.png){kind=logo}
Elon Musk’s federal tech initiative, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), is reportedly on a hiring spree. It is aiming to recruit top-tier professionals. The hiring is mainly for fields like software engineering, cybersecurity, data science, and product management.
The hiring process is structured and rigorous. It involves a five-stage interview over several weeks.
Candidates begin with a 15-minute screening call with a recruiter. This is followed by a technical assessment that must be submitted within three days. Successful candidates then undergo two technical interviews with DOGE staff. Then, a final placement interview is scheduled to fix their roles and responsibilities within the department.
DOGE’s website hosts a ‘Join DOGE’ section inviting ‘world-class talent’ to work on eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse in government systems. The listing mentions full-time, salaried roles for law, design, analytics, and IT experts.
The report highlights that DOGE offers salaries ranging from $120,000 to $190,000 (approximately ₹10.2 to ₹16.2 lakh), aligning with the GS-13 to GS-15 federal pay scale. Candidates currently navigating the hiring process confirmed these figures.
Some DOGE hires with no government experience reportedly earn more than seasoned federal employees, making the roles financially competitive.
A former U.S. Digital Service (USDS) employee said that DOGE's pay range is consistent with past USDS standards. According to Wired reports, the Department of Labor is set to reimburse USDS up to $1.3 million for the services of four DOGE members over 18 months.
Since inception, Elon Musk’s DOGE has been in the limelight, facing threats left and right. Be it the latest Musk and Bill Gates fight over DOGE aid cuts impact on children or rumours of Musk getting fired from it, the department has been embroiled in multiple controversies.
This DOGE hiring initiative may help improve its image. It also highlights Musk’s ambition to bring Silicon Valley efficiency to federal agencies. However, it remains to be seen if the hired staff stays for long, given Musk’s history of layoffs and preference for leaner operations.
Also Read:Google vs. Tesla? Not Today—Sundar Pichai Praises Elon Musk’s Genius
