ReImagining the FDA Hiring Process to Build a Stronger Workforce

Melanie M. Keller, M.B.A.Acting Associate Commissioner for Scientific and Clinical Recruitment

Food and Drug Administration

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The Hiring Initiative Journey

• 2016 Assessment of Hiring and Retention was conducted.• 07/17/17 Dr. Scott Gottlieb, FDA Commissioner, made the

following pledge:

“As part of a new effort, and consistent with Secretary Price’s Reimagine HHS initiative, we’ll be piloting new hiring procedures aimed at better supporting the hiring goals required to meet FDA’s evolving needs.”

• 11/15/17 The “Initial Assessment of FDA Hiring and Retention – A Path Forward” was published

The report also signals the beginning of a long-term modernization processthat is aligned with the Reimagine HHS initiative.

• 11/17/17 FDA All Hands Meeting on Hiring & Retention• 11/30/17 Public Meeting on Hiring & Retention • 2018 Launch Hiring Pilot and Launch 21st Century Cures

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The FDA Hiring Initiative has three major components

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The hiring process at FDA is complicated

SOURCE: Focus groups with HR professionals conducted September 2017

# handoffs 3 3 5 3 0~1 5 4 1

% of steps involving handoff

75% 75% 71% 75% 0-25% 36% 24~36% 25%

# of steps 4 4 7 4 4 14 11-17 4 Excessive steps

# of approvals required

1 1 2 0 0 2 1 0Numerous approvals required

# of parties involved

5 4 4 5 1~2 4 9 4Multiple parties involved

Too many handoffs

Initiate package

Prepare for posting

Post job opportunity

Compile certificate

Extend offer

Evaluate candidate

Request classification (if necessary)

EoD

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In the current state, HR has multiple shadow roles and HMsmust interact with several points of contact

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There is significant confusion about roles and responsibilities

SOURCE: CDER Hiring Manager Survey

In 7 out of 10 process steps, only 50% of hiring managers are clear about their responsibilities

Low clarity and weak accountability

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On the ground, there were numerous pain points from various stakeholders

Source: Qualitative commentary captured in surveys administered to New Hires, Hiring Managers, OHR Specialists

Hiring ManagersCandidates

The hiring process was incredibly frustrating, not transparent and very delayed.

HR Specialists

HR has a profound disconnect to my Office’s mission. Timely recruitment does not seem to be a goal.

There are no annual mandatory trainings and there is a lack of recognition and rewards.

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A Sampling of Results from the FDA Hiring and Retention Initial Assessment

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Overview of recommendations

Design and launch a controlled pilot, testing:

1Evaluate performance and iterate:

2Expand the pilot, while:

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A new optimized process design minimizing handoffs

Creating a culture of mutual collaboration and accountability

Reconfigured stakeholder roles

New sources of talent

Enabling technologies

Targeted investments in HR capability building

Reevaluation of hiring policies

Identify metrics against five hallmarks of success: • Timeliness • Accuracy • Customer service • Employee

satisfaction• Quality

Incorporate meaningful performance goals

Implementing appropriate IT systems

Evaluating options to optimize the organization

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The pilot is a mechanism for designing, testing,and refining the future state design without disrupting the

existing workflow.

Implementation and roll out Future stateCurrent state

Inputs

Implement future state process

Design future state process

Assess future state process

Launch future state process (via pilot)

Schematic of the role of the pilot in getting from current state to future state

Output

“The purpose of the hiring pilot is to recruit and retain a world-class workforce…by piloting new hiring procedures – based on new systems – that are designed to directly support FDA hiring objectives” – Dr. Scott Gottlieb

Current state

Pilot

• Surveys• Interviews• Focus group• Data analyses

(e.g., baseline, benchmarks, etc.)

Boldly revamped, high quality, and consistent process which gets the right people in the right roles quickly

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The FDA Hiring Pilot has four phases

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The initial pilot will include ~140 packages and is designed based on the project team’s objectives

• Enable rapid testing of hypotheses

• Use the pilot to deliver priority, short-term wins

• Act as a testing ground for novel, reimagined processes with an eye towards future expansion

• Challenge conventional wisdom and do not get ‘bogged down’ in organizational history or structure

CDER: ~110 packages from OND, OSE, and OSP

CBER: ~35 packages from recent PDUFA commitments

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[if needed]Participate in classification

Hiring manager customer journey

2. Recruiting and Interviewing 3. Closing1. Preparing

Initiate package

Prepare for posting

Post job opportunity

Compile certificate Extend offerEvaluate

candidateRequest classification (optional)

EoDA

reas

of d

elig

htEm

otio

nal e

xper

ienc

ePa

in p

oint

s

Notification of posting

Waiting for candidate to receive offer

Review resumes

Answer candidate questions

Communicate selection

Meet hireon 1st

day

Review references

Interview candidatesReview

vacancy announcement

Identify vacancy + report need for new hire

Negotiate salary / ATM

Request cert. extension

Find announce-ment errors

Pre-consult with hire, help w/ assessment questions + JA, identify if SME needed

PD triage Wait for HR to conduct pre-consult

Wait for announce-ment

Waiting for cert.

