New legislation in Congress would do away with many of the government's lengthy and outdated hiring processes and turn many of the Obama administration's hiring reform initiatives into law.
The bill -- the Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act -- sponsored by Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, in the Senate, and Rep. John Sarbanes, D-Md., in the House, would make into law many of the changes the Office of Personnel Management has made over the past year, including streamlining the process and moving to a resume and cover letter-based application system.
"The administration has been making progress on hiring reform, but the outdated process still wastes taxpayers' money and turns away good candidates," Akaka said. "By streamlining and simplifying the hiring process, this bill will help ensure that the federal government has the right people with the right skills to run the government in an effective and efficient manner."
More specifically, the legislation would require agencies to begin accepting resumes and cover letters instead of lengthy essay questions. It also would shorten the federal hiring process to an average of 80 days after a vacancy has been posted, and would require governmentwide data collection and reporting on the efficacy of the hiring process. Managers also would play a larger role, including having more flexibility in final hiring decisions, according to the bill.
The bill also would require agencies and departments to develop a comprehensive strategic workforce plan focused on hiring, recruitment, skill deficiencies and potential process reforms.
The bill's sponsors note that the changes are necessary, particularly as nearly 50 percent of the federal workforce will be eligible to retire over the next decade.
Where does your agency stand on hiring reform? Would making these reforms the law be a welcome step in recruiting the next generation of public servants, particularly IT professionals?
Brittany Ballenstedt
Brittany Ballenstedt writes Nextgov's Wired Workplace blog, which delves into the issues facing employees who work in the federal information technology sector. Before joining Nextgov, Brittany covered federal pay and benefits issues as a staff correspondent for Government Executive and served as an associate editor for National Journal's Technology Daily. She holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from Mansfield University and originally hails from Pennsylvania. She currently lives near Travis Air Force Base, Calif., where her husband is stationed.
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