Lesson 5: Hiring and Employment

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• Lesson 5 Hiring and Employment

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Lesson 5 Objectives

• After completion of this lesson, you will be able
  to
• Identify the NSPS changes in hiring and
  employment
• Explain the use of OPM qualification standards
  under NSPS
• Identify changes in competitive examining
• Explain the flexibilities in internal placement
• Identify new appointing authorities

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Not Changing in Hiring and Employment

• Merit Systems Principles
• Prohibited Personnel Practices
• Veterans Preference rights
• Current hiring flexibilities
• OPM qualification standards
• Posting jobs on USAJOBS
• Current competitive and excepted service
  appointing authorities and entitlements

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Placement Programs STILL in Effect

• Positions filled in accordance with the methods
  prescribed in
• Federal Regulation (5 CFR 330)
• Reemployment Priority List
• Positions Restricted to Preference Eligibles
• Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan for
  Displaced Employees
• DOD PPP Operations Manual
• Priority Placement Program

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Changes External Recruitment
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Career Groups / Pay Schedules

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Applying Qualification Standards

• DoD can modify OPM qualification standards and/or
  develop new ones
• Meanwhile will continue to use OPM Qualification
  Standards
• Applicants must meet minimum qualifications for
  the lowest GS-equivalent grade level of the pay
  band
• If general or specialized is required at the next
  lower grade, use next lower pay band or
  equivalent level
• Specialized experience must demonstrate
  possession of the job competencies (e.g., KSAs)
  of the job being filled
• Announcement must clearly describe the job
  competencies (KSAs) based on job requirements
• Must meet quality level of experience
• Thorough, accurate job analysis is key
• Need to clearly define specialized experience
• Will enable staffing specialists to identify good
  candidates

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Qualifications on a Vacancy Announcement
How could these job requirements be improved for
a Supervisory, YC-0201-2 position?

• To be qualified, candidates much show in their
  resumes that they have training or experience in
  the following areas
• Provide HR services to a group of serviced
  organizations requiring the coordination and
  integration of a number of major work
  assignments.
• Education can be substituted for experience

• One year of experience in the same or similar
  work at the next lower pay band or equivalent
  under the GS or other pay systems requiring
  application of the knowledge, skills, and
  abilities of the position being filled.
• Equivalent experience may be at the level of the
  lowest GS grade covered by the applicable pay
  band.

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Competitive Examining

• DoD now has authority to use competitive
  examining
• Initially, use OPMs delegated examining
  authority
• Applicants are listed in score and veterans
  preference order
• Procedures to pass over a preference eligible
  still apply
• Current rating and ranking procedures
• Numerical
• Category rating (implementation under development
  in Army)
• Rule of three is eliminated

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Appointing Authorities

• Direct Hire Authorities replaced
• Severe Shortage/Critical Need Hiring Authority
• Component requests authority
• DoD can authorize, in lieu of OPM
• Non-citizen appointment authority
• Component can authorize, in lieu of OPM

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New Appointing Authorities

• Time-limited appointment authorities
• Term appointments up to six years
• Temporary appointments up to three years
• Can be converted to career appointment, if
  criteria met
• Selected under competitive examining procedures
• Announcement contained a statement which stated
  that the appointment could lead to a career
  appointment
• Must have served at least two years with a Level
  2 rating
• Converted to a career position in the same pay
  band for which hired

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New Appointment Authorities

• PARTICIPANTS
• How can these new authorities be used?
• How can they enhance recruitment?

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Public Notice Requirements

• Requirements
• Open to all US citizens
• May limit first consideration to local commuting
  area and other targeted recruitment sources
• No minimum period of time vacancies must be
  announced
• Open period based on type of position and
  availability of candidates

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Targeted Recruitment

• PARTICIPANTS
• Give examples of targeted recruitment

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Three Tenure Groups
Eliminates career-conditional appointment -Tenure
II
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Probationary Periods

• One year with option for three years
• For selected occupations
• Determined by DoD (not individual managers)
• Longer probationary periods may be established by
  occupation
• Critical to a performance-based system
• Supervisors must still complete a 1-year (in
  service) probationary period
• Two year probationary period established for
  certain excepted service positions

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Probationary Periods
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EXERCISE 1 Competitive Examining

• Which statement(s) is(are) correct under NSPS?
  Circle the answer.
• T/F Merit System Principles remain unchanged in
  NSPS.
• T/F Veterans preference is no longer used under
  NSPS.
• T/F Clearing RPL/ICTAP is still required in
  NSPS.
• T/F The rule of three has been eliminated under
  NSPS.
• T/F When using category-rating procedures, it is
  necessary to add 5 or 10 points to the scores of
  preference eligibles.
• T/F Job announcements outside DoD must be posted
  on USAJOBS

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Exercise 1Competitive Examining

• Which statement(s) is(are) correct under NSPS?
  Circle the answer.
• You are required to use OPM qualification
  standards unless DoD qualification standards have
  been established.
• You may use DoD- or Component-specific
  qualification standards instead of OPM
  qualification standards.
• DoD may modify an OPM qualification standard.
• The only consideration for determining if someone
  is qualified for a position is that the person
  has experience performing work in the next lower
  pay band (or equivalent work under the General
  Schedule system, other federal pay systems, or
  the private sector).
• Time-in-grade still applies when determining if
  someone meets qualification requirements.

