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June 16, 2021

Agenda

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1. E.O. 13932 & CHCO Interim Guidance2. USA Hire Options to Support Agencies3. Standard Assessments Expansion Update4. USA Hire Decision Tree5. USA Hire Contract Update / Refresher6. Upcoming Events

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questions to the presenters.

E.O 13932 & CHCO Interim GuidancePresenter: April Davis, Classification & Assessment Policy, Employee Services

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EO 13932 - Modernizing and Reforming the Hiring and Assessment of Federal Job Candidates

June 2021

- EO 13932- Sec 2- Sec 3

- Interim Guidance- Assessments Roadmap- Federal Assessment Strategy- Designing an Assessment Strategy- Q&A

Agenda

Executive Order 13932 and Memo Issuances

Implementation of EO

13932: Determining

Qualifications and the Use

of Assessment Tools When

Filling Positions (July 31,

2020).

Executive Order 13932 –

Modernizing and

Reforming the Assessment

and Hiring of Federal Job

Candidates (June 26,

2020)

Draft General Schedule

Qualifications Policy – EO

13932; Modernizing and

Reforming Assessment

and Hiring of Federal Job

Candidates (November 16,

2020)

Draft General Schedule

Qualifications Policy – EO

13932; Modernizing and

Reforming the Assessment

and Hiring of Federal Job

Candidates (September

25, 2020).

2020

2019

2020

2020

Improving Federal

Hiring through the Use

of Assessments

Strategies to Advance

Mission Outcomes

(September 13, 2019)

E.O. 13932 - Sec. 2 – Scale back use of education

Degree-Based Hiring Competency-Based Hiring Practices

For most Federal jobs, education solely is not required; candidates can qualify based on experience and/or education.

Identify key competencies based on job analysis and

position descriptions. Collaboration with HR,

SMEs, and IOPs

Include in job announcements

competencies and specific experience

Utilize valid assessments of

job-related skills and competencies

SMEs – Subject Matter ExpertsIOPs – Industrial/Organizational Psychologists

E.O. 13932 - Sec. 3 – Use valid competency-based assessments

Identify the best assessment strategy, which may include a combination of assessments (i.e., multiple hurdles)

Analyze via job analysis positions to determine the skills and competencies necessary for success

- Should involve subject matter experts Evaluate the effectiveness of

assessment options and strategies

Develop or update position descriptions and job opportunity announcements

‒ Should involve subject matter experts

• Structured Interview• Situational Judgment Test• Work Sample or Job Simulation• Cognitive Ability Test• Computer-Adaptive Tests

Types ofAssessments:

OPM Interim Guidance (May 7, 2021)

• Extension for implementation until December 31, 2021, to allow for additional time for the development to your agency assessment strategy

• Refrain from relying solely on candidate self-assessments.

• Applicants must clear other assessment hurdles to be considered qualified in examination and eligible for preference and referral.

• Agencies evaluate the effectiveness of different assessment strategies to ensure the quality and integrity of the hiring process.

• Policy • Guidance• Stakeholder

Engagement• Briefings • Webinars• Tools • Resources

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OPM’s Roadmap to Improving the Use of Assessments in Federal Hiring Processes

Create a Climate of Change Engage and Enable Implement and Sustain

Encourage and promote the use of assessments

Raise awareness of the full range of hiring authorities and assessment options

Governmentwide policy, educational initiatives, and assessment tools to facilitate

the implementation of assessments

Improve skills of HR Professionals to effectively advise managers on all available

hiring options

Review, analyze, and update policies, educational initiatives, and/or assessment

tools

OPM Memo 9/13/19 EO 13932 OPM Memo

7/31/20

OPM HRS Viewcast

OPM/OMB Industry Day

Agency Engagement

Cut Score Analysis

New USA Hire System

New USA Hire

Assessments

Agency Reviews HR Stat

Human Capital

Reviews

USAHire Expansion

Policy Guidance Webinars

Engagement FWCI

Tools

Resources

Provide evidence-based data to support the use of assessment policy, practices, and

tools for flexible staffing options

Federal Assessment Strategy Initiative

Qualifications Policy Updates and Guidance

Federal Assessment Strategy

Assessment Policy and Tools

Webinars

Monitor, evaluate, and sustain Federal Assessment Strategy

Next Steps – Governmentwide Strategy

• Phase 1• Build the Foundation

• OPM assists agencies in building a Federal Assessment Strategy • Full Integration of Qualifications, Competencies, and Assessments

• OPM assists agencies aligning policy with competency-based hiring practices using assessments

• Policy, Guidance, and Training • GS Quals Operating Manual, Guide to Better Occupational Questionnaires, HR

Management Competency Model, Group Qualification Standards for Professional and Scientific and Administrative and Management Work

• Webinars – Qualification analysis, Veterans Preference, Occupational Questionnaires, Job Analysis, etc.

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Next Steps – Governmentwide Strategy

• Phase 2• Assessment Capabilities Governmentwide

• OPM will leverage data to drive innovations in assessment and improve policy to provide agencies more assessment capabilities.