Receive cert. Waiting for tentative offer

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Pain points (What are common challenges they face in achieving success?)• The hiring process is so slow that many good candidates accept other roles before

my offer can be extended or onboarding can be completed• There is limited transparency and communication – I don’t have a go-to contact or

tool which provides me with the information I need regarding status updates• It’s unclear to me what tools there are to support me in the hiring process • Qualifications or classifications have unclear standards and there is a lack of

flexibility to add specialized details causing good candidates to either be screened out unnecessarily or offered non-attractive packages

• The process is arduous and I don’t really want to take part if it will pull a lot of time away from my normal role

Hiring manager persona

”I get to play a lot of meaningful roles –colleague, boss, dad.

Rami, 45, Hiring ManagerTenure: 15 years Tech-savviness: MediumPersonal: Married + 2 children

Motivations (What drives their behavior, implicitly and explicitly?) • I want to have the ability to complete my work on time and with high quality outputs

to ensure my performance goals are met and be in good standing for reviews• I want control over who is interviewed and hired for my teams• I feel fulfilled by contributing to the FDA mission as a public servant• My highest priority is my family, so a reasonable work/life balance is important• I want to be a strong people leader and plan to transition to a more senior role in ~2 yearsProcess success (What does a successful hiring and recruiting process look like for them?)• Having the right people in the right roles at the right times• Being able to quickly replace vacancies with high-quality candidates• Having a consistent hiring process where I have a clear understanding of my role

and expectations of me• Working with one go-to thought partner from HR to answer all my questions for a

given hiring package

”“

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Candidate customer journeyxxx

2. Recruiting and Interviewing 3. Closing1. Preparing

Initiate package

Prepare for posting

Post job opportunity

Compile certificate Extend offerEvaluate

candidateRequest classification (optional)

EoD

Are

as o

f del

ight

Emot

iona

l exp

erie

nce

Welcome packet

Final offer

Tentative offer

‘Leading candidate’ communication

Negotiate salary / ATM

NEOClearance / ethics

`Selected for interview

Reference check

Interview

Arrive for interview

Waiting to hear back regarding application (weeks / months)

Filled out application on USAJOBS(confusing + overwhelming)

Identify job opportunity

NOTE: Process is not drawn to scale – periods of waiting during certificate compilation and security and ethics clearance/negotiations can be weeks/months

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Motivations (What drives their behavior, implicitly and explicitly?) • I want to find a job that aligns with my values and challenges me intellectually• I view this position as the beginning of my career path as a public servant and I am

looking for growth potential in the next 1-2 years• I want a competitive financial package commensurate with my level of education and

experience• I value a work-life balance for highly and want some flexibility in my new role

Candidate persona

Sarah, 30, CandidateLocation: NYCEducation level: PhDTech-savviness: HighPersonal: Single parent of 1

“

”I want to make a positive difference in the world and for my family.“

Process success (What does a successful hiring and recruiting process look like for them?)• Being offered a position that challenges me, positively impacts the world, and has

a competitive benefits package (e.g., relocation, health insurance)• Feeling valued and like the FDA is excited about hiring me and is willing to invest in

ensuring I’m successful• Experiencing a quick, clear and smooth hiring process enabling me to leave my

current job without burning any bridges• Finding my new role meets my expectations/what was advertised

Pain points (What are common challenges they face in achieving success?)• Hiring is slow with limited transparency and communication• Being unable to reach HR / hiring team – especially by phone• Navigating the job portal is difficult and slow to use with unclear role entries• Being pestered with repeated requests for the same information/forms• Finding myself screened out unnecessarily due to overly rigid rules• Being offered a role with salary that is not competitive nor sustainable• Being informed late in the process that I will have to divest my restricted stocks

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Process mapping – Hiring ReImagined

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New ReImagined hiring process reduces time to hire; focus on quality

Time to hire observed forpositions filled in FY 16–17

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Hiring Manager’s Desk Guide

HIRING MANAGER Shared-Hiring Quick Reference Guide

Revision Date: March 6, 2018 Version 1.1

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The ReImagined pilot process will be fundamentally different from the current state

Major process innovations

Separation of classification from end-to-end hiring process

Creation of the strategic HR partner role

Continuous tracking and transparency enabled by tools and technology

Shifting decision-making power to hiring managers whenever possible

Expected impact What this looks like in practice • Parallel processing• Reduced total time spent

on classification• Reduced time for end-to-

end hiring process

• Shared library of standard PDs• Proactive instead of reaction reclassification

running in parallel to hiring actions• Specialized JAs leveraged to specify quals• Rapid, ‘push button’ process start

• Hiring managers have a designated, single point of contact who acts as interface with the ‘HR engine’

• Division of labor within HR between:– Dedicated, strategic thought partners– Generalist administrative support

• Customer-centric process design and incentives

• Empowered hiring managers

• Less time spent on multiple levels of signoff

• Hiring managers have an agreed-to pay schedule and can manage negotiations up to a certain level

• Ongoing performance and process management

• Enablement of rapid, real-time issue escalation and correction

• Bespoke dashboard designed to capture key success measures

• Technology which fulfills user requirements (e.g., resume mining, automated qualifications, etc.)

