An audit of agency hiring procedures has found that with very
few exceptions, veterans preference is correctly applied in
hiring decisions, according to the Office of Personnel
Management, which conducted the audit.
The audit was spurred by veterans groups who often complain
that agencies try to find ways to get around veterans
preference, in which veterans get additional points in
competitive hiring situations, in many cases promoting them
into the final three candidates to be considered when they
otherwise would not have been among that group. For example,
the groups assert that agencies sometimes cancel vacancy
announcements when it appears a veteran from outside the
government would have the inside track to a position for
which the agency has a favored candidate.
However, the audit found only four cases in which veterans
preference had not been properly applied.
Veterans organizations credited OPM for making clear to
agencies their obligations under veterans preference law and
called for such audits to be conducted annually.
