Security Clearance Levels: Secret vs. Top Secret vs. TS/SCI (Hiring Guide)
A cleared job post says “TS/SCI required,” and a strong candidate hesitates, unsure what that means or whether they qualify. Hiring managers hit the same wall from the other side. The clearance line on a req decides who can even be considered. Security clearance levels are simpler than they look, once you separate three things: […]
How to Choose a Cleared Recruitment Partner: Job Boards, Staffing Firms, and RPO
Winning a government contract is only the beginning. To deliver on that contract, you need qualified professionals who meet technical requirements, satisfy applicable clearance requirements, and can support your project timeline. For small and mid-sized IT contractors, finding these professionals can be challenging. Delayed hiring can affect contract delivery, increase recruitment costs, and create staffing […]
Interim Clearances: 3 Myths Slowing Your Federal Hires
You have the contract, the budget, and a strong candidate. Then someone says, “We cannot use them until the clearance clears,” and a funded seat sits empty for months while the work waits. More often than not, that delay rests on a myth. An interim clearance exists precisely so a vetted hire can start classified […]
Security Clearance Timeline in 2026: 7 Costly Delays
Last updated: October 2026 DCSA’s most recent release (Q3 FY2026) shifted public reporting from the fastest 90% of cases to 100% of cases, which raises reported day counts even as processing improved. The figures below are the widely cited Q1 FY2026 “fastest 90%” industry numbers. Quick answer In Q1 FY2026, DCSA reported the fastest 90% […]
Federal Hiring Slowed, Contractor Hiring Didn’t: Where the Cleared Jobs Are Moving in 2026
Two things happened at the same time in 2026, and they pulled in opposite directions. The federal government cut deep into its own workforce. Meanwhile, contractors kept chasing people with security clearances, in some cases harder than before. That divide is the whole story of cleared jobs this year. The work never went away. It […]
FDA Cleared vs Approved: What Federal Contractors Must Know
A contracting officer is reading two bids for the same medical product. One vendor writes that its device is “FDA Approved.” The device is actually FDA Cleared. That single word is now a factual error in an official federal submission. Small slip, real risk. In government contracting, the words you use to describe your regulatory […]
Contingent Offers for Cleared Candidates: Locking Talent Before the Contract Lands
The solicitation wants three named people with active Top Secret clearances, résumés attached, and availability confirmed. Award is five months out. You cannot put anyone on payroll for a contract you have not won. That is the problem contingent offers for cleared candidates solve. You extend a written offer that activates on award, the candidate signs, and your proposal rests […]
Grow Your Own: Building a Clearance Sponsorship Pipeline
Every cleared recruiter knows the feeling. You post a Top Secret role, wait three weeks, and get four applicants. Two of them have already turned down your salary range at another firm. The math behind that frustration is brutal. The White House has estimated that roughly 500,000 cybersecurity jobs sit open across the country, and a large […]
Cleared RPO vs. In-House Recruiting: When Outsourcing Actually Wins
You win a contract that needs eight cleared engineers in 90 days. Your in-house recruiter has never sourced a Top Secret candidate. The clock is already running. What do you do? This is the moment many federal contractors face. Hiring security-cleared talent is hard, slow, and unforgiving when a contract start date is at stake. So the question becomes practical: build the […]
10 Proven Strategies to Attract and Close Cleared Candidates in a Competitive Market
How federal contractors win the race for security-cleared talent in 2026 Finding cleared talent can feel like chasing a rare gem. The candidates you need are skilled, security-cleared, and almost always already working somewhere else. The numbers tell the story. Industry surveys suggest that around 92 percent of cleared professionals already hold a job, leaving only a small slice actively looking. […]