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Testing new HR Roles in Hiring Pilot

• This role is the traditional HR Specialist in the current HR model. In the new TSO role, they are the single point of accountability for a recruit. The TSO is the interface with the hiring manager, e.g., strategic thinker, advisor, etc.

Talent Strategy Officer (TSO)

• A technical, analytical person doing the qualifications, ensuring veteran’s preference is applied correctly, researching workforce trends, etc.

Talent Analyst (TA)

• This is traditional HR Assistant on steroids. The TAA is ensuring that the actions are accurate, processed on time, communications are open with hiring manager, candidate, the team is aware of all aspects of a case, etc.

Talent Admin Associate (TA)

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The ReImagined process will imply new roles and responsibilities for stakeholders

Sample respons-ibilities

New expect-ations

• Shift mindset from reactive to proactive workforce planning

• Dedicate ~5-10 hours in first 60 days of pilot

• Agree to do coordinated interviews if asked

• Provide feedback on PDs and JAs

• Execute core hiring actions (e.g., interviewing, reference checks) or delegate to strategic partner

• Work hand-in-hand with strategic partner as needed

Hiring Managers• Act as primary

owner driving the hiring process

• Provide high-level HR service for customers, including hiring and workforce planning

• Research and develop strategy for each vacancy

• Screen eligible candidates to create a short list for interviews

• Prepare and extend tentative offer

Talent Strategy Officer• Support process

management related activities

• Coordinateethics 1:1 sessions

• Coordinatesecurity clearance

• Assign an onboarding buddy

• Send a welcome package to new hires

Talent Admin Assoc

• Classify and regularly maintain active PD library, shared across offices

• Ensure reclassificationneeds are proactively met

• Standardizes PDsand ensures minimized duplication

ClassifierTalent Analyst• Focused on

driving execution of individual cases

• Analytical and metric driven

• Applies a comprehensive knowledge of HR management

• Serves as an in-house consultant bringing new & innovative ideas

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The pilot will test a single point of contact for the hiring managers to reinforce accountability and efficiency.

NOTE:• In this design, the primary point of contact throughout the entire hiring process would be the talent strategy officer• The supervisor role and enabling technology are critical to effective workflow management

Pilot Talent Teams

Talent Analyst Talent AssociateTalent Strategy

OfficerHiring manager

Center

Talent Team Supervisor

Talent Team

Classifier

Hiring managerHiring Manager1

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Training for Pilot Staff

Voice of the Customer• CDER and CBER 101• Talent Advisory Group (TAG) TeamIndividualized Training Plans developed based on

Competency Model

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The pilot aims to drive improvement in outcomes across 5 dimensions

Employee satisfaction

Timeliness Quality

Accuracy Customer service

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Process timeliness

Process accuracy

Outcome quality

Customer satisfaction

Employee satisfaction

The team brainstormed and prioritized a list of SMART metrics against the 5 outcome areas

Metrics

% of packages tracking to each milestone targetAverage (and range) time to hire overall by pathwayTAKT* time

# of errors discovered in vacancy posting / total vacancies posted# of errors found in cert / total # of certs issued% time a quality reviewer finds error

HM perceptions of the candidate ultimately hired into the positions

% satisfaction with hiring process (e.g., transparency, service level provided by HR, etc.)

Sample methods to capture

• ServiceNow

• ServiceNow or Excel to track errors

• Survey administered to HM 6 months after new hire starts

• Survey administered to new hires and HMs at EoD

• Bi-monthly barometers to gauge HR morale% employees who feel they have a balanced workload% employees who feel appreciated

TAKT time is the average time between the start of production of one unit and the start of production of the next unit, when these production starts are set to match the rate of customer demand.

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21st Century Cures

The FDA Hiring Initiative’s second major components

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21st Century CuresHR Cures Overview

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FDA Cures Answers Agency’s Challenges

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Cures Outcomes

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FDA Developed a Cures Alternative Pay System

Policy

Process

Pay

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Cures APS Development and Implementation Timeline

Report to Congress due

June 2018

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The FDA Hiring Initiative’s third major component

Scientific Staffing

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Scientific Staffing Team #scistaffing

VacantAssociate Director

Melanie Keller is the Acting Associate Director of Scientific Staffing

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Scientific Staffing has Impactful Goals for Outreach

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The new FDA recruitment brand will serve as a magnet to attract talent

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The new FDA recruitment brand will serve as a magnet to attract talent

The new FDA recruitment brand will serve as a magnet to attract talent

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Question and Answer Session

Key Takeaways• FDA is ReImagining HR!• The path forward focuses on the hiring manager and candidate.• It’s all about transparency and consistency!

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Resources• For additional information please visit:

• Initial Assesment of FDA Hiring and Retention – A Path Forward November 2017: https://www.fda.gov/downloads/NewsEvents/MeetingsConferencesWorkshops/UCM585197.pdf

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Contact Information

•Melanie M. Keller, M.B.A.•Food and Drug Administration, Office of the Commissioner, Office of Medical Products & Tobacco

•Melanie.Keller@fda.hhs.gov•Office: 301-796-3291

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