Originally published GigEagle lays groundwork for whole-of-nation talent marketplace on by https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2025/06/gigeagle-lays-groundwork-for-whole-of-nation-talent-marketplace/ at Federal News Network
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Modeled after private-sector gig platforms, the Defense Department’s AI-powered tool dubbed GigEagle is quietly transforming how the military pursues and engages talent — something the department has struggled with for decades.
The platform is also laying the foundation for what officials describe as a “whole-of-nation collaboration” — a national security talent marketplace that could include academia, industry and other federal government agencies that want to support a national security mission.
“What we’re doing is unlocking a supply of talent that has previously been inaccessible. When I talk about reestablishing deterrence, that’s what I mean — because now I have unlocked the ability to engage that expert in radio frequencies at Caltech or MIT, or somebody at UT Austin who is proficient in designing drones. That’s important — and the ability to break down barriers that divide the Department of Defense and the rest of the country matters as a matter of policy,” Air Force Reserve Brig. Gen. Michael McGinley, the director of GigEagle, told Federal News Network.
“We’re currently looking at policy options to make that possible. You won’t need to wear a uniform, you won’t need to take the physical fitness test, but you will be able to, in short-term bursts if you so decide, to support your country in a national defense mission,” he added.
GigEagle has been in development since 2018, but officially moved from prototype to production about a year ago. McGinley described the tool as a mashup of LinkedIn’s talent inventory and the market mechanisms of Uber — all tailored for national security.
The first iteration of the platform connected reservists and National Guard members with short-term projects. It has grown to nearly 13,000 users, including active-duty service members and DoD civilians.
Unlike traditional military personnel systems, GigEagle lets users highlight skills beyond their official titles — whether it is software development or foreign languages, which opens new doors for reservists and civilians while allowing them to support mission needs that might otherwise go unmet.
“An infusion of self-reported skills gives us a richness and a depth of understanding who our people are and the talent that they bring in a way we’ve never had before, and that is incredibly powerful,” McGinley said.
The platform also helps identify the best person for a task based on their capabilities and skill set rather than who they know or how connected they are within their social network, removing what’s called the “bro network.”
Jobs listed on the platform range from hypersonics and cyber operations to strategic communications and everything in-between.
During Hurricane Milton last year, the platform quickly geofenced Guard and Reserve members located in the southeastern part of the country. Messages went out to more than 1,000 people with skills related to military base recovery, including civil engineers, truck drivers or security forces. More than 20% of users responded within hours.
“When you think about the concept that we’re able to demonstrate there, that’s what’s so powerful. You’re able to identify the right talent based on skill set, not just current job. That’s so limiting and we are no longer limited. And then the artificial intelligence algorithms can understand specifically what that means,” McGinley said.
At the highest level, headquarters users log into GigEagle to access a suite of analytics that allows leaders to understand the number of or the type and number of skills available across the force, understand where demand is coming from and who is providing support. That visibility is critical for strategic workforce planning and global force management.
Controlled growth
McGinley said the platform could onboard over 100,000 users rather quickly, but the team is purposely keeping the growth rate low.
“This is a new concept, and part of the challenge is we’re saying to people you can, as a member of the Department of Defense, engage in part-time work. There’s a massive change management component there. It’s not the technology that holds us back, it’s that we want to make sure that we are implementing this correctly,” McGinley said.
The GigEagle team plans to continue growing the platform while focusing on user feedback, making adjustments to the user interface, refining policies and resolving one of the most pressing challenges — cross-organization funding.
“If I’m an Airman and I’m working for the Marine Corps, how does that work? How do I move money and funds from one organization to another in the Reserve component?” McGinley said.
The team is also focused on aligning GigEagle with broader Defense Department priorities, including preparing to respond to top-level initiatives such as Golden Dome.
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Originally published GigEagle lays groundwork for whole-of-nation talent marketplace on by https://federalnewsnetwork.com/defense-main/2025/06/gigeagle-lays-groundwork-for-whole-of-nation-talent-marketplace/ at Federal News Network
Originally published Federal News Network
