One change that has helped the federal hiring process, MSPB said, is use of category rating to replace the old “rule of three,” giving hiring managers the ability to select from a larger list of highly qualified candidates.
MSPB had pushed for that change as long ago as 1995, in 2002 all agencies were authorized to use it, and it became required in 2010.
The publication mentioned the probationary period another potential fertile ground for reform. It cited its own research showing that above half the time, managers allow a probationer whose performance or conduct is unsatisfactory to attain tenure by allowing the probationary period to pass with no action, even though a probationer can be separated summarily with no right of appeal.
“A simple fix would be to amend the regulation that governs probationary periods so that probation is not deemed complete without a responsible management official taking the affirmative step of certifying that the employee should become permanent,” it said.
However, it added that “history has shown that reforming the federal hiring process while also protecting merit is not a simple task. Instead of focusing on short cuts around competitive procedures, we need to conduct a more holistic review of the problems to find the right solutions,” it said.