Staffing

Filling a Vacancy

How do I hire a new employee?

How do I hire a new employee?

Action to fill a position can begin any time you reasonably expect that a position in your organization will become vacant. This can be as late as the day you receive official word that your employee is leaving, or can start prior to that, at the time you hear that they might leave. As soon as you hear that they might leave, you should contact your OA’s Human Resource Office to let them know of the possible vacancy. In that way a HR specialist can walk you through the steps necessary to fill the job, and can begin early recruitment, which is necessary if it is a "hard- to-fill" position.

It is important that you review the position description to determine if it needs modification to meet the current office’s requirements. This modification can include simply updating the position, restructuring it to a lower grade in order to attract a wider range of candidates, or even canceling the position and filing the FTE with a different type of position. At this point you may want to consider an intern or a trainee for your position as both a method to increase the diversity of your employees and to bring a fresh perspective to the office. As a bonus through the training of new people your current workforce may develop a more indepth understanding of their own position.

When it is officially known that an employee will be leaving have a Standard Form 52, Request for Personnel Action, prepared requesting to fill the vacant position.

Your OA Human Resource Office and the Executive Agent responsible for posting the vacancy will work with you to assess your hiring needs.

What are the options for hiring outside of the Operating Administration?

There are a number of hiring methods and sources that your HR specialist will discuss with you. Several of them are outlined below.

1. Delegated Examining

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has signed a delegated agreement with DOT which provides authority for competitive examination and certification to include the development of rating schedules, evaluation of applicants, and making referrals. Currently the DEU unit for the DOT is consolidated into a single Executive Agent (FHWA).

Under traditional delegated examining rules three qualified candidates are referred for a position. However, should there be more than three candidates or a mix of veterans preference eligibles and non-preference eligibles, then the rule of three and veterans preference must be applied to determine which candidates are within reach for selection.

Category rating is also an option under the DEU umbrella. This method places candidate into three categories and you will be able to select from individuals in the highest category. Veterans’ preference is preserved under this method by placing preference eligible veterans at the top of the certificate. Selection or disqualification of all veterans in the highest category must occur before selection of non-veterans.

Veterans’ preference provides for hiring preference on initial appointment only. Employees with veterans’ preference compete equally with all other candidates for subsequent internal placements

2. Reinstatement Eligibles

Individuals with reinstatement rights can be non-competitively placed in positions at grades equal to or lower than previously held. To be reinstatement eligible a candidate must have either career tenure or have been separated from a career-conditional appointment within the last three years.

3. Re-employed Annuitants

A retiree may be employed in any position for which he/she is qualified on either a temporary or permanent basis. A non-disability annuity will usually continue during re-employment, but the amount of annuity normally will be deducted from the individual's pay.

Some restrictions apply to rehiring civilian employees who received separation incentives

4. Office of Personnel Management Certificates

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) maintains standing registers of candidates for commonly required occupations and grade levels and also recruits for individual positions on a fee for service basis. Requesting an OPM certificate from a standing register is a relatively quick fill method, whereas, the case examining process (individual positions) may require a greater amount of time.

OPM uses the traditional DEU method for referring candidates. OPM certificates are ranked by score and veterans preference. Normally, at least three candidates are referred, with additional candidates if more than one vacancy is being filled. For selection, the rule of three applies. This means that selection must be made from the top three candidates on the certificate, keeping in mind that you cannot bypass a candidate with veterans preference to select a candidate with no preference, unless you can adequately justify doing so on security or suitability grounds.

5. Direct-Hire Authority

An agency may make offers of immediate employment to qualified candidates as long as the agency has met public notice requirements and has been granted direct-hire authority by OPM. There are two types of direct-hire authority:

1. Government wide authority. OPM decides, on its own or in response to agency requests that a severe shortage of candidates or a critical hiring need exists on a Government wide basis. Your HR specialist will be able to help you in identifying whether or not your position is covered by this authority.

2. Agency-specific authority. OPM decides, based on an agency request, that an Agency has a specific need to hire candidate in a particular field for which a severe shortage or a critical hiring need exists. The agency must include evidence to support its request.

