Finding qualified STEM workers has become difficult for nearly every defense company. National Defense Magazine reported that 82% of firms in the defense industrial base struggle to locate them, and ManpowerGroup’s 2024 research found that 71% of U.S. employers have trouble finding the skilled talent they need. Margarita Howard, who leads HX5, faces that shortage directly.
Clearances Narrow the Pool
Defense roles add a hurdle that commercial jobs rarely have. Candidates must qualify for security clearances, and that process can stretch for months or even years. Technology companies, meanwhile, can make offers right away and often pay more. Both sectors are recruiting from the same group of graduates.
HX5 supports NASA and the Department of Defense with more than 1,000 employees spread across 34 states and 90 government locations. Margarita Howard acknowledged in a Home Business Magazine interview that the hardest openings to fill are highly specialized ones, where technical skill, clearance eligibility, and niche expertise all have to come together in one person.
Selling the Mission
Instead of trying to match tech salaries, the company leans on the purpose behind its contracts. Margarita Howard tells recruits they need to wake up excited about the program they support. Her examples are concrete: getting to the moon, or completing a mission overseas.
She also looks for a particular kind of résumé. HX5 favors people who have already worked with or supported NASA or the Department of Defense. Howard said such experience is “very different from experience gained working in the commercial world.”
Most HX5 employees hold college degrees, and advanced degrees are common on the management team, which is made up mostly of women. That educational depth fits the technical nature of federal STEM support work.
The retention numbers suggest the mission pitch has staying power. Some employees have been with the company for 15 years, according to Margarita Howard. HX5 celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2024, so those workers have been there for most of its history. Refer to this article for additional information.
Learn more about Margarita Howard on https://dataconomy.com/2026/02/23/infrastructure-as-competitive-advantage-margarita-howards-early-investment-philosophy-at-hx5/
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