The extension continues authorities that in some cases have been in place for years. Image: tomertu/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffOPM has extended through next September direct hire authority for many positions in the STEM fields, acquisitions, as well as cybersecurity and related positions on grounds of having severe shortages of candidates and/or critical hiring needs.
The extension continues authorities that in some cases have been in place for years, while adding data science (GS-1560) and operations research (GS-1515) “to support agency efforts to expand artificial intelligence capabilities in the federal government,” says a memo on chcoc.gov.
Direct hire authority allows the hiring of candidates without use of standard procedures into competitive service career, career-conditional, term, or temporary positions for which there is a need to fill positions that traditional hiring procedures aren’t filling. The agency must use an assessment method to determine whether a candidate is qualified but after such a determination the candidate may be hired—subject to meeting suitability and security clearance requirements—without conducting additional ratings to determine relative degrees of qualifications.
“Agencies should assess applicants in the order in which the applications were received and select any qualified applicant in an order that approximates order of receipt. Qualified candidates with veterans’ preference should be selected as they are found, just as any qualified non-preference eligible candidate would be,” says the memo, which notes that agency use of the authority is subject to OPM oversight.
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