The correct option is D. Encouraging reforms to retain skilled employees
The chart provided in the image seems to be titled "The Number of Years Worked by Civilian Cyber Employees Before Separating From Federal Employment." This implies that the chart is displaying data related to how long employees work in cyber positions within the federal government before they leave their job.
Considering the options provided:
A. Hiring more knowledgeable employees - This chart does not provide information about the knowledge level of employees, only the duration of their employment.
B. Hiring more federal employees instead of civilian ones - The chart specifically refers to civilian employees, so it does not support hiring more federal employees over civilians.
C. Rewarding current long-term employees - This could be a potential interpretation if the chart showed benefits or rewards correlated with longer years of service, but the chart only shows the number of years worked.
D. Encouraging reforms to retain skilled employees - The chart shows how long employees stay in their positions, which could highlight issues with retention if the duration is short. It could be used to argue for reforms to retain these skilled employees for longer periods.
Based on the data presented, the most appropriate answer seems to be D, "Encouraging reforms to retain skilled employees." The chart could be used to make a point that skilled cyber employees in government positions are not staying long enough, suggesting a need for policy or management reforms to improve retention.