Hiring the Next Generation of Federal Employees

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Hiring the Next Generation of Federal Employees

• Merit Systems Protection Board
• September 11, 2007
• IPMA-HR Federal Section Conference

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U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board

• Two Related Missions. Protect the merit system
  through
• (1) Adjudication and enforcement
• Individual appeals - ensuring merit values and
  employee rights
• Creating a body of legal precedent
• (2) Government-wide merit-based studies (OPE)
• Evaluation - assessing health of merit systems
• Policy - ensuring merit system effectiveness
• Education - improving the practice of merit
• Advocacy - building support for the merit system
  and its continued growth and viability

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(No Transcript)
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How Are Federal Employees Entering the Service?
CE OPM or DEU Certificate VEOA Veterans
Employment Opportunity Act VRA Veterans
Recruitment Appointment FCIP Federal Career
Intern Program
FY 2005 New Hires, Full Time, Permanent
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Authority as a percent of total hires in each
year, FY 1995- FY 2005
2002 data was affected by wave of TSA hiring.
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First Merit Principle

• Recruitment should be from qualified individuals
  from appropriate sources in an endeavor to
  achieve a work force from all segments of
  society, and selection and advancement should be
  determined solely on the basis of relative
  ability, knowledge, and skills, after fair and
  open competition which assures that all receive
  equal opportunity.
• --5 U.S.C. 2301 (b) (1)

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What Difference Does it Make?
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Do Supervisors Know?
The percent of supervisors involved in the hiring
process that did not know they had even
considered applicants under the authority that
was ultimately used to appoint their subordinate

• 35 percent for CE
• 39 percent for VRA
• 44 percent for VEOA
• 27 percent for FCIP

Overall 36 percent did not know.
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Supervisors who did not know they had considered
applicants under the authority that was used to
hire
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Do Supervisors Really Know?

• I already know the hiring authorities and
  responsibilities.
• I'm unsure what you mean when you ask if anyone
  has discussed the trial or probationary period
  for this individual with me. All employees
  (newly hired) are under a 1 year probationary
  period.

From a supervisor who claimed VEOA candidates
were not considered for the position. Employee
in question was a VEOA hire. From the
supervisor of an FCIP hire who reported being a
supervisor for four years. (FCIP has a mandatory
2 year trial period.)
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Do Supervisors Really Know?

• I didn't know I had options other than VRA,
  VEOA, 30 DAV and direct hire authority.
• Supervisor explaining his response that his hire
  was not in a probationary or trial period. He
  has completed his 1 year tenure and is under
  career conditional status.

Only one of these options requires any
competition among applicants (VEOA) and only one
can be used to appoint non-veterans (Direct
Hire). Hire was under VRA, which means a two
year trial period in the excepted service.
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Do Supervisors Really Know?

• Nobody told me he was on a probationary period.
  He was just hired last spring. By the time I
  read the regulation on probation, his 10 month
  period was already over.
• When asked why he selected from VEOA list,
  supervisor said, Its my understanding that
  veterans have preference over non-veterans.

So, not only did the supervisor not know about
the probationary period before, he still does not
have the right information for VEOA (which was
used) it is a one year probationary period set by
statute, the same as CE. Preference is an
advantage given on a list, not an advantage
between lists (and there is no preference given
on VEOA lists).
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Supervisors reporting No one discussed my
training/assessment responsibilities.
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Was there a discussion regarding probation/trial
period responsibilities?
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Involvement in the decision to hire and
satisfaction with quality of hire.
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(No Transcript)
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What do you think of when you hear the term
entry-level new hire?
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The Expectation
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The Actual
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Who They Are Age
Average age 33
Median 29 Mode 23 Range 21-84
Source Central Personnel Data File 2005
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Who They Are What They Were Doing Before
30 Private Company 24 Attending
School 10 State/Local Government
Below 10 Federal Contractor School/University No
t Employed Military/Coast Guard Nonprofit Self
Employed
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Who They Are Length of Experience
17 Less Than 1 year 32 1-5 years 15 6-10 17 1
1-20 18 20 or more
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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What They Want Applications Sent
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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What They Want Factors Important to Job Offer
Considerations
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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What They Want Most Important Factor in Decision
to Work for the Government

• Job Security

28 All 33 30 and over 23 Under 30 21 Came to
Government from school
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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What They Want Government Strengths
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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What They Want Years Participants Intend to Stay
with Government
Source MSPB Career Entry Survey
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Conclusions

• Characteristics of New Hires
• Older, more experienced than expected
• Generational-isms
• Didnt hold as true as expected
• Perceptions About Government
• More positive than expected

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Actions

• Dont stereotype by generation
• Use a variety of recruitment strategies
• Market what is important

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(No Transcript)
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Study coverage

• GS 12, 13, 14, and 15 (and equivalent)
• Government-wide
• Full-time permanent
• Professional and administrative occupations
• Competitive and excepted service

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Surveys

• 1,800 upper level new hires randomly selected
• Supervisors of these new hires

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Findings
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What they were doing before

• 32 working for a Federal contractor
• 23 working in private sector not a Federal
  contractor
• 16 serving in the military/CG
• 8 working for state/local government
• 5 working for a school, college,
  university
• 4 working for self
• 4 unemployed
• 3 working for non-profit organization
• 2 attending school
• 3 Other

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How agencies compare with last employer

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Job security
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Retirement, leave, and pay
Retirement
Leave
Pay
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Quality of Federal managers and co-workers
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Challenging work and effective use of KSAs
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Opportunities for advancement and training
Opportunities for training/development
Opportunities for advancement
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Ethical practices and treating employees with
respect
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Work environment and workplace flexibility
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Providing feedback and dealing with poor
performers
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Using recruitment incentives

• 64 None
• 30 Advanced step
• 7 Recruitment bonus
• 3 Relocation
• 2 Higher leave accrual
• 1 Repayment of student loan

Would still accept the job without
incentives? Yes 32 No 68
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Can agencies hire (or compete for) the next
generation of Federal employees?

• Yes.
• But
• Be aware of the challenges you face
• Involve the right people in the many required
  steps in the hiring process
• Capitalize on the strong attractions of Federal
  employment

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For More Information

• Contact U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board
• [phone]
• On the Web www.mspb.gov
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