Agencies are responsible for applying the law correctly so that veterans’ preferences “are not inappropriately withheld or granted,” OPM told a House hearing last week in which other witnesses said that agencies have been guilty of both.
An OPM witness stressed that there is mandatory training at hru.gov for human resources personnel and federal hiring managers that covers veterans’ preference, special hiring authorities for veterans, non-competitive appointment eligibility for military spouses and the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. That site also has, as part of the Hiring Toolkit feature, guidance on various hiring authorities and flexibilities including those involving veterans, he said.
He said agencies also should: ensure that their job vacancy announcements accurately describe the position being announced and that they have appropriately described the qualifications required to successfully perform the duties of the job; and apply effective assessment approaches that help distinguish the best qualified candidates from the overall applicant pool.
“Agencies are encouraged to define threshold proficiency levels or requirements (beyond simply meeting minimum qualifications) that an applicant must meet in order to be considered further for a position. This will not only assist agencies in their ability to recruit qualified individuals capable of effectively meeting their missions, but also helps ensure that the process is carried out transparently and reduces any perception of unfairness,” he said.
