Federal Manager's Daily Report

OPM has issued interim rules to carry out a hiring authority enacted into law in 2018 for recent college graduates separate from the pre-existing Pathways Program authority.

The rules, posted for comment in the November 5 Federal Register, will allow agencies to hire directly into the competitive service in administrative and professional series at the GS 11 level or below(or equivalent) including positions with promotion potential beyond the GS-11 level. The number is to be limited to 15 percent of the number of persons the agency hired into such positions the previous year.

Eligible persons are those who has received a bachelors or advanced degree within two years of submitting an application for employment under the authority, with an extension for military service after graduation.

Under the rules, agencies are not required to post the vacancies they intend to fill under the authority on usajobs.gov although they must notify OPM; must advertise positions in a manner that provides for “diverse and qualified applicants”; and must determine whether an applicant meets the qualification standards for the position.

Merit principles will continue to apply but veterans preference will not, and the positions to be filled will be exempt from the placement priority under career transition assistance programs for those who lost their jobs in RIFs.

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