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EXERCISE 1 Competitive Examining

• What are the two authorized types of competitive
  examining procedures under NSPS?
• Select the statement that is correct under NSPS
• Public notice is not required.
• Authorized management officials may target their
  recruiting strategy.
• Targeting applicants in the local commuting area
  is not permitted.
• Mitch just saw an advertisement for an
  Engineering position in the Department of the
  Navy. The position is in San Diego. He is not a
  federal employee, but he thinks he is qualified
  for the position. The advertisement says the
  position is open to all U.S. citizens, but
  applicants in San Diego are considered first.
  Mitch lives in San Francisco.
• Can Mitch apply?
• If so, why should Mitch apply?

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Streamlining Internal Recruitment

• NSPS changes are designed to
• Reduce time to fill jobs
• Reduce number of personnel actions required
• Example no personnel action required for certain
  details
• Provide flexibility
• Example elimination on moving employees earlier
  than 90 days after initial appointment

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Changes Internal Recruitment
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Internal Placement

• Time in grade requirements eliminated
• Time after competitive appointment requirement
  eliminated
• New assignments commensurate with qualifications
  do not always need a personnel action
• Personnel actions normally not required for
• Assignments to perform new tasks
• Projects or functions
• If equal to current qualifications, area or
  expertise

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Personnel Actions Required

• Actions must be processed for
• Changes in occupational code, pay schedule, pay
  band, pay pool, FLSA
• Detail employees to another agency, Component or
  from one pay system to another

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DoD UNIQUE OCCUPATIONAL CODES
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New Definitions

• Promotion Movement of an employee from one band
  to a higher band
• Example Pay Band 2 to Pay Band 3
• Reassignment Movement of an employee to a
  different position or set of duties in the same
  or a comparable pay band on a permanent or
  temporary/time-limited basis
• Example Non-supervisory professional and/or
  analytical pay schedule to supervisory PS across
  corresponding pay bands (2 to 2)
• Reduction in Band Movement of an employee
  either voluntary or involuntary from one pay band
  to a lower pay band
• Example PB 2 to PB 1

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Merit Promotion Requirements

• Most remain the same
• Managers have right to select or not select from
  a group of qualified candidates
• Managers have right to select from appropriate
  sources of candidates
• Area of consideration should be sufficiently
  broad to ensure high quality candidates
• Recordkeeping requirements
• Must conduct job analysis to identify critical
  KSAs and/or job competencies

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Competitive / Non-Competitive

• Competitive
• Movement to higher band/higher level of work
• Same basic concepts apply
• Reassignment or reduction in band to a position
  with more promotion potential
• Transfer to a higher pay band or to a position
  with more promotion potential
• Changed under NSPS
• Temporary promotion over 180 days to a higher pay
  band position

• Exception to Competition
• Movement to same band or comparable level of work
  (technician to technician)
• Same basic concepts apply
• Promotion resulting from previous competitive
  selection with documented career ladder to higher
  pay band
• Promotion resulting from classification at higher
  pay band because of additional duties and
  responsibilities
• Promotion to higher pay band previously held on a
  term or permanent basis in competitive service
• Consideration of a candidate not given proper
  consideration in a competitive promotion action
• Changed under NSPS
• Temporary promotion to a position in a higher pay
  band for 180 days or less

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Determining Competition Requirements

• Level of work determines whether competition is
  required
• Focus on level of work, not grade level
• Level of work progresses within the same pay
  schedule from lower to higher beginning with pay
  band 1
• Professional/Analytical is always higher than
  Technician/Support
• Comparability across career groups

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Movements within / across bands

• Non-supervisory professional and/or analytical
  Pay Schedule to supervisory Pay Schedule
• Non-supervisory professional and/or analytical
  Pay Schedule to a higher Pay Band in a
  supervisory Pay Schedule
• Supervisory Pay Band to non-supervisory Pay Band
• Entry-level Pay Band
• Non-supervisory technical/support Pay Schedule to
  a supervisory Pay Schedule

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Exercise 2 Movement of Individuals