6. Administrative Careers With America (ACWA)

Administrative Careers With America (ACWA) is an examination program available to you through the OPM. The ACWA program provides for entry-level hiring at the GS-5 and GS-7 level in a large number of administrative occupations. The program covers positions found in such fields as Health, Safety and Environment; Writing and Public Information; Business, Finance and Management; Law Enforcement; Personnel, Administration and Computer Operations; etc.

Your specific vacancy will be announced by OPM. Interested candidates would apply to OPM Service Centers for your specific vacancy. OPM will then use rating schedules to evaluate candidates who applied. Rating schedules typically include questions about competencies such as a candidate's relevant training, education and experience. OPM will also use biographical information in the examination process. This involves asking candidates about their experience, skills, achievements in school, employment, and other activities. Once this process is accomplished, OPM will send you a certificate within a week of the closing date of the announcement along with copies of the candidate's resume.

7. Hiring Civil Service employees outside of the Department

You can also limit competition to civil service employees only. This will allow you to review current competitive service employees seeking promotions or reassignments, individuals in the excepted service who have an Interagency Agreement with OPM, and Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) candidates.

In VEOA appointments, veterans are not accorded preference, but they are allowed to compete for job opportunities announced under merit promotion when we are recruiting from outside our workforce.

VEOA eligibility applies to preference eligibles and military personnel separated after 3 or more years of continuous active service performed under honorable conditions.

The VEOA allows you to consider highly qualified, nonstatus veterans without using more restrictive competitive examination procedures.

8. Interns and Trainees

Please contact your HR Office for information on these programs.

What special hiring authorities are available to make the process easier?

1. Schedule A Hiring Authorities

People with disabilities can be hired through the traditional competitive hiring process or, if they qualify, non-competitively through the use of excepted service appointing authorities. Excepted service appointing authorities for hiring people with disabilities were developed to provide an opportunity for people with disabilities to show that they can do the job.

These candidates must be fully qualified in accordance with OPM Operating Manual for Qualifications Standards and be able to perform the essential functions of the position with or without reasonable accommodation.

There are several ways to hire people with disabilities non-competitively:

People with disabilities can be certified as eligible by the State vocational rehabilitation agency or Department of Veterans Affairs. Employees may be converted to competitive status after two successful years of job performance.

People who are severely disabled can also be hired non-competitively after completion of a temporary appointment. This trial appointment allows people with disabilities to demonstrate their ability to do the job. If successful, employees may convert to a continuing Schedule A appointment without certification.

Changes have been proposed to the CFR that would allow the Human Resources Office to certify eligibility under this authority.

2. Hiring Veterans

Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA) (Formerly, Veterans' Readjustment Appointment)

VRA allows appointment of eligible veterans up to the GS-11 or equivalent. Veterans are hired under excepted appointments to positions that are otherwise in the competitive service. After the individual satisfactorily completes 2 years of service, the veteran must be converted noncompetitively to a career or career-conditional appointment. VRA allows you to fill positions quickly by appointing eligible veterans to positions for which they are qualified, up to and including GS-11 or equivalent, without issuing a vacancy announcement.

VRA eligibility applies to disabled veterans, veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war declared by Congress, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a military operation for which the Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded, and veterans separated from active duty within 3 years.

30 Percent or More Disabled Veterans

This authority enables a hiring manager to appoint an eligible candidate to any position for which he or she is qualified, without competition. Unlike the VRA, there's no grade-level limitation. Initial appointments are time-limited, lasting more than 60 days; however, you can noncompetitively convert the individual to permanent status at any time during the time-limited appointment.

A 30 percent or more disabled veteran appointment is an effective way to quickly appoint eligible disabled veterans to any position for which they are qualified without issuing a vacancy announcement.

Eligibility applies to disabled veterans who were retired from active military service with a disability rating of 30 percent or more; and disabled veterans rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (within the preceding year) as having a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more.

How do I select a current employee for a vacancy?

1. Merit Promotion

The underlying principle of merit promotion is the identification, qualification evaluation, and selection of candidates made without regard to political, religious, labor organization affiliation, marital status, race, color, sex, national origin, non-disqualifying physical or mental handicap, or age and shall be based solely on job- related criteria in accordance with legitimate position requirements.

