Hiring Reform: Veterans Affairs Department

The federal government is in the midst of an overhaul of its complex hiring process. President Obama in May 2010 directed agencies to implement changes that would allow them to hire faster and smarter. Reforms include dropping the much-maligned knowledge, skills and abilities essays in favor of resumes and cover letters. In addition, hiring managers are being given more authority to identify workforce requirements and the skills required for specific jobs, and to recruit and interview candidates. And to keep quality applicants from moving on during the lengthy hiring process, agencies are shooting to trim the average to 80 days from start to finish as the primary marker of success.

Agencies are making progress at various speeds, but the Veterans Affairs Department already has achieved milestones in reducing time to hire, exploiting new technologies and training managers in the updated process.

Before Implementation

Until recently, it took VA too long to get people hired, and the process was too bureaucratic, said VA Chief Human Capital Officer John Sepulveda. For example, the agency's average job announcement was upwards of 30 pages in length, and hiring time averaged 105 days at the end of fiscal 2009. In addition, job candidates often complained that they submitted an application and but didn't receive a response for months, he said.

Improving hiring is about efficiency and return on investment, said Sepulveda. Spending 105 days to bring new employees on board is a waste of staff time and taxpayer dollars, as well as a deterrent to candidates, he added.

"The best people are not going to wait months and months," Sepulveda said. "If it takes your [human resources] professionals and hiring managers many days to end up with one individual, multiply that by the number of people hired. We hire between 30,000 and 50,000 per year. It's critically important to make government more efficient and effective."

After Implementation

In the midst of overhauling its hiring process, VA has reduced time to hire to an average of 81 days. For certain high-priority positions, such as those in information technology, the average is closer to 67 days and in some instances just 35 days.

According to Sepulveda, the changes have been multidimensional. VA has incorporated technology to ease the process both for applicants and hiring managers. For example, the agency uses Twitter, Facebook and online job boards to reach potential candidates. VA also has developed a training program both for managers and HR professionals and so far has trained more than 1,500 employees on the use of USAStaffing, which streamlines application management. The system also notifies candidates at each stage of the process and lets them know whether they've been selected for an interview and, ultimately, a job offer.

Another important technological advancement was VA's recent virtual hiring fair, which targeted applicants interested in IT and acquisition positions. More than 900 job candidates were referred to hiring managers through the event, Sepulveda said.

VA also is holding hiring managers accountable for their participation in the process, Sepulveda said. It's part of their job to be a full partner in the recruitment and selection of the people who will be working in their office, he noted.

"Hiring reform is not easy," Sepulveda said. "It requires a comprehensive approach that is not just about technology, not just about introducing new procedures, resumes and shorter job announcements … It's technology, it's training, it's cultural change and it's also about holding hiring managers accountable."

Key Issues

• Technology, including social media tools, virtual career days and streamlined application processing systems, can make the experience more pleasant for job candidates and ease the burden on hiring managers and HR staff.
• Holding managers accountable and making employee recruitment a part of their everyday responsibilities are key to keeping them engaged in the process.
• Agencies should focus on training managers and HR professionals, many of whom are accustomed to traditional hiring practices and systems, to work together and use new technologies, Sepulveda said.
• Collaboration with the Chief Human Capital Officers Council has allowed VA to identify best practices, such as manager training tools.
• Communicating to the American public that the federal government is still hiring and also is working to make the process easier and more efficient will help agencies better compete with the private sector for top talent, Sepulveda said.
• A positive experience for applicants, which includes a simplified process and regular feedback on application status, will keep candidates interested in federal jobs.