• For each scenario, indicate the action promotion
  or reassignment.
• Scenario 1 Beth moves from YB, Pay Band 1, to
  YB, Pay Band 2.
• Scenario 2 Bob moves from YC, Pay Band 2, to YA,
  Pay Band 3.
• Scenario 3 Greg moves from YF, Pay Band 3, to
  YC, Pay Band 3.
• Scenario 4 Lisa moves from YE, Pay Band 2, to
  YD, Pay Band 1.
• Scenario 5 Phil moves from YD, Pay Band 2, to
  YA, Pay Band 2.
• Scenario 6 Peter moves from YB, Pay Band 1, to
  YA, Pay Band 1.
• Scenario 7 Rose moves from YB, Pay Band 3, to
  YC, Pay Band 2.

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Exercise 2Movement of Individuals

• For the following situations, answer the
  questions that are asked.
• Situation A George is in a YF, Pay Band 3,
  position. His supervisor wants to move George to
  a YC, Pay Band 3, position.
• Can he do this noncompetitively?
• Situation B Karen is in a YA, Pay Band 2,
  position. She previously held a YC, Pay Band 3,
  position on a permanent basis. There is a vacant
  YA, Pay Band 3, position in Karens office.
• Could the supervisor promote her
  noncompetitively?
• Situation C Ralph is in a YD, Pay Band 1,
  position. The full performance band is Pay Band
  2.
• Does Ralph need to compete for the higher pay
  band?
• Situation D Susan is in a YE, Pay Band 2,
  position. She just finished her BS in
  Mathematics. There is an announcement for an
  Operations Research Analyst, YD, Pay Band 1, full
  performance band Pay Band 2, position at the
  facility where she works.
• Does she have to compete for this position?

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Alternative Forms of Competition

• Not available until Army issues guidance
• Alternate Certification
• By-name request
• Candidate must meet criteria of highest group
• Exceptional Performance Promotion
• Requires Level 5 performance rating
• Same occupational series and function
• Assessment Boards
• Pre-established criteria, ranked specific to the
  occupation
• Selection unique to actual vacancy
• Mandatory Placement rules will apply

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Exceptional PerformancePromotion Example

• Organization C performs work related to the
  personnel function. Jack is a Department manager
  overseeing several branches and divisions. The
  supervisor for the staffing and classification
  branch is vacant.
• This position is classified as a 0201 position,
  in Pay Schedule YA, Pay Band 3. The rating cycle
  has recently ended and several of the senior
  0201, Pay Band 2, employees in the staffing and
  classification branch received a Level 5 rating.
• He interviews each of these employees.
• Based on Jack's knowledge of these individuals
  and his assessment of their individual qualities
  and strengths as they relate to the requirements
  of the job, he decides to select Ruby to fill the
  vacant branch supervisor position.

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Alternate Certification Example

• Maxine is a division director in Organization B.
  The organization oversees financial and budget
  operations for Component programs. Maxine
  recently completed an assignment as part of a
  team that studied problems involving financial
  reporting procedures within several divisions.
  The team performed research, analysis, and
  evaluation of the situation and provided
  recommendations to high-level management on how
  to resolve the matter. A few months after
  returning to her regular duties, a position under
  Maxine's supervision becomes vacant. The position
  is a Management and Program Analyst, 0343,
  position, in Pay Schedule YA, Pay Band 3.
• Maxine remembers Cynthia, who served on the team,
  as being an exceptionally sharp and highly
  motivated individual who would be a great asset
  to her division. Cynthia is a Budget Analyst,
  0560, in Pay Schedule YA, Pay Band 2, in another
  division in Organization B. Maxine performs a job
  analysis of the vacant position, as directed by
  the Human Resource Office (HRO), to identify the
  attributes necessary to demonstrate that someone
  would be highly qualified to perform the major
  duties of the position. She forwards the job
  analysis and the Request for Personnel Action
  (RPA) to the HRO, identifying Cynthia as the
  person she would like to select for the position.
  The staffing specialist obtains a copy of
  Cynthia's resume and evaluates it against the
  criteria identified by Maxine. Cynthia is
  determined to be highly qualified and a job offer
  is made.

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Assessment Board Example

• Organization A provides engineering services to a
  major command. Engineering technicians in
  Organization A are promoted to Pay Band 2 or Pay
  Band 3 based on assessment board procedures.
• On an annual basis, a board comprised of senior
  engineers and supervisors, examines all
  engineering technicians who are eligible for
  promotion to Pay Band 2 or Pay Band 3 to evaluate
  their qualifications and rank them based
  pre-established criteria which demonstrates the
  knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to
  successfully perform the duties of engineering
  technicians within the organization.
• The "highly-qualified" lists developed by the
  assessment board are used by Organization A
  supervisors to fill vacancies identified during
  the next year. The identification of eligible
  promotion candidates is developed by each
  division within Organization A and reviewed by
  the CPOC for accuracy. Employees' Official
  Personnel Folders (OPFs) and most recent
  performance appraisal information are used to
  evaluate their qualifications.

