Federal Job Recruitment
Typical Steps in Federal Recruitment
Whether applying for a permanent or non-permanent position, it helps to know that federal agencies use most, if not all, of the following steps during the hiring process:
Job Analysis: This process happens before you, the potential candidate, get involved. The hiring manager or supervisor describes the work to be done, and determines the knowledge, skills, abilities, or competencies required to do that work.
Public Notice or Vacancy Announcement: The agency gets the word out about its current or potential openings. They also include the dates that that applications will be accepted. Please note: If you are a 10-point preference eligible, you can file an application after an announcement closes. You should contact the agency that announced the position for further information.
Screening Applications: The agency human resources specialist, or, in some cases, an automated "expert" system, evaluates your application against the position's qualification requirements and determines your eligibility, and in some cases, your ranking, relative to other candidates.
Referral: The human resources office issues a list of qualified candidates to the selecting official. In some cases, positions are required to be filled from among the top three individuals with the highest score. This is not true for all jobs, but you may hear reference to "The Rule of Three." This is a legal requirement and, when indicated, agencies must follow this rule.
Interview: Most agencies conduct interviews of top candidates. Not all do. The interview can take place in person or by telephone.
Selection: A hiring manager may select from among a pool of qualified candidates. If you are selected, Congratulations! If you are not, you should keep applying for jobs that interest you. There is more than one opportunity for most well qualified people! If a selecting manager doesn't identify a good candidate on the first try, the process goes back to the recruiting phase.
Job Offer: An offer is made to the selected candidate, and if the candidate accepts, then a starting date is determined.
Probationary Period: The probationary period is the final part of the examining and hiring process. This is your opportunity to be sure you've made the right choice of employer, and the agency's opportunity to be sure you are a good match for the job. Most probationary periods last a year, but some agencies have longer or shorter probationary periods.
Please be aware that even in the best of circumstances, the federal hiring process can be lengthy. This is especially true for agencies that don't use an on-line system. Don't be discouraged! Most vacancy announcements list someone who can be contacted for additional information about a vacancy announcement, including the current status of the vacancy. Do reach out to them for an update.
