WORKFORCE
‘Fidelity’ to Trump policies now part of criteria for Foreign Service promotions

Meanwhile, OPM is placing less emphasis on essays federal job candidates filled out detailing how they would advance the administration's policy goals.

Jory Heckman | @jheckmanWFED
July 3, 2025 6:03 pm
6 min read

The State Department’s new criteria for promotions and career advancement in the Foreign Service will assess employees, in part, on their “fidelity” to the Trump administration’s policy goals.

The department’s newly released “core precepts” for tenure and promotion will grade Foreign Service on five criteria — fidelity, communication, leadership, management and knowledge. Previous versions of this scorecard placed a greater emphasis on subject-matter expertise and assessing an employee’s contributions to diversity, equity and inclusion goals.

The State Department’s Bureau of Global Talent Management releases new precepts every three years, outlining the most important qualities Foreign Service officers must demonstrate to advance to higher ranks.

The department is unilaterally implementing these new standards as it’s preparing for mass layoffs that will reshape both its civil service and Foreign Service workforce. Critics say these changes place a greater emphasis on loyalty to the administration and less of a focus on skills and expertise. Similar criticisms have been raised against the Trump administration directing federal job candidates to fill out short essays, explaining how they would advance the administration’s priorities.

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