There has never been a better time to hire a Free Agent
Canada’s Free Agents (CFA) program is an innovative staffing program that allows Government of Canada hiring managers to meet priorities by quickly staffing positions with flexible pre-qualified federal employees.
Program overview
CFA recruits and manages a pool of skilled and motivated professionals to work on projects of various duration across the federal public service. These professionals, known as Free Agents, have expertise in various fields, and come from different levels and occupational groups within the government. Their roles can include, but are not limited to:
- data specialists
- communications experts
- policy analysts
- human resources experts
Free Agents have a wealth of knowledge and experience working in government. This enables them and the departments that hire them to integrate them quickly and smoothly into project teams.
Centralized talent management
Free Agents are assigned to a Home Department, which provides human resources support through a dedicated Talent Manager, whose responsibilities include:
- managing processes for performance agreements, professional development, pay and leave files
- works with hiring departments to ensure a successful assignment for both employers and employees
- providing guidance on career development
CFA operates on a cost-recovery basis. When Free Agents are on assignment, the departments where they are working are responsible for paying their salaries and some administrative costs to the Free Agent’s Home Department.
CFA is currently supported by a team working out of Natural Resources Canada, which is now the sole Home Department to the program’s Free Agents.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat’s Free Agent program, which has been around for 7 years, will wind up its participation in CFA over the course of 2025.
Program benefits
CFA offers flexible options that benefit both employers looking to address resources needs and employees looking for career growth:
Hiring manager benefits
- access to skilled and experienced talent
- simplified hiring process to meet temporary or permanent needs
- reduced risk with pre-qualified, permanent employees
Free Agents benefits
- choose their own assignments
- gain support from a “Home Department”
- obtain guidance from a Talent Manager
Contact us
For more information about Canada’s Free Agents, email us at: freeagents-agentslibres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca. Follow us on LinkedIn to see our agents at work.