• Executive Order Implementation• OPM will assist agencies with implementing, maintaining, sustaining and evaluating

assessment practices. • Policy, Guidance, and Training

• MOSAIC Refresh/Federal Workforce Competency Initiative, Structured Interview Guide • Webinars - Designing and selecting effective assessments, the use of multiple hurdles,

competency-based assessments, scoring assessments, etc.

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4. ASSESS● General Competencies● Technical Competencies● Multiple Hurdles

5. SELECT● Verification● Best Fit

6. EVALUATEQuality of Hire ● Time to Hire ●Resources/Cost to Hire ● Turnover ●Customer Satisfaction ● Employee Engagement ● Diversity ●Organizational Performance

3. SCREEN● Minimum Qualifications

● Conditions of Employment● Selective Placement Factors

2. ATTRACTAgency Website ● Job Opportunity Announcements ● USA Jobs ● Job Fairs/Recruiting Events ● Realistic Job Previews ● Internet Searches

(e.g., Google) ● U.S. Department of Labor CareerOneStop/O*NET Online

1. PREPAREStrategic Planning ● Workforce

Planning ● Job Analysis ● Position Description ● Recruitment Plan ●Assessment Plan ● Assessment Development ● Evaluation Plan

FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS:

Legal & Professional Guidelines – OPM Hiring Policy – Agency

Mission & Goals – Agency Hiring Policy

KEY STAKEHOLDERS:Hiring Manager – HR –

Applicant – Agency Leadership – I/O Psychologist – IT

ASSESSMENT

OPM’s 6-Point Assessment StrategyKey Assessment Considerations:• Position(s) being filled• Applicants anticipated• Competencies assessed• Future use of assessment(s)• Cost of a bad hiring decision• Satisfaction with current hires• Prior litigation• Union involvement• Hiring authority• Hiring manager/SME involvement• Time and resources available

Guiding Assessment Principles:• Applicant friendly• Quality focused• Time efficient• Cost effective• Inclusive

Sample Assessment Options:• USA Hire• Structured Interview• Knowledge Test• Work Sample/Writing Assessment• Occupational Questionnaire• Reference Check

Job Analysis - A systematic examination of the tasks performed in a job and the competencies required to perform them.

Occupational Questionnaire - Task- and competency-based self-report questionnaires used to screen and rank applicants based on their training and experience.

Situational Judgment Test - Presents applicants with a description of a work problem or critical situation, and asks them to identify how they would deal with it (can be paper, computerized, or video-based format). An example is USA Hire.

Job Knowledge Test - Comprised of specific questions developed to determined how much the candidate knows about particular job tasks or responsibilities. An example is the HackerRank Code Challenge.

Structured Interview - Panel interview where all candidates are asked the same job-related questions (often competency-and behavioral-based). Interviewers use detailed rating scales, evaluating all candidates according to the same standards.

Accomplishment Record - Applicants provide a written description of a situation to illustrate their proficiency in critical job-related competencies. Evaluated by a panel of trained raters against competency-based benchmarks. These can also be used as writing samples.

JobAnalysis

Accomplishment Record

Occupational Questionnaire

Situational Judgment Test

Job Knowledge Test Structured Interview

Step 1: COLLABORATION WITH HR, SMEs, AND IOPs TO IDENTIFY WHAT TO ASSESS (A.K.A., the Job Analysis) What work (tasks/duties and responsibilities) is performed on

the job? What competencies (KSAs) are needed to do the work?

Step 2: DESCRIBE YOUR HIRING SITUATION What is the available budget, timeframe, and volume of

applicants for assessment? Will you develop your own customized assessment tool or

purchase from a vendor? What level of expertise is available to develop and to

implement the assessment process?

Step 3: DETERMINE HOW TO ASSESS Choose the job-related competencies you will assess (based

on Step 1)o Focus on the most critical competencies required upon

entry Review assessment tools that are already available or can be

developed to assess the competencies with Assessment expert (I/O Psychologists)o Some tools are better than others for measuring specific

competencieso Make sure the assessment tool is reliable and valid

Step 4: BUILD AN ASSESSMENT PROCESS Decide how to score the assessment(s). Assessments used

with a direct hire authority should be pass/fail and should not be used to rate and rank candidates

Choose the order in which the assessments will be administered

Step 5: EVALAUTE ASSESSMENT PROCESS• Evaluate the effectiveness of the assessment used and hiring

manager satisfaction. Make any needed changes to your assessment approach

Designing an Assessment Strategy

Q&A

Contact InformationClassification and Assessment Policy

Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping

Employee ServicesAssessment_Information@opm.gov

USA Hire Options to Support AgenciesPresenter: Michael Blair, Lead Personnel Research Psychologist, AEB

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• USA Hire uses professionally developed, reliable, and valid governmentwide assessments that can be used off-the-shelf

• USA Hire assessments measure competencies required in the position• USA Hire assessments do not rely on applicant self-evaluations• USA Hire offers assessments for:

– Occupational specific non-supervisory positions– Supervisory and management positions– Executive positions– Writing– Program/project management– Custom assessments tailored for unique agency needs

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USA Hire Addresses Executive Order 13932

USA Hire Assessment Portfolio

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• Agency-specific• Mission critical• New content

