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Find out how Government of Canada hiring managers can identify and hire a Free Agent who fits their needs.
Value of hiring a Free Agent
Hiring a Free Agent offers managers in the Government of Canada a streamlined way to bring in skilled, pre-evaluated federal employees to support projects in Canada’s public service. This approach to staffing is flexible, and there are Free Agents with many different areas of expertise. Hiring a Free Agent also has little staffing risk as they are already indeterminate public servants and can move quickly to your organization.
Free Agents span a variety of levels and occupational groups and can be available for onboarding to your team for various amounts of time.
Consult Free Agent Profiles (accessible only on the Government of Canada network)
Process for hiring a Free Agent
To hire a Free Agent, you must:
- Be a hiring manager within a Government of Canada organization in the core public administration.
- Have a well defined and value added assignment.
- Have the budget to take on the Free Agent’s salary plus an administrative fee.
- Email us directly at freeagents-agentslibres@nrcan-rncan.gc.ca to obtain and complete an assignment request.
- Meet with interested Free Agents, and, where a match is found, agree to the terms of the assignment.
- Contact the Talent Manager to initiate a Letter of Agreement, to be signed by the holder of financial delegation.
Free Agent availability
Availability
Due to high demand, Free Agent availability cannot be guaranteed. Free Agents select their own assignments and demand can fluctuate. Each assignment can offer a growth opportunity for Free Agents, and it is recommended that hiring managers highlight in their proposal what makes their project compelling.
Duration
There is no fixed length for assignments. They usually last six months to a year but can vary based on needs. Extensions are possible through an amendment to the Letter of Agreement.
Cost
Hiring a Free Agent involves their salary plus an administrative fee. As the Program operates on a cost recovery basis, the fee is used to help pay our core administrative staff, cover program expenditures, such as professional development costs for Free Agents. Fees can be disbursed in either salary or O and M funds, taking into account the rates for the Employee Benefit Plan (EBP).
Timing
Timing surrounding the hiring of a Free Agent can fluctuate depending on their availability. Because Free Agents are proactive in securing their assignments, they always work to arrange their next project weeks or even months before their current one ends. A Letter of Agreement must also be established and that takes a bit of time. All told, while there are often Free Agents that can start on short notice, hiring managers should plan to ensure there is enough time for their own department or agency’s onboarding processes to prepare for the arrival of the Free Agent.
Paperwork (Letter of Agreement)
Should you hire a Free Agent, you will need to complete an assignment request form, which will be used by the Home Department in preparing a Letter of Agreement. The Free Agent’s Talent Manager will help you with this process. The document outlines the assignment’s scope, duration, and financial details. In some cases, where additional HR transactions are required, the Talent Manager can support and guide the hiring manager with those processes.