Talent Marketplace developing a Total Force ‘One-Stop-Shop’ assignment platform

  • Published
  • By By Toni Whaley
  • Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs

The Department of the Air Force is taking another step toward making Talent Marketplace the “one-stop shop” location for Total Force Airmen and Guardians. A web-based assignment system platform focused on filling mission requirements, Talent Marketplace helps balance the art and science of assignment matching.

Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass recently released her top priorities and Enlisted Talent Management was among them. To get after this, enlisted assignment reformation is full-speed ahead with the development of Talent Marketplace for enlisted assignments. 

“Enlisted Talent Management is one of my passions,” said Chief Master Sgt. Dan Hoglund, Air Force’s Personnel Center Command Chief. “Our Airmen and Guardians have been begging for assignment flexibility and transparency for years; Talent Marketplace is the platform that will deliver it. Because of the extreme differences in how enlisted assignments are executed, our approach in developing the platform must be deliberate.”

Spearheaded by the Special Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Command and Control Battle Management functional communities, these assignment teams and functional managers created the groundwork for this platform.

“It is our charge, on the Talent Marketplace development team, to take their feedback and turn it into a world-class assignment platform that will allow for more deliberate talent management through assignment transparency and leadership involvement,” said Senior Master Sergeant Christine Johnson, Lead Talent Marketplace developer for Enlisted Assignments.

Testing began in early-March in Talent Marketplace for special assignments, to include EQUAL-Plus, Hot Jobs, and 365 Extended Deployments. 

A small group of officer and enlisted communities are testing this platform with the aim of having Talent Marketplace become the home for all active duty special assignment opportunities. Eventually, the Air Force plans to sunset Assignment Management System (AMS) and moving all special assignments to Talent Marketplace will get us one step closer to that goal, Johnson said.

“The special assignments platform will be used for emerging requirements that require immediate fills,” said Capt. Sean Freitag, Talent Marketplace Cell Chief. “This new capability will become the primary platform for all career fields to see their ‘Hot Jobs’ or EQUAL-Plus opportunities.  It’s never existed before; there’s never been a ‘one-stop-shop’ for officers or enlisted…until now.”

“Our goal is to bring assignments into the 21st century by blending the art of mission needs with the science of assignment policy, and increase transparency and flexibility without losing focus on mission requirements,” Johnson said. “We have other projects and ideas for Talent Marketplace on the horizon that will benefit everyone…this is our future and I am excited to be a part of it.”

To experience the platform, go to https://myvector.us.af.mil/myvector/Talentmarketplace/Home.