Talent Marketplace assignment system expands to all officer specialty codes

Published Jan. 31, 2019
By Kat Bailey
Air Force’s Personnel Center Public Affairs

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-RANDOLPH, Texas (AFNS) -- Air Force officers in the ranks of lieutenant colonel and below in all Air Force specialty codes, with the exception of judge advocate general, will use the Talent Marketplace web-based platform as their assignment system for the Winter 2019-2020 officer assignment cycle.

The Air Force will use this key talent management technology to publish and manage the Vulnerable-to-Move List, submit and prioritize fill actions (requisitions) and submit assignment preferences in place of Airman Development Plans. ADPs may still be used in some special circumstances such as Squadron Command Statements of Intent.

Talent Marketplace examines officer assignment solutions by offering transparency of potential jobs available to officers, increasing visibility of officers’ assignment preferences to commanders and incorporating gaining commander input into the action. The website possesses interactive filtering capabilities, expanded billet information and enhanced officer information to facilitate this level of responsiveness and agility.

“The key to Talent Marketplace is its ability to provide officers with more realistic assignment expectations,” said Capt. William Werner, Chief, Assignment Program Development at the Air Force’s Personnel Center. “At the same time, Talent Marketplace gives all stakeholders--Airmen, commanders, billet owners, Higher Headquarters Management Levels and AFPC--a greater voice in the process.”

AFPC expanded the use of the Talent Marketplace assignment system platform in the last summer cycle to all rated, cyberspace operations, force support, air liaison, space operations, operations research and health services administrator officers, more than 4,000 in all.

In the future, AFPC intends to increase inputs from even more stakeholders in Talent Marketplace, to include professional development and higher headquarters requisition priorities. By continuously developing the software, AFPC can improve its ability to provide agile and artful talent management.

“This system will not magically fix our various officer shortages nor dramatically increase retention,” said Werner.

But it is designed to provide increased transparency and interaction that should lead to greater awareness and satisfaction with the assignment process.

“We are also confident that there’s quite a bit left to develop, so we continue to incorporate feedback and make modifications as we go in order to meet the Air Force’s ever-changing needs,” he said.

AFPC is also investigating Talent Marketplace as a potential way to manage enlisted assignments and 365-day deployments.

All officers should ensure they have an updated myVECTOR account no later than Feb. 8 and enter Talent Marketplace to update their profile information. A playlist with Talent Marketplace tutorials is available on AFPC’s YouTube channel.

*Talent Marketplace is best viewed using Google Chrome.