Federal Manager's Daily Report

Newly offered legislation (HR-5526) in the House seeks to boost recruitment and retention efforts at the VA, coming at a time Congress is considering numerous other changes in disciplinary and other workplace policies there.

Sponsor Rep. Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, said that the VA—like many other agencies—suffers because the current hiring processes “are often lengthy and/or inefficient, driving would-be employees to pursue opportunities elsewhere.”

The bill would: create a single, system-wide database of vacant positions at the VA where eligible candidates can be considered for multiple jobs; codify VA’s Pathway Program to identify and recruit young talent; and streamline the process for reemploying former employees.

It also would require annual reporting on staffing shortages to include statistics for both clinical and nonclinical occupations within each Veterans Integrated Service Network and order the department to develop a standardized exit survey for employees who voluntarily leave in order to evaluate and improve the agency’s structure.