Hire

Review and utilize the full range of existing hiring authorities available to support specific hiring needs. Some hiring authorities are available only for certain circumstances, others only to reach certain populations, and still others only to certain agencies. These authorities include Competitive, Non-Competitive, and Excepted Service hiring authorities, which may be used to provide alternatives when regular competitive hiring procedures are impractical (for example, an emergency short-term hiring need) or to address particular populations (for example, special appointment authorities to hire certain Veterans and Military Spouses, people with certain disabilities, or students and recent graduates).

Things to Consider

• Prepare for future workforce needs via succession planning that may include the use of hiring flexibilities to fill mission critical positions.
• Incorporate the use of hiring flexibilities to meet agency strategic plans and Human Capital Plans.
• Identify opportunities to share certificates across your agency or interagency, under the Competitive Service Act of 2015 and its implementing regulations.

Plays for Hiring

• Use existing hiring authorities to evaluate staffing needs and the most effective means of meeting those needs.
• Educate HR staff and hiring managers about the use of better assessments and the full range of hiring authorities available.
• Examine job announcements and position descriptions to ensure gender-neutral, inclusive, and plain language.

Plays for Student Hiring

• Use the Pathways Program to hire Recent Graduates, Presidential Management Fellows (PMF), and Interns to develop talent.
• Use newly issued authorities for Hiring Authority for Post-Secondary Students and Hiring Authority for College Graduates.
• Leverage partnerships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities, including Historically Black Graduate Institutions; Hispanic-Serving Institutions; Tribal Colleges and Universities; Native American-serving, nontribal institutions; Asian American and Pacific Islander-serving institutions; Alaska Native-serving and Native Hawaiian-serving institutions; community colleges and technical schools; and community-based organizations that are dedicated to serving and working with underserved communities as part of a comprehensive scheme to reach all segments of society.
• Leverage partnerships with Veterans Service Organizations, including Student Veterans of America and Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, and other resources including Syracuse University’s Institute of Veterans and Military Families.

Plays for Reinstating Talent

• Use the recently amended reinstatement regulation which permits re-appointment to a permanent position at a higher grade where appropriate.
• Develop processes to determine if former employees are reinstatement eligible (e.g., ensure performance was at least fully successful; separation was not due to adverse action procedures).
• Develop an outreach plan for reaching eligible former employees.

Plays for Staffing Systems and Support

• Provide training for staff on the use of talent acquisition systems to provide an improved user experience and leverage new tools to search for talent.
• Take advantage of OPM surge examining and onboarding support for agencies whose hiring demands exceed their internal HR capacity. This service is available through OPM Human Resources Solutions.