Recruiting and Hiring

1. Recruiting and Hiring Annual ORD Managers Workshop November 6, 2008

2. Overview • Recruitment process • Hiring authorities • Competitive • “Non-competitive” • Recruitment outreach strategy • Hiring incentives • Resources

3. Recruitment Process I • Your most important resources are your administrative officer and your OARM HR servicing office. • Think strategically about the job series and grade of position. You will need an up-to-date position description (PD) to correspond to the series/grade of the position. For competitive hiring, you will need a SME (subject matter expert). • Complete the staffing requisition form. Most important considerations are • Hiring authority to be used; competitive and noncompetitive • Recruitment outreach strategy

4. Recruitment Process II • Complete SF-52 (request for personnel action), PD cover sheet, PD, staffing requisition form, and other necessary forms are sent to Personnel Security for classification of job risk level • HR then ensures package is complete, and reviews PD to ensure appropriate match with job series and grade. • For competitive actions • Competitive hiring is done through www.usajobs.gov • HR prepares draft job analysis and vacancy announcement, and forwards these to the SME, along with a database of possible questions for applicants.

5. Recruitment Process III • SME and selecting official • Review vacancy announcement and job analysis, • Identify 10-20 appropriate questions and weights, and • Decide area of consideration • HR office arranges for posting of vacancy announcement on USAJOBS. Job will be announced for a specified length of time (be sensitive to this). • HR office will qualify applicants based on resume and question responses, and will forward a cert list to the selecting official. • Selecting official will interview, check references, make a selection and sign the cert • HR office will make the formal offer to the selectee.

6. Hiring Authorities I Competitive • Merit Promotion – competitive means to move a federal employee to another position, usually at a higher graded position or one with greater promotion potential • Those rated “best qualified” are referred (maximum of ten applicants) • Delegated examining – competitive procedure for general public • Selection can only be made from the top three candidates on the cert • Veterans preference applies

7. Hiring Authorities II Non-competitive • Attorneys/Law Clerks • The Veterans Recruitment Appointment (VRA) --appoint an eligible veteran without competition to a position up to a GS-11. Eligibility criteria: • Disabled veterans; or • Veterans who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized; or • Veterans who, while serving on active duty in the Armed Forces, participated in a United States military  operation for which an Armed Forces Service Medal was awarded; or • Recently separated veterans. • Disabled Veterans-- 30% or more disabled veterans who meet the minimum qualifications of the position (no grade limitation) must be hired initially on a temporary appointment of at least 61 days and then may be converted non-competitively to a career-conditional appointment at any time. • People with Disabilities -- designed to hire people with disabilities, including both physical and mental disabilities.

8. Hiring Authorities III • Peace Corps -- authorizes hiring former volunteers within one year of the person completing their qualifying service. This can be extended up to three years if certain conditions are met. A certifying document must accompany the application. • FCIP – excellent vehicle for targeted appointment at the GS-5/7 grade level for scientific positions and GS-9 grade level for administrative and scientific positions. You can advertise an FCIP position though the normal competitive process (these candidates will not be ranked on the certificate), or you can attend (or hold) a job fair and hire individuals through a certificate containing candidates who attended the job fair. • EPA’s Environmental Intern Program (EIP) was created under this authority. See www.epa.gov/ohr/eip.html • The Presidential Management Fellows Program (PMF) was also created under this authority. See www.pmf.opm.gov • Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) (formerly known as the Co-op program) provides on-the-job training for a target position in the federal government. Participants must complete 640 hours of work in the program and after obtaining their degree, students receive non-competitive eligibility for appointment to the federal service. Open to high school, undergraduate, graduate, and vocational/technical students. Participants university must have MOU with Federal agency.

9. Recruitment Outreach Strategy • Increase quality and diversity of applicant pool • Targeted Ideas • Professional list serve • Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges, and Tribal Colleges & Universities • Department chairs of graduate schools • Professional organizations

10. Hiring Incentives • Generally • May be used for difficult to hire appliants • Consult your office’s policy • Incentives • Recruitment incentive – one-time payment for new employee of up to 25% of employee’s pay. • Relocation incentive – for current EPA employees • Relocation expenses – payment of new employee’s travel and transportation of household goods • Superior qualifications appointment – new employee hired at higher step based on “high or unique qualifications” • Repayment of college loans -- permits agencies to repay Federally insured student loans as a recruitment incentive. Certain limitations.

11. intranet.epa.gov/ow/recruit Welcome to the OW Recruitment Council Intranet Site! About the OW Recruitment Council Recruitment Resources and Materials • Contact List of Professional Organizations • Contact List of Graduate Schools • List of Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges, and Tribal Colleges & Universities • Job Fair Calendar • Job Fair Handbook • Paid Ad Policy • Recruitment Brochures • Recruitment Presentation Recruitment Training Resources, including Qs and As Las Vegas Contacts