Management

Trump Administration to Expand Hiring Pilot Programs in 2020

Pilot program with simpler resumes and more input from subject matter experts in assessing candidates will reach at least five additional agencies this year.

Management

OPM Proposes Making It Easier to Rehire Former Feds

Under a new plan from the Office of Personnel Management, federal agencies would be able to rehire former federal workers at a higher pay grade than their previous job, provided they were high performers.

Management

Census Still Has More Steps to Take to Ensure It Doesn't Hire More Child Sex Offenders, IG Says

The agency hired a registered sex offender earlier this year, who was arrested for engaging in a sexual act with a child two months later.

Management

It’s Time to Reform Intelligence Community Hiring Practices

“We have got to figure out how we can compete for talent more efficiently and effectively,” said Erin Reitkopp, human capital program manager at ODNI.

Management

Agencies Need to Plan for Vacancies in Rural Areas

In many regions with aging workforces, increasing salaries won’t be enough to fill federal job vacancies.

Oversight

Census Fails Key Recruiting and Hiring Tests as It Gears Up for 2020 Count

Despite warnings of delays and cost overruns, agency says it's confident operations will not be interrupted.

Pay & Benefits

OPM Is Planning Major Changes for Temporary and Seasonal Federal Employees

Changes would enable them to stay in government longer and provide new benefits.

Management

Top Federal HR Officials Stress Hiring for Military Spouses, Ex-Prisoners

At their annual meeting, chief human capital officers talk best practices for implementing initiatives intended to boost diversity in hiring.

Oversight

Lack of Staff and Resources Continue to Strain the Federal Bureau of Prisons

Epstein’s death this summer while in federal custody highlighted these long-term issues.

Workforce

Homeland Security Says It Will Dramatically Increase Asylum Workforce by Year's End

The Trump administration has struggled to handle a growing backlog of cases and declining workforce morale.

Management

Efforts to Reform Federal Hiring Already Showing Results

Administration officials said that performing pass-fail interviews earlier in the hiring process led to a faster turnaround, better candidates and more hires from public job announcements.

Management

Merit Board Suggests Ways Agencies Can Hire 'Better,' Not Just 'Faster and Cheaper'

The Merit Systems Protections Board is lending its support to the Office of Personnel Management's hiring reform efforts.

Pay & Benefits

Study: Shutdown Did Lasting Damage to Federal Recruitment, Retention and Morale

While recovering from the most recent lapse in appropriations, some are fearful there will be another.

Pay & Benefits

Higher Pay and Parental Leave Could Help VA Address Vacancies, Official Says

Administration officials at multiple agencies acknowledge shortfalls in medical staffing.

Management

Weichert: Agencies Should Include Experts in Hiring Process

Guidance from the Office of Personnel Management encourages a renewed focus on competencies, rather than “minimum qualifications.”

Management

Staff Shortages and Family Separations Created Long-Term Consequences for Migrant Children, IG Says

"Suicidal ideation" and "inconsolable crying" are among the fallout from Trump's immigration policies, watchdog finds.

Management

USDA Taps Retired Former Employees to Cope With Mass Exodus at Science Agencies

With the majority of employees at the Economic Research Service and National Institute for Food and Agriculture slated to leave rather than relocate to Kansas City, the department is offering jobs to retired employees—in Washington, D.C.

Management

Agencies With Acting Leaders Can Now Fill Top Career Ranks, OPM Says

Some worry the administration is normalizing its proclivity for circumventing the confirmation process.

Management

Agencies Need More Flexibility to Fill Vacancies

The crisis at the Bureau of Prisons, highlighted by the suicide of Jeffery Epstein, is only the latest example confirming the civil service system needs to be reformed.

Workforce

Passport Processing at State Slows as Staffing Levels Fall

Beleaguered workers with fewer resources are struggling to keep pace with a record number of passport applications.