Federal Government Policy and Business

HUD Turns to the 'Toyota Way' to Cut Through Red Tape in Hiring

Government Executive: “Give the man a cookie. He’s falling apart.”

Laughter peals from a group of federal employees sitting informally around a small table in a wood-paneled conference room at the Housing and Urban Development Department in Washington. They’ve gathered for an intense brainstorming or “mapping” session on how to fix the lengthy, complicated and seemingly intractable federal hiring process. But they’ve managed to sneak in a little good-natured levity at the expense of the group leader, equipped with a black marker and earnestly scribbling numbers, acronyms, and arrows on white paper affixed to the wall. To the untrained eye, it’s like a cave-dweller’s hieroglyphics.

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