes that reflect what fast-moving industries already know. Credentials alone are not enough. Job titles must be clear. And time-to-hire must be tracked, not guessed.
Here are four areas where these policies provide practical insight for private firms.
Focus on Skills, Not Just Degrees
The federal government is moving away from blanket degree requirements. Instead, they are using technical assessments to measure actual job readiness. This is especially relevant in mission critical construction, where many of the most capable electricians, commissioning agents, and superintendents build their expertise through experience, not formal education.
By adopting a similar approach, companies can widen their talent pool and avoid excluding qualified professionals simply because they lack a specific credential.
Use Shared Talent Pools Across Projects
Rather than reposting the same job opening multiple times, agencies will now draw from shared applicant inventories. This shift allows for faster decision making and better use of vetted candidates.
Private firms can apply this by maintaining internal databases of qualified candidates who are ready to deploy. This is especially helpful for general contractors and subcontractors with active projects in multiple states.
Set Clear Targets for Hiring Timelines
Agencies are now expected to make hiring decisions within eighty days. This standard includes time for assessments, interviews, and background checks. In mission critical environments where schedules are unforgiving, adopting a similar benchmark can prevent bottlenecks before they impact the build.
Improve Job Descriptions with Clear Language
Government job postings are being rewritten to use plain, specific language that describes the role clearly. Private companies can benefit from doing the same. A job title like mechanical commissioning agent or data center foreman is much easier for applicants to understand and search for than vague internal labels.
Leadership Hiring Matters Too
The second memo from the Office of Personnel Management addresses how federal executives are selected. The key takeaway is this: effective leadership hiring should be fast, structured, and focused on performance.
Lengthy essays and overly complex applications are being replaced by two-page resumes, structured interviews, and assessments tied to real-world tasks. This same approach can be used to select project executives, regional directors, and senior construction managers within mission critical firms.
When hiring processes reflect the actual demands of the job, companies are more likely to bring in leaders who can execute with confidence and clarity.
What This Means for Your Next Project
Whether you are staffing up for a hyperscale build or managing the handoff between commissioning and operations, the people you hire will determine the outcome. The longer it takes to find and onboard the right talent, the greater the risk to your timeline and your reputation.
By applying the principles laid out in these federal memos, your company can avoid the traps of outdated hiring models. You can move faster, reach better candidates, and make smarter decisions.
Steps You Can Take Today
Here are some immediate ways to apply these ideas in your organization
• Use short technical assessments to evaluate field experience
• Maintain a list of cleared or ready-to-deploy candidates
• Set an internal goal to make hiring decisions within sixty to eighty days
• Rewrite job titles and descriptions to reflect real industry language
• Involve senior leadership in the final hiring steps for key roles
Final Thought: Build the Workforce Before You Build the Project
Many companies working on federally influenced projects believe that hiring must be slow, difficult, and process-heavy. But the federal government itself is now saying the opposite. Hiring should be efficient, fair, and focused on skill.
Your firm has the opportunity to lead this change in the private sector. You can put systems in place today that will keep your next project moving on time and on budget.
Need Help Improving Your Hiring Strategy
We support mission critical and data center construction companies with recruiting, workforce planning, and talent strategy. Whether you are trying to fill urgent field roles or build a stronger leadership pipeline, we can help you take the next step.
