EP 8: Nicole Decker – Building Trust Between Candidates, Hiring Managers, & Program Teams скачать в хорошем качестве

EP 8: Nicole Decker – Building Trust Between Candidates, Hiring Managers, & Program Teams

Across federal contracting, one challenge continues to frustrate program teams and acquisition professionals: staffing instability. Behind every delayed onboarding, every backfill scramble, and every misaligned hire is a recruiting environment under intense pressure — often with far fewer resources than people realize. In this episode of Unsolicited, Hope Skibitsky sits down with Nicole Decker, Director of Recruiting at Abacus Solutions Group, to break down the realities of recruiting in GovCon. From the chaos of shifting program requirements to the rising expectations created by AI and tech-driven hiring tools, Nicole brings an unfiltered look at the pressures shaping today’s cleared IT and technical workforce. Nicole’s experience spans full-cycle recruiting, leading technical pipelines, navigating hiring manager expectations, and keeping communication stable in an industry where requirements change fast and clarity isn’t always guaranteed. Her perspective offers a real answer to a question government teams ask constantly: “Why does staffing feel so unpredictable — and what does good recruiting actually look like?” Nicole sheds light on the unseen work recruiters do to keep programs staffed, the misconceptions about compensation and retention, and how communication, transparency, and understanding the work environment matter far more than salary alone. She also shares insights on recruiting early-career talent, the increasing reliance on automation, and why small GovCon teams often carry an outsized load. Whether you’re overseeing contract performance, supporting program execution, or working with industry partners, this episode offers a grounded look at how recruiting drives reliability long before work begins. What You’ll Learn: Why GovCon recruiting feels chaotic — and what’s actually behind it How AI and hiring technology are changing recruiter expectations The hidden role recruiters play in aligning hiring managers and candidates Why employees stay with a contractor (and why it’s rarely about pay) How small business recruiting teams manage expectations with limited bandwidth What signals indicate a contractor has a strong, stable staffing approach About Our Guest: Nicole Decker is the Director of Recruiting at Abacus Solutions Group, where she leads nationwide pipelines for cleared IT, cyber, analytics, and engineering roles. With an MBA focused on leadership and years of hands-on technical recruiting experience, Nicole specializes in full-cycle recruiting, hiring manager alignment, and building candidate relationships that support long-term workforce continuity across GovCon programs. Sources & Related Links: OPM on tech and AI expertise in the federal workforce: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring... NobleReach Foundation on retention & modern hiring pathways: https://federalnewsnetwork.com/hiring...