The Merit Promotion is directed toward:

Contributing to the accomplishment of administration goals by staffing positions with high-quality employees

Providing career opportunities for employees and ensuring that all employees are fully informed of those opportunities

Bringing to the attention of management high-quality employees who have the capacity to perform in more responsible assignments

Ensuring the maximum utilization of employees in positions for which they are best qualified

Ensuring that the skills, qualifications, achievements, and promotion potential of employees are recognized and fairly considered in the staffing process

Encouraging employees to improve their performance to develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities

A sound merit promotion program properly administered and fully supported by management officials and employees at all levels is essential to the staffing of an effective and highly motivated civilian work force.

Your OA’s Merit Promotion Plan (MPP) contains provisions, such as area of consideration for promotion actions; job analysis, candidate evaluation criteria; basic eligibility and best qualified determinations; ranking and referral of candidates; use of awards and appraisal data; and interviewing and selection procedures. Changes to the Merit Promotion Program cannot be implemented until obligations to negotiate with the local labor union has been accomplished.

2. Noncompetitive Repromotion

An option available under the MPP may be the noncompetitive promotion of an employee who has previously held a position on a permanent basis under career or career-conditional appointment at or above the grade level of the position to be filled. In many cases, employees eligible for noncompetitive re-promotion have been forced to accept lower-graded positions in order to become re-employed with the Federal government.

Since employees already competed at a previous time, they must only meet the basic qualification requirements of the position. This eliminates the ranking process entirely, and in many cases, allows proven performers direct access to higher grades through re-promotion to previously held grade levels.

3. Reassignment

Reassignment is the noncompetitive movement of an employee to another position for which he/she qualifies at the same grade level and with an equivalent target grade if applicable. On reassignment, the employee's salary is set at their existing rate of pay.

A reassignment eligible is considered a noncompetitive candidate, or is a noncompetitive referral, because he/she has already competed for and currently holds an equivalent position to the one being filled, therefore competition is no longer required. However, reassignments to positions which are targeted above the grade level currently held by the employee, must be processed competitively. This means that all placement rules apply and competition must occur between all candidates in the competitive area.

Reassignments can be "management directed" - management decides to laterally move an employee to another position within the organization or between organizations. This often occurs when placing employees in order to avoid reduction-in-force actions or for other reasons when an employee's skills can be better utilized in another equivalent position.

A reassignment can also be a "voluntary request" - qualified individuals wishing to move to other positions who have submitted requests to be referred non-competitively for vacancies.

4. Change to Lower Grade

A change to lower grade is the noncompetitive movement of an employee to another position for which he/she qualifies at a lower grade than currently being held. This is not considered an adverse action since it is voluntarily requested by the employee. The pay setting on a change to lower grade action is equal to or less than the employee's existing rate of pay.

A change to lower grade candidate is considered a noncompetitive candidate, or is a noncompetitive referral, because he/she has already competed for and currently holds a position at a higher grade level than the one being filled, therefore competition is not required. However, changes to lower grade to positions that are targeted above the grade level currently held by the employee, must be competed. This means that all placement rules apply.

What are my options for filling a position on a temporary basis?

As with permanent fills you have the option of recruiting externally to fill the position or reviewing only internal candidates. Please consult with your OA’s HR office for the requirements to compete temporary actions.

Internally there are two types of actions that are typically considered in meeting temporary needs. In both cases if the employee is to be assigned to the position for more than 120 days the action must be competed. Please contact your HR Office for more information.

1. Details

A detail is the temporary assignment of an employee to a different position or set of duties for a specified period with the employee returning to his/her original position at the end of the detail. There is no formal position change; officially the employee continues to hold the position from which detailed and keeps the same status and pay. Employees do not need to meet qualifications standards (requirements) for positions to which detailed unless there is a minimum education, certification or licensure requirement. These requirements (minimum education, certification or licensure) may not be waived for details.

2. Temporary Promotions

A temporary promotion is the temporary assignment of an employee to a higher graded position for a specified period of time, with the employee returning to his/her permanent position upon the expiration of the temporary action. The temporarily promoted employee receives the higher graded salary for the period assigned and gains quality level experience and time-in-grade at the higher grade level.