Implementation of the May 29 guidance is underway and is expected to be fully implemented by October 1. Image: II.studio/Shutterstock.com
By: Nancy SegalOn May 29, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) released its new Merit Hiring Plan. While much of this memorandum focuses on actions that agency Human Resources (HR) offices need to take, there are some critical pieces for current and aspiring federal employees.
Here is a summary of the changes affecting federal employees (and those who want to be federal employees):
1. Resumes are limited to 2 pages. This is obviously a significant change from what has been longstanding practice related to federal resumes.
2. Skills based (rather than education-based) hiring is emphasized. This is not new but is being reemphasized. Applicants should focus their resumes around their relevant skills and experience rather than their education.
3. The phase-out of occupational questionnaires. Rather than using the much-maligned occupational questionnaire, agencies must use at least 1 valid assessment to determine qualifications. Examples of assessments include USAHIRE assessments, job knowledge tests, work samples and/or simulations, writing samples, case study presentations, SME reviews, and live exercises—and of course, structured interviews. Each agency may take a different approach (they may also take a different approach for different positions) as long as the assessments are valid so it will be important for applicants to read postings carefully.
4. Expanded use of standardized position descriptions, candidate inventories, talent pools, and shared certificates. OPM has standardized position descriptions for 135 job series and grades. Hiring managers are encouraged to share certificates across their and other agencies.
5. USAJOBS generated status reports on applications rather than the current agency HR-office generated status reports. This should provide more timely information to applicants.
6. Streamlined vetting. Timeliness goals include 21 days for low-risk positions, 25 for moderate risk, and 45 days of top secret. The memorandum also encourages reciprocity among agencies regarding vetting / clearances.
7. Hiring timelines of under 80 days for initial offer.
8. The addition of 4 short-answer essays for new applicants to the federal government. Agencies are encouraged but not required to use the essays for merit promotion positions (for those employees already in the federal government). The questions target GS-5 through 15 and are limited to 200 words each. These essays will not be scored or rated and may only be viewed by hiring managers and agency leadership. According to June 23 guidance, responding to these questions is considered voluntary. Applicants must certify that they did not use AI or a consultant to write the essays on their behalf.
Implementation of the May 29 guidance is underway and is expected to be fully implemented by October 1. At the very least, current federal employees and those interested in becoming federal employees should begin work on their 2 page federal resume so they’re ready when the freeze lifts.
Nancy H. Segal is a federal job search expert. Following her own senior-level federal HR career, she founded Solutions for the Workplace LLC to provide a HR management perspective to astute applicants to U.S. government positions.
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