For many people, the mention of government work conjures images of endless red tape and bureaucracy. In reality, though, federal employees are doing life-changing work every day. They fight hurricanes, advance cutting-edge research, protect children, and manage millions of acres of public lands. But with leadership turnover, political transitions, and cultural challenges, the system often struggles to attract and retain the talent it needs. Cameron Kober is working to change that.

Cameron Kober is a Senior Manager at the Partnership for Public Service, where he leads initiatives like the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings to help agencies improve leadership, culture, and engagement. With a background in teaching and a passion for public service, Cameron is dedicated to creating better workplaces for federal employees and supporting their mission to serve the public.

In this episode, Dart and Cameron discuss:
- What motivates federal employees to serve
- How mission-driven work boosts engagement
- The challenge of leadership turnover in government
- Adapting to rapid political transitions
- Improving workplaces through Best Places to Work rankings
- Building trust and transparency in government
- Leadership lessons from public service
- And other topics…

Cameron Kober is a Senior Manager at the Partnership for Public Service. He leads initiatives like the Best Places to Work in the Federal Government rankings, helping agencies improve culture, leadership, and engagement. Cameron also manages the Preparing to Lead program, which develops future federal leaders. Before joining the Partnership, he was a middle school teacher in Florida, where he discovered his passion for public service. He has written articles on employee engagement and leadership, offering tips to improve workplace culture.

Resources mentioned:
The Partnership for Public Service: https://ourpublicservice.org/
Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings: https://bestplacestowork.org/
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis: https://www.amazon.com/Fifth-Risk-Michael-Lewis/dp/1324002646

Connect with Cameron:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cameron-kober-b6672a55/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

Sam Schlimper is the Managing Director at Randstad, the largest HR service provider in the world. Largely anchored in talent acquisition, she has over two decades of experience working with global organizations to link human potential, AI, and measurable outcomes. Over the years, Sam has witnessed countless leaders struggle with a trade-off mindset, treating business success as a zero-sum game. Determined to change this, she advocates for an alternative system where all stakeholders thrive—proving that mutual success drives sustainable business growth.

Sam Schlimper is a global talent strategy leader currently serving as Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise. Prior to Randstad, she was the former head of Talent Acquisition at Barclays Plc.

In this episode, Dart and Sam discuss:
- What leaders should focus on vs. what they do
- The major forces shaping Talent Acquisition
- 3 main types of engagement with AI
- Using pixelation to rethink job roles
- Discovering the internal motivators of employees
- Designing work for neurodiversity
- And other topics…

Sam Schlimper is a global talent strategy leader currently serving as Managing Director at Randstad Enterprise. With over two decades of experience, Sam has led various talent acquisition teams including being the former head of Talent Acquisition at Barclays Plc. Passionate about aligning people, processes, and technology, Sam partners with global organizations to unlock human potential and deliver measurable outcomes. Her leadership combines talent strategy with AI-driven insights to simplify processes, enhance engagement, and create sustainable organizational performance—all with a focus on fostering joy at work.

Connect with Sam:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-schlimper-387861/
Randstad: https://www.randstadenterprise.com/insights/authors/sam-schlimper/

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.

As co-founder of The Design Gym consultancy, Andy Hagerman has spent over a decade tackling the challenge of aligning employee needs with business strategy—an issue that can make or break organizational success. Working with clients like Marriott, Cisco, HP, and Kellogg’s, he has honed his craft by addressing complex organizational needs. In this episode, Andy unpacks a large case study with a major retailer, revealing how understanding the employee experience can create new opportunities for both business growth and workforce engagement.

Andy Hagerman is the co-founder and managing partner of The Design Gym, a consultancy dedicated to work experience design and organizational transformation. The Design Gym has trained over 20k individuals and partnered with over 300 organizations, including Marriott, Kellogg’s, Cisco, and HP.

In this episode, Dart and Andy discuss:
- Designing work experiences with The Design Gym
- Andy’s latest case study
- Exploring alternatives to product managers
- Tools and principles for employee design research
- Connecting employee life and work dynamics
- Actionable insights from research and journey mapping
- How retail experts drive business success
- And other topics…

Andy Hagerman is the co-founder and managing partner of The Design Gym, a consultancy dedicated to work experience design and organizational transformation. With a focus on co-creation, employee research, and delivering actionable insights, Andy helps organizations align employee experiences with the organization's strategic objectives. Over the past decade, his consultancy has trained over 20,000 individuals and partnered with over 300 organizations, including global leaders such as Marriott, Kellogg’s, Cisco, and HP.

Before founding The Design Gym, Andy served as a business and innovation strategist at Jump Associates, where he honed his expertise in developing forward-thinking strategies for complex challenges. Andy is also a former guest lecturer for NYU, Columbia University and Parsons, and has led breakout workshops at both TED and TEDMED conferences.

Connect with Andy:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhagerman/
www.thedesigngym.com

Work with Dart:
Dart is the CEO and co-founder of the work design firm 11fold. Build work that makes employees feel alive, connected to their work, and focused on what’s most important to the business. Book a call at 11fold.com.