Senators unveil bill to streamline hiring process
Legislation would eliminate knowledge, skills and abilities essays, and require plain-language job postings.
Two senators active on government reform issues on Monday introduced legislation to revamp federal hiring procedures dramatically.
The 2009 Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act, sponsored by Sens. George Voinovich, R-Ohio, and Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, would eliminate the knowledge, skills and abilities essays on federal job applications and emphasize résumés and cover letters. It also requires agencies to eliminate jargon from job postings, develop workforce plans and measure the success of hiring reforms. In addition, it asks the Office of Personnel Management to create a database of applicants who want to be considered for positions at multiple agencies.
"Over and over, we hear of the problems in the federal hiring process," Voinovich said. "It takes too long, it is too burdensome and so forth. The quality of technology has improved, but our processes have not. This does nothing to dispel any preconceived notions that the federal government is nothing but a bureaucratic system."
Voinovich is the ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs subcommittee that oversees the federal workforce and Akaka is the chairman. Both have expressed frustration with the federal hiring process, and during a confirmation hearing last week, they asked OPM chief-designate John Berry to pledge that he would consider proposals to improve it. Berry said he would review efforts under way.
"Agencies should accept candidate-friendly applications such as résumés and cover letters for the initial application and ask for additional information only as needed," Akaka said in a floor statement introducing the bill. "Likewise, technology makes it possible to provide automated information to candidates, so candidates should receive timely and informative feedback about the application process."
The legislation asks agencies to take at most 80 days between posting a job announcement and making an offer. In September 2008, OPM issued a hiring guide that also set 80 days as a goal. At the time, OPM's acting director, Michael Hager, asked agencies to develop a strategy for making progress toward that goal in 2009.
Max Stier, president of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, which has advocated a streamlined hiring process, praised Akaka and Voinovich for introducing the bill.
"At a time when Americans are looking to our government for strong leadership, we need the absolute best talent working at all levels of government service," Stier said. "Applying for a federal job should not require the patience of Job and the courage of David."