Scrapping KSAs

The Office of Personnel Management is planning to unveil several performance management and hiring reforms, including eliminating from federal applications the lengthy essays known as knowledge, skills and abilities statements, Government Executive reports.

In a speech at the Federal Managers Association's annual convention on Tuesday, OPM Director John Berry noted that KSAs could be scrapped in favor of a résumé-based system as early as April. Berry also outlined proposals to allow hiring managers across government to consider rejected job applicants from other agencies and to reform the federal performance appraisal process by giving supervisors the ability to take away cost-of-living increases or other pay raises for poor-performing employees until they improve their conduct.

What is your response to the changes Berry is proposing, particularly when it comes to recruiting and retaining a top-notch IT workforce? Is scrapping KSA questions a welcome change, and does the change go far enough?