New government hiring tools help agencies share research, resources

A new online recruiting tool for federal managers will give agencies equal access to hiring materials, but it could take time to get off the ground, observers say.

Federal workers on Thursday can begin using USAJobsRecruit, an online community for agencies to showcase best practices, share marketing and outreach strategies, and post hiring events. The site provides hiring managers and human resources personnel with recruiting guidance and communication tools, such as discussion forums, chats and blogs. Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry announced the website's launch at a conference on Wednesday.

The site, accessed through USAJobs, consolidates hiring resources for federal workers, said Angela Bailey, OPM's deputy associate director of recruitment and hiring. It also gives agencies that lack money to purchase research or create their own tools equal footing in the process.

"Some of the larger agencies have some of this information at their fingertips, but what you'll find is, across the board, not all agencies have this wealth of information," she said. "So it puts all agencies, regardless of size, composition, missions or the amount of money that they're funded with, on a level playing field so they can compete for that much-needed talent."

USAJobsRecruit is open to all federal employees, not just those involved in hiring. In addition to checklists and communication tools, the site includes a school sorter that allows hiring managers and human resources staff to search for schools that offer specific degrees or academic specialties. Users also can rate and review schools' recruiting practices and add hiring-related events to a community calendar.

OPM also has launched Federal Service Ambassadors, a program that identifies government workers interested in recruiting and gives them access to all the tools necessary to communicate a consistent message to candidates. The initiative turns hiring into a more grass-roots effort, Bailey said. Interested federal employees can apply through USAJobsRecruit.

Tim McManus, vice president for education and outreach at the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, which collaborated with OPM on the site, said the tool provides both a centralized site for resources that previously were in disparate locations, as well as the beginnings of a community to share best practices. Both OPM and federal employees, however, will have to continue to build value into it, he said.

"It's not like Field of Dreams, where 'if you build it they will come,' " he said. "Simply putting up a site doesn't solve all those problems. It takes time to build community, which will have to be invested by users and OPM."

USAJobsRecruit is just one part of a large set of tools to streamline hiring, Bailey said. Assess, currently in a pilot phase, is an online platform that replaces the complex knowledge, skills and abilities statements traditionally completed by government job applicants with testing tools for 12 types of positions frequently found across government. OPM also is considering a career discovery tool and expects to roll out USAJobs 3.0 by Oct. 1.

According to Bailey, OPM has tried to ensure every hiring tool is integrated and easy for employees to access. USAJobs is a "one-stop shop" for hiring managers and HR professionals, while the agency's hiring reform Web page also links to Facebook and Twitter.