WFA’S TALENT ACCELERATOR
Hands-on, cohort-based workshops and resources to help cities improve how they hire.
Work for America’s Talent Accelerator offers free, virtual learning experiences for city HR and operations leaders that want to make practical, near-term improvements to their hiring systems.
Each workshop series offers 8 weeks of guided instruction and peer learning with a cohort of up to 10 cities, as well as individualized coaching that give leaders clear, actionable outputs to improve a precise aspect of hiring in their cities.
The curriculum, tools, and lessons developed through each Talent Accelerator Workshop are synthesized into free toolkits that help state and local governments strengthen their hiring systems.
Our Talent Accelerator Workshops help cities clearly see what’s happening in their hiring systems and focus improvement efforts where they will matter most.
Many cities face similar hiring challenges:
★ Slow or inconsistent hiring processes
★ Limited visibility into where delays or breakdowns occur
★ Data that exists but is fragmented or difficult to interpret
★ Difficulty communicating hiring challenges and priorities to leadership
TALENT ACCELERATOR RESOURCES
Our workshops don’t just help participating cities; they also produce practical resources governments everywhere can use.
The Built to Hire: A Process Mapping Toolkit for Government Hiring Teams is a self-guided toolkit that helps state and local governments map their hiring processes, identify bottlenecks, and develop practical implementation plans.
CURRENT TALENT ACCELERATOR WORKSHOP: FALL 2026 DATA-DRIVEN HIRING FOR CITIES
Build better hiring practices through data.
Cities examine how hiring data is collected, managed, and used across the hiring process to identify meaningful metrics, establish baseline performance, and prioritize practical improvements that lead to better hiring outcomes.
Cities leave with:
★Defined priority hiring metrics
★ An understanding of the reliability of their hiring data and baseline performance
★ A prioritized set of practical data practice improvements to address hiring challenges
★ A brief for city leadership outlining findings and recommended next steps
★ Connections with peer HR and operations leaders facing similar challenges
This workshop is well-suited for cities seeking to better understand hiring performance, strengthen data-informed decision-making, and build a stronger foundation for continuous hiring improvement. Learn more about the Data-Driven Hiring for Cities workshop curriculum and program details here. Applications are now open.
PAST TALENT ACCELERATOR WORKSHOPS: SPRING 2026 TRANSFORMING CITY HIRING PROCESSES
In Spring 2026, twelve cities participated in Talent Accelerator to understand and improve all steps of how hiring actually gets done.
Cities mapped their hiring process from end to end, clarified ownership, surfaced delays and friction points, and identified concrete opportunities to streamline and shorten hiring timelines.
Cities left with:
★ A clear, end-to-end map of their current hiring process (requisition through start date)
★ Identified bottlenecks, redundancies, and unclear ownership points
★ A prioritized set of practical process improvements
★ A brief for city leadership outlining findings and recommended next steps
★ Connections with peer HR and operations leaders facing similar challenges
Learn more about the Transforming City Hiring Processes workshop curriculum and program details here.
The Transforming City Hiring Processes Workshop participating cities included: City of Akron, OH; City of Albuquerque, NM; City of Allentown, PA; City of Green Bay, WI; City of Kansas City, MO; City of Knoxville, TN; City of New York, NY; City of Norfolk, VA; City of Pittsburgh, PA; City of Pompano Beach, FL; City of Savannah, GA; City of Stockton, CA.
The methodology developed through the inaugural Talent Accelerator cohort is now available through WFA’s free Built to Hire toolkit.
WORKSHOP DETAILS
★ Format: Virtual
★ Duration: 8 weeks
★ Cohort size: 5–10 cities
★ Structure: Weekly 60–90 minute lessons plus guided working sessions
★ Time commitment: ~3 hours per week, with some additional internal coordination
★ Support: 1:1 coaching, templates, and feedback on deliverables
★ Peer network: Opportunity to connect and learn with HR teams from peer cities
WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE?
The Talent Accelerator Workshops are a good fit for cities that:
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Want practical hiring decisions informed by better data
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Are willing to examine current hiring data, processes, and practices honestly
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Can commit a small cross-functional team to participate consistently across eight weeks
Cities do not need perfect data, modern systems, or advanced analytics experience to participate. The workshop is designed to meet cities where they are, helping teams build a stronger foundation for using hiring data to guide practical, evidence-informed improvements.
APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FROM JULY 27 TO SEP. 11 FOR FALL 2026 COHORT: DATA-DRIVEN HIRING FOR CITIES
