Recruiting and Hiring

Annual ORD Managers Workshop

November 6, 2008

Overview

Recruitment process Hiring authorities

Competitive “Non-competitive”

Recruitment outreach strategy Hiring incentives Resources

Recruitment Process I

Your most important resources are your administrative officer and your OARM HR servicing office.

Think strategically about the job series and grade of position. You will need an up-to-date position description (PD) to correspond to the series/grade of the position. For competitive hiring, you will need a SME (subject matter expert).

Complete the staffing requisition form. Most important considerations are Hiring authority to be used; competitive and noncompetitive Recruitment outreach strategy

Recruitment Process II

Complete SF-52 (request for personnel action), PD cover sheet, PD, staffing requisition form, and other necessary forms are sent to Personnel Security for classification of job risk level

HR then ensures package is complete, and reviews PD to ensure appropriate match with job series and grade.

For competitive actions Competitive hiring is done through www.usajobs.gov HR prepares draft job analysis and vacancy

announcement, and forwards these to the SME, along with a database of possible questions for applicants.

Recruitment Process III

SME and selecting official Review vacancy announcement and job analysis, Identify 10-20 appropriate questions and weights, and Decide area of consideration

HR office arranges for posting of vacancy announcement on USAJOBS. Job will be announced for a specified length of time (be sensitive to this).

HR office will qualify applicants based on resume and question responses, and will forward a cert list to the selecting official.

Selecting official will interview, check references, make a selection and sign the cert

HR office will make the formal offer to the selectee.

Hiring Authorities I

Competitive

Merit Promotion – competitive means to move a federal employee to another position, usually at a higher graded position or one with greater promotion potential Those rated “best qualified” are referred (maximum of ten

applicants) Delegated examining – competitive procedure for

general public Selection can only be made from the top three candidates

on the cert Veterans preference applies

Hiring Authorities II

Non-competitive

Attorneys/Law Clerks The Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) -- appoint an eligible veteran

without competition to a position up to a GS-11. Eligibility criteria: Disabled veterans; or Veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war, or in a

campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; or Veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a

United States military  operation for which an Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded; or

Recently separated veterans. Disabled Veterans -- 30% or more disabled veterans who meet the minimum

qualifications of the position (no grade limitation) must be hired initially on a temporary appointment of at least 61 days and then may be converted non-competitively to a career-conditional appointment at any time.

People with Disabilities -- designed to hire people with disabilities, including both physical and mental disabilities.

Hiring Authorities III

Peace Corps -- authorizes hiring former volunteers within one year of the person completing their qualifying service. This can be extended up to three years if certain conditions are met. A certifying document must accompany the application.

FCIP – excellent vehicle for targeted appointment at the GS-5/7 grade level for scientific positions and GS-9 grade level for administrative and scientific positions. You can advertise an FCIP position though the normal competitive process (these candidates will not be ranked on the certificate), or you can attend (or hold) a job fair and hire individuals through a certificate containing candidates who attended the job fair. EPA’s Environmental Intern Program (EIP) was created under this authority. See

www.epa.gov/ohr/eip.html The Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF) was also created under this

authority. See www.pmf.opm.gov Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) (formerly known as the Co-op

program) provides on-the-job training for a target position in the federal government. Participants must complete 640 hours of work in the program and after obtaining their degree, students receive non-competitive eligibility for appointment to the federal service. Open to high school, undergraduate, graduate, and vocational/technical students. Participants university must have MOU with Federal agency.

Recruitment Outreach Strategy Increase quality and diversity of applicant

pool Targeted Ideas

Professional list serve Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black

Colleges, and Tribal Colleges & Universities Department chairs of graduate schools Professional organizations

Hiring Incentives

Generally May be used for difficult to hire appliants Consult your office’s policy

Incentives Recruitment incentive – one-time payment for new

employee of up to 25% of employee’s pay. Relocation incentive – for current EPA employees Relocation expenses – payment of new employee’s travel

and transportation of household goods Superior qualifications appointment – new employee hired

at higher step based on “high or unique qualifications” Repayment of college loans -- permits agencies to repay

Federally insured student loans as a recruitment incentive. Certain limitations.

intranet.epa.gov/ow/recruit

Welcome to the OW Recruitment Council Intranet Site!About the OW Recruitment CouncilRecruitment Resources and Materials

Contact List of Professional Organizations Contact List of Graduate Schools List of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges, and Tribal

Colleges & Universities Job Fair Calendar Job Fair Handbook Paid Ad Policy Recruitment Brochures Recruitment Presentation

Recruitment Training Resources, including Qs and AsLas Vegas Contacts