• 118 Job Series• General competencies• Non-Supervisory• Off-the-shelf• Specific to series/grade

• Leadershipo Federal Supervisor Assessmento Executive Assessment

• Critical Skillso Writingo Program/Project Management

• 1801/1802 Job Series

Standard Premium Custom

USA Hire is fully integrated with USA Staffing and may be combined with a technical questionnaire

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Automated Writing• Off-the-shelf and ready to use• Appropriate for use for any series

requiring writing as a primary skill• Appropriate for non-supervisory

and front-line supervisor positions• Measures general writing skills• Computer scored saving time and

resources, while enhancing accuracy

Program and Project Manager• Off-the-shelf and ready to use• Appropriate for use with the

Program Management Series (0340)• Appropriate for use for project

manager roles across other series• Focuses on general program and

project management competencies• Measures competencies outlined in

OPM’s project manager guidance

USA Hire Critical Skills Assessments

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Federal Supervisor Assessment• Off-the-shelf* and ready to use for

20 common occupational series• Can be configured for other series• Measures competencies from

OPM’s Supervisory Qualification Guide

• Demonstrated to predict supervisor performance

Executive Assessment Suite• Off-the-Shelf and ready to use• Appropriate for use across SES

positions and for selection into Candidate Development Programs

• Measures competencies underlying the ECQs

• Demonstrated to predict Executive performance

USA Hire Leadership Assessments

*OPM offers the Supervisory Situational Judgement Test for supervisor/manager roles that need a tailored or custom assessment

Standard Assessments Expansion UpdatePresenter: Michael Blair, Lead Personnel Research Psychologist, AEB

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• Funding to expand coverage to 12 additional job series– New job series only (e.g., not adding grades to existing series)

• Targeted series based on:– Governmentwide hiring trends FY2018 – FY2020– Current USA Hire user needs– New/future USA Hire user needs– Exclusion factors (e.g., professional certification/licensure)

• Final determination will be largely influenced by results of the FWCI governmentwide job analysis

Expansion Overview

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• Ending job analysis survey phase• Beginning data cleanup and

analysis phase• Based on early indications, we

have identified 9 series for potential expansion with a few more to follow

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FWCI Job Analysis Status

0089 Emergency Management Specialist0260 Equal Employment Opportunity0306 Government Information Specialist0342 Support Services Administration0640 Health Aid And Technician1301 General Physical Science1515 Operations Research1712 Training Instruction1750 Instructional Systems

1Q FY224Q FY213Q FY21

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Expansion Timeline

Job Analysis Assessment Development

Assessment Launch

USA Hire Decision TreePresenter: Liz Edenfield, Customer Outreach Lead, USA Hire

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• New decision tree available for USA Hire Standard

• Can be used to help with assessment strategy

• Other assessment strategy tools:– Assessment strategy parts 1-4 from

previous USAH WG meetings– Your friendly neighborhood I/O

psychologist• Available on the USA Hire Resource Center

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USA Hire Decision Tree

USA Hire Contract AwardPresenter: Liz Edenfield, Customer Outreach Lead, USA Hire

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New USA Hire Contract Awarded

Primary vendor• Contract length: 8 years• Innovative mobile assessments for cross-

cutting competencies• I/O and IT expertise for delivering USA Hire

Allow interviews to be completed anywhere at any time

Remote proctoring technology

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Expanded USA Hire Solutions

Login for Unproctored Assessments

Physical and Online Proctored Testing

Provider/Scheduler (PSI, PearsonVue)

USAJOBS

USA HirePrimary Platform

(PDRI)

USA Staffing

Assessment Provider

(e.g,. Vendor A, B)

Live & Recorded Online Interview

(HireVue)

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USA Hire Expansion – Key Dates

HR Policy HR OversightHuman Capital

Operations

OPM

Integrate new USA Hire platform with USA Staffing• Meet all security

requirements• Meet all privacy

requirements

FY21 Q2-3Award new USA Hire contract

FY21 Q3-4Prepare assessments on upgraded, state-of-the-art platform• Ensure continuity of service• Migrate all assessment content

and scoring protocols

FY22 Q1 Early FY22 Q1-2Add key expanded functionality• Online Interviewing• Technical Assessments• Remote Proctoring

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USA Hire ExpansionNew Capabilities for FY22

Remote ProctoringHigh stakes testing with remote proctoring allows applicants to test anywhere at any time without the need of a testing center

Enhanced User AccessEmerging need to provide internal stakeholders and select custom assessment customers with various levels of access to assessment information and reports

Online InterviewingConduct virtual interviews with applicants at any location

Mobile TestingPlatform has the capability to deliver assessments across platforms (e.g., PC, mobile devices)

New Assessment Content, Methodology, and TechnologyContinuous evaluation of new assessment content and methodology as well as emerging technology to support delivery based on customer needs

New Assessment Content, Methodology, and TechnologyContinuous evaluation of new assessment content and methodology as well as emerging technology to support delivery based on customer needs

• June 22: Assessment Workgroup Meeting

Upcoming Events

Email us at: USAHire@opm.gov | For more information, visit our USA Hire Resource Center

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Questions?

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