Source: The Washington Post
Date: 04/03/2009
Section: A Section
Page: A17


Joe Davidson

http://www.washingtonpost.com
Copyright 2009, The Washington Post Co. All Rights Reserved

There's long been lots of talk around town about the sad state of the federal hiring process. Now, two key senators have decided to take action.

Sens. Daniel K. Akaka (D-Hawaii) and George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio), the top two members of the Senate subcommittee on oversight of government management, the federal workforce and the District of Columbia, have introduced legislation they say will streamline hiring.

If the legislation delivers as promised, it couldn't come at a better time. The massive economic stimulus package and baby boomer retirements will generate thousands of federal jobs. The sluggish employment process certainly needs stimulating if it's going to be ready.

Certainly, there are legitimate reasons for the government to sometimes take longer than industry to bring workers on board. But it's also true that "too many federal agencies have built entry barriers for new workers and invented evaluation processes that discourage qualified candidates," as Akaka said.

Among other things, the Federal Hiring Process Improvement Act would require agencies to -- trumpets, please -- "post brief, clear job announcements in plain writing." It says something about Uncle Sam's dense bureaucratic mind-set if legislation is needed to produce simple announcements that generate more interest than frustration.

Another provision would do away with the "knowledge, skills and abilities" essays that applicants are required to write. Instead, they would be allowed to submit cover letters and resumes, as is common in the private sector. The notorious KSAs have been particularly scary to some people, and a cottage industry has grown to help applicants navigate them and the hiring process generally.

Other provisions in the legislation would require agencies to:

• Develop strategic workforce plans that include hiring projections and critical skills gaps.
• Provide timely notification to applicants on the status of their applications.
• Take no more than 80 days from the time a manager decides to fill a vacancy to the time an offer is made.
• Measure the effectiveness of hiring efforts and reforms.

"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. . . . This does nothing to dispel any preconceived notions that the federal government is nothing but a bureaucratic system."

In fairness to the system, it is bound by requirements not found in the private sector. Uncle Sam must consider everyone who applies for a position, rather than cutting off the process as soon as that perfect someone comes knocking. Federal agencies also must follow a set of merit system principles that are designed to ensure fairness in hiring and employment. Then there's the security clearance procedures that can be a drag on the process, albeit a necessary one.

And it should be noted that the Office of Personnel Management has attempted to streamline the process, using some of the ideas outlined in the legislation. It adopted an "end-to-end hiring road map," but agencies are not required to follow it. The force of law, however, will require agencies to improve their hiring in a more uniform manner.

Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, a good-government group that focuses on federal hiring, said the proposed legislation could make the process more user-friendly, and that would encourage a greater range of qualified applicants for government jobs.

"Applying for a federal job should not require," he added, "the patience of Job and the courage of David."

The full bill can be read here: akaka.senate.gov/public/documents/FHPA.pdf.

EEOC Building

There's more news about the formaldehyde found at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission building, but it's not very good.

As we reported Wednesday, employees have complained of headaches, dizziness, coughing and breathing problems since moving into the renovated facility in November. An initial round of testing found formaldehyde. A report from a second round is now in, and it found essentially the same result.

All reported levels are well below Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards but above levels recommended by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Stuart J. Ishimaru, the acting EEOC chairman, told employees in a Wednesday memo.

He promised to continue special weekend venting, which costs $10,000 a pop, and the testing "until we are satisfied with the results."

Meanwhile, the Formaldehyde Council, a trade association of formaldehyde producers, wants to protect its members. It issued a statement saying that "there is no documented evidence that formaldehyde," at the levels found in the EEOC building, "could cause any health-related symptoms. . . . If something in the building's air is causing occupants some discomfort, it is almost certainly not formaldehyde, and authorities should be searching for an alternate explanation."

Contact Joe Davidson at federaldiary@washpost.com.

April 03, 2009   04:14 AM EDT