Work for America Releases a Public Playbook for Human-centered Hiring
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Sophie McGrath, sophie@workforamerica.org
Date: Thursday, March 5, 2026
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Work for America (WFA), a nonprofit working to modernize government hiring, today released a playbook for how it hires its own team, and why that approach is worth sharing.
The Proof of Life Hiring Playbook comes as AI-driven screening and automated decision-making have become standard in recruiting. WFA is drawing a clear line: technology should reduce friction, not replace the humans on either side of a hiring decision. In practice, that means automation handles scheduling and documentation, but a real person reviews applications, communicates at every stage, and makes every call.
The playbook outlines a structured approach built around defined timelines, clear ownership, and transparent evaluation criteria. Every final-round candidate completes a paid assignment. Every candidate – including those who don't move forward – receives a response.
“Structure creates fairness,” said Caitlin Lewis, Executive Director of Work for America. “When timelines, expectations, and decision criteria are clear, candidates know they're being evaluated thoughtfully, not filtered out by a black box. That clarity creates trust.”
WFA developed the playbook by doing: it reflects the hiring system the organization has built and refined while scaling its own national nonprofit team. WFA is publishing it now as a resource for other nonprofits and startups that can't afford hiring processes that erode trust with strong candidates.
The release is timed to coincide with International Employee Appreciation Day. The premise is simple: you can't celebrate your employees if you didn't respect them as candidates first.
About Work for America
Work for America is a nonpartisan nonprofit working to solve the government staffing crisis by helping state and local governments recruit, hire, and inspire the people they need to deliver for their communities. We believe that public service should be a desirable, accessible, and stable career path for Americans from all walks of life. From launching Civic Match, a national platform connecting mission-driven talent with government jobs, to helping cities modernize hiring systems and tell a more compelling story about public sector work, Work for America is making public service work better for the people it serves – and the people who serve.