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Exercise 3Case Studies

• Scenario 1
• Elizabeth, a member of the National Guard, has
  been called to active duty for a period of 18
  months. Marvin, her supervisor, is considering
  how to get the work done while Elizabeth is gone
  and thinks the best course of action is to fill
  the position on a time-limited basis.
• What are the supervisors options?

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Exercise 3Case Studies

• Scenario 2
• Management has been trying for some time to fill
  an Electrical Engineer position. The position is
  classified in Pay Band 3 and requires some unique
  skills. The position has been advertised at least
  four times generally, they do not get any
  applicants. One of the problems with the position
  is that it is located in an isolated area in the
  desert. When management has tried to hire for
  these types of positions in the past, they have
  had a great deal of difficulty and some positions
  have remained unfilled for months.
• What NSPS appointing authority might be
  considered as a solution to this situation?

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EXERCISE 3CASE STUDIES

• Scenario 3
• Mary Beth wants to advertise her vacancy for an
  Administrative Assistant, Pay Band 2, position.
  She has had some problems finding well-qualified
  applicants using internal placement procedures,
  so she has decided, after discussing with the HR
  Specialist, to announce the position outside the
  agency through competitive examining procedures.
• Does the CPOC have to post this position at the
  USAJOBS site?
• Can they target applicants?
• Do they have to accept applications from all U.S.
  citizens?
• How long must the announcement be open?

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Merit Promotion Requirements

• Most requirements remain the same
• Managers have right to select or not select from
  a group of qualified candidates
• Managers have right to select from appropriate
  sources of candidates
• Area of consideration should be sufficiently
  broad to ensure high quality candidates
• Recordkeeping requirements
• Must conduct job analysis to identify critical
  KSAs and/or job competencies

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Exercise 4 NSPS Scenarios

• Scenario 1
• Sarah is a Human Resources Specialist, YA-201,
  Pay Band 1, full performance band (FPB) Pay Band
  2. Next month, she will have occupied her
  position for one full year.
• What is the type of action?
• Is competition required? Why?
• Scenario 2
• Pam is moving from a Budget Analyst, YA-560, Pay
  Band 2, to a Supervisory Budget Analyst, YA-560,
  Pay Band 3. Her full performance band is Pay Band
  2. She has never held a position in Pay Band 3
  before.
• What is the type of action?
• Is competition required? Why?

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Exercise 4 NSPS Scenarios

• Scenario 3
• Frank is a Contract Specialist, YA-1102, Pay
  Band 2. He is very unhappy with his job and has
  asked his supervisor if he can be placed in a
  vacant Procurement Technician, YB-1106, Pay Band
  3, position located in the same organization.
  Eric is qualified for the position and his
  supervisor agrees.
• Scenario 4
• Josh is an Engineer, YD-801, Pay Band 3. He
  applied for a Program Analyst, YA-343, Pay Band
  3, position.
• What are the type of actions?
• Is competition required? Why?

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Exercise 4 NSPS Scenarios

• Scenario 5
• Richard, the supervisor of the Supersonic
  Division, has just been told that he is
  responsible for putting a special project into
  place. He knows he is going to need more people,
  but he does not think they all need to be
  permanenthe sees the work lasting three to five
  years.
• Scenario 6
• Sylvia, an Auditor, YA-511, Pay Band 2, received
  a Level 5 rating on her latest performance
  appraisal. In fact, she has performed in an
  exemplary fashion for a while. Bernice, her
  supervisor, has a vacant position in the branch,
  an Auditor YA-511, Pay Band 3, position. There
  are five other Auditors at Pay Band 2 in the
  branch.
• What are the type of actions?
• Is competition required? Why?

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Exercise 4 NSPS Scenarios

• Scenario 7
• The CPOC wants to advertise a position. What are
  some of the things the CPOC and the supervisor
  must consider when announcing positions under the
  Departments merit promotion plan?
• What is the type of action?
• Is competition required? Why?
• Scenario 8
• Fred has a permanent position he wants to fill
  temporarily. Several people in the office might
  be interested in the position. If he wanted to
  temporarily promote one of his employees, how
  long could he do so before he would need to
  announce it competitively? Is this time frame
  different from pre-NSPS procedures?

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Lesson 5 Review

• Summary
• Qualification standards
• Recruitment, selection, and placement
• Competitive examining
• Probationary periods
• Tenure
• New NSPS appointing authorities
• Internal placement
• Questions