Workforce Management Office (WFMO) Serving NOAA's Most Valuable Asset - People
NOAA Hiring Process
STEP 1 - Strategic Conversation
Strategic Conversation
The strategic conversation is key in the planning process for an effective, efficient hiring process, which will result in hiring the right person for the right job in a timely manner. Once the hiring official determines there is a need to fill a position, whether it is a new or an existing position, it is incumbent upon the manager to contact the HRA to discuss the position itself, recruitment strategies, and any current or known potential issues which could impact on the hiring process.
STEP 2 - Submit Completed Recruitment Package
The hiring official submits a complete recruitment package to the HRA.
Steps in Hiring Process
Required Document
What is this Document?
Why is this Document Step Needed?
Owner
1. Signed Request for Personnel Action (SF-52)
SF-52
The SF-52 is the official request for personnel action. It initiates the hiring process.
First and second line managers’ approval on this document authorizes the WFMO to process the action and confirms that funding and an FTE are available.
LO/CO
2. Position Description (PD) and Coversheet
CD-516
Under the General Schedule (GS) this document serves as the position description, and performance plan coversheet for a position. It is followed by a PD developed by management or taken from the PD Library.
Under the Demo Project, the first two pages of the CD-516 serve as the coversheet to the PD that is generated by the Automated Classification System (ACS). The PD validates the classification of the position to be advertised.
This document is required to define the duties, responsibilities and tasks associated with the job. It serves as the official record upon which most personnel actions are based. This ensures that managers and employees are clear on what KSAs are required within that position to accomplish the organization/division goals. It also aids the HRA in making appropriate determinations upon reviewing the applications.
LO/CO
3. Performance Plan
CD-516 (2-Level) CD-430 (5-Level) CD-541 (Demo)
Details each performance measure, duty, and responsibility of the position.
This document is for managers to document the specific duties of the job as well as review and appraise employee performance.
LO/CO
STEP 3 - Hiring Service Plan
Individual Hiring Service Plan
The Hiring Service Plan serves as a planning tool that sets forth the steps involved in the 70 business day hiring process, the timeframes and target dates for each step, and the “owner” or responsible party for each step. Upon receipt of a complete recruitment package from the hiring official, the HRA reviews the package and sets target dates for steps within the Hiring Service Plan with the hiring official. The Hiring Service Plan delineates how the 70 business day hiring process is broken down for each step of the process.
STEP 4 - Job Analysis and Technical Automated Hiring System (AHS) Questions
Job Analysis
The rating criteria used to determine which applicants will be referred for selection are based on an in-depth analysis of the job. The HRA will work closely with the hiring official or the SME, to determine the major job duties and identify the duties that are most important. Analysis of the job entails a review of the position description, classification standard, performance plan, qualification standard, etc., to ensure that the duties are fully understood.
Once the major duties have been identified through the job analysis, the HRA will work with thr hiring official or the SME to identify the KSA needed to successfully perform those major duties. Candidates who do not have the outlined KSAs may not be qualified for the position. During this process, it is necessary to determine if the KSAs are essential or desirable. It is recommended that essential and desirable KSAs are identified and then expanded upon. These decisions will be used later in the rating and ranking process.
Failure to do a complete job analysis can result in a less than satisfactory referral list. If a critical duty was not identified in the job analysis, the KSA list may not include any related KSAs related to this critical duty and applicants on the referral list may not have all of the KSAs necessary to perform the job.
AHS Questions
Good constructive questions give the hiring official and HRA a better sense of the applicant’s ability to fulfill the vacancy requirements. The hiring official may elect a SME to select and/or develop new questions that assess or measure the KSAs of the applicant to determine if they match those needed for a particilar position. The hiring official or SME collaborates with the HRA in developing questions for the vacancy announcement. All questions must be specific to the position being advertised.
The HR A will provide the hiring official or SME with the AHS questions library web address, User ID and password.
The types of questions are listed below:
Multiple choice: Ask the applicant to select one choice from a list of predetermined answers.
True/False: Ask the applicant to indicate whether a statement is true or false.
Yes/No: Ask the applicant to agree or disagree with a statement.
Short answer: The applicant gives a freeform response, limited to 250 characters.
Applicant assessment: The applicants rate their own ability.
Number: The applicant provides a numeric value.
Multiple answer/Multiple choice: The applicant selects as many of the predetermined choices as apply.
Long answer: The applicant gives a freeform response limited to 8000 characters.
STEP 5 - Vacancy Announcement
Department of Commerce (DOC) Human Resources (HR) Bulletin 20 requires all vacancies be advertised under Merit Assignment Plan (MAP) and Delegated Examining (DE) authority procedures. This requirement is necessary to yield the largest pool of qualified candidates and to ensure that all applicants receive fair treatment in the selection process.
As mentioned later in the Legal and Policy Requirements section, MAP procedures set forth policies, procedures and requirements which assure internal qualified candidates (often referred as status applicants) are considered for assignment to positions in the competitive service. However, the DE authority is an authority OPM grants to agencies to fill competitive civil service jobs with applicants from outside the Federal workforce, Federal employees who do not have competitive service status, and Federal employees with competitive service status.
Appointments made by agencies through the DE authority are subject to civil service laws and regulations. This is to ensure fair and open competition, recruitment from all sectors of society, and selection on the basis of the applicants' competencies or KSAs (see 5 U.S.C. § 2301).
The minimum open period for vacancy announcements based on the DOC HR Bulletin 20, is 10 business days. The servicing WFMO will post vacancy announcements on the USAJOBS website.
A vacancy announcement, at a minimum, will provide the following information:
Vacancy announcement number
Hiring Agency
Duty location
Number of vacancies
Title, pay plan, series, grade/band/pay
Salary range
Promotion potential
Area of consideration (who may apply)
Open and close dates
Who may apply
Position information (permanent, temp, etc…)
Qualification requirements
Selective factors, if applicable
Evaluating procedures
Special conditions of employment (e.g. shift work, travel, drug testing, etc.)
Description of major duties
How to apply instructions
Rating questions
Other information (Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Career Transition Appointment Program (CTAP)/Interagency Career Transition Appointment Program (ICTAP), reasonable accommodation for employees or applicants with disabilities instructions, etc…)
