The Human Capital Lab™ is proud to release a powerful new episode of its podcast featuring Jeffrey Neal, one of the most respected voices in federal-level human resources. In this wide-ranging and remarkably candid conversation, Neal, former chief human capital officer at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, pulls no punches in assessing the current state of government HR.
Hosted by Human Capital Lab Executive Director Rich Douglas, the episode explores the urgent realities of managing talent in massive federal systems—and what it will take to modernize and improve them.
“Jeffrey Neal is widely regarded as a truth-teller in the federal HR space,” Douglas said. “His insights are grounded in deep experience and a genuine desire to see public service systems function at their best. This is one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had on the show.”
In the episode, Neal shares perspective drawn from decades of high-level leadership at the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security, and other civilian agencies. He offers:
- A clear-eyed view of what’s broken in federal HR
- A look at what’s working—and why
- Bold ideas for what needs to change now to build a better, more agile public workforce
Neaf offers practical insights, policy-level perspective and a sense of urgency that reflects the stakes of public-sector transformation.
Listen now wherever you get your podcasts or at humancapitallab.org/podcast.