The Merit Systems Protection Board, which monitors government workplace policies, says it is time for federal recruiters and hiring managers to start becoming tech-savvy and to use the modern IT tools to attract a new and talented generation.

In an agency newsletter, it is suggested that the time has come for the federal government to recognize that a new generation of recruits have "grown up with the Internet, are accustomed to rapid communication through instant messaging, and tend to be well connected to mobile communication devices, such as BlackBerries and iPhones."

Among the recommendations: Improve agency websites so potential hires know what any agency actually does; make greater use of video and YouTube; and start connecting with social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, GovLoop and Twitter.
 
For more on using IT for fed recruiting:
- see this U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board publication