6.1: Hiring
Improving Hiring Other Information:
We started the overhaul of Federal HR practices with a focus on improving the hiring process. In 2009, we found that it took
more than 140 days on average for an agency to hire a new employee. With such a slow hiring process, government loses top
talent to faster moving competitors. We are supporting the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and agencies in their work
to dramatically reduce the time to hire for most positions so that we do not lose highly qualified job candidates, and to
increase applicant and hiring manager satisfaction with the hiring process. This Spring, the President issued a memorandum
outlining reform of the hiring process, including making it possible to apply for Federal jobs using resumes without submitting
an essay as part of the initial application. Most importantly, managers and supervisors, not just human resource departments,
are now held accountable for speeding the hiring process and improving hiring quality. Agencies are making progress. For example,
an innovative pilot at HUD has meaningfully reduced the time to hire: HUD reduced the number of steps in its hiring pilot
from 40 to 14, and in doing so reduced the time it takes to hire from 139 days to 77 days. Going forward, we are working with
OPM on an HR dashboard that will provide frequent updates on hiring times and applicant and manager satisfaction rates for
every agency. Our efforts to improve hiring go beyond these reforms. We are also focused on establishing the Federal Government
as a model employer. This involves tapping the skills and experience of our veterans, focusing on employment of workers with
disabilities, and striving to create a diverse and inclusive workplace. In December 2009, the President launched the Veterans
Employment Initiative to increase the employment of veterans within federal agencies and to help recently hired veterans adjust
to service in a civilian capacity. In July 2010, the President signed an executive order charging federal agencies with improving
their efforts to employ workers with disabilities through increased recruitment, hiring and retention. On both fronts, agencies
are developing specific plans to achieve the desired improvements, and OPM will work with them to implement those plans and
track progress.
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