U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Assessment
The means by which the qualifications of a candidate are measured. Agencies across government employ various assessment methods, including reference checks, bio-data measures, tests, and interviews.

Cert
Short for “certificate of eligibles.” A cert is a list of applicants who have been deemed qualified for a position through the assessment process. From this list, a hiring manager (or selecting official) may select individuals to interview and hire.

Competency
A measurable pattern of knowledge, skills, abilities, behaviors and other characteristics that an individual needs in order to perform work roles or occupational functions successfully.

Hiring Authorities/Flexibilities
Programs that enable agencies to enhance hiring through various means, including different procedural rules and techniques, including:

• Veterans Recruitment Authority
• Direct Hire Authority
• Student Employment Programs
• Excepted Service
• Category Rating

For more information, visit the Office of Personnel Management’s Federal Hiring Flexibilities Resource Center.

Human Capital Practitioner
An individual who manages or carries out an organization’s recruiting, assessment, and hiring procedures, among other human resources functions. Also called a Human Resources Professional.

Hiring Makeover
Projects undertaken by the Office of Personnel Management, in cooperation with several federal agencies, to assess the agency’s hiring practices and help improve the end-to-end process. The Partnership for Public Service has undertaken similar projects under the name Extreme Hiring Makeover.

Hiring Manager
The individual responsible for making a particular hiring decision, often the future employee’s supervisor. May be the same as the “selecting official.”

Hiring Process
The steps involved in hiring an individual or group of individuals into an organization. Some agencies use different processes for internal and external candidates.

Job Analysis
A systematic procedure for gathering, documenting, and analyzing information about the content, context, and requirements of a job. Identifies the competencies/KSAs directly related to performance on the job. Demonstrates a clear relationship between the tasks performed on the job and the competencies/KSAs required to perform the tasks.

Job Posting
Describes the skills and experience required of applicants for an available position along with other relevant information such as salary and how to apply. Also known as a vacancy announcement.

KSA
Knowledge, skills, and abilities – factors considered when determining eligibility and qualifications of an applicant for a given position.

Marketing
Activities to publicize an agency or job, develop a brand identity, or advertise available jobs. Many agencies post their open positions using USAJobs; job posting is the most common marketing practice.

Merit System Principles
A list of nine broad principles enacted into law in 1978 (Title 5, U.S. Code § 2301) to guide federal human resources management policies and practices. Among other things, these principles require that selection and advancement of employees be determined solely on the basis of relative ability, knowledge, and skills after fair and open competition, assuring that all applicants receive equal opportunity.

Metrics
Strategically selected measurements that agencies use to assess progress toward their stated goals. A common metric for the hiring process is time to hire, which measures the time between when a job becomes available and when a person is hired. Successful agencies also measure other aspects of the hiring process, including the quality of new hires and satisfaction of managers with the process.

Pre-screening
To simplify the assessment process, many agencies use automated screening programs during the application process, usually to determine if an applicant meets the minimum qualification requirements. These systems do not replace other, more precise methods of assessing candidates; rather, they serve as the first step in screening.

Process Mapping
The practice of documenting steps in the hiring process to identify areas of redundancy or inefficiency. Agencies often begin by mapping their current process step by step. Once they identify areas for improvement, agencies develop a map for a “to-be” process - a shorter, more efficient process that often shortens the time to hire without sacrificing quality of the hire.

Recruitment
Actively seeking qualified candidates for a position. In addition to posting a vacancy announcement, successful recruiting taps other sources of applicants such as industry associations, university campuses, professional job fairs, and the Internet.

Rule of Three
A selection process that restricts hiring managers to the three most highly-ranked and available individuals from the list of qualified candidates (cert) when determining who to interview and hire.

Selecting Official
The individual responsible for making a particular hiring decision. Also known as a “hiring manager.”

Selection
Paired with assessment, selection is the end step in determining which candidate is most qualified for an available position.

Subject Matter Expert (SME)
An individual within a department or agency who is thoroughly familiar with a given topic and can provide expert input as to the appealing aspects of a job and the skills and other qualities required of a job applicant.

Targeted Recruiting
Identifying potential candidates for an available position through non-traditional means such as locating resumes on the Internet. Agency representatives can then contact these individuals and invite them to apply for a given position.

Title 5
Statutory requirements in the U.S. Code that governs the federal civil service system and federal human resources management policies and practices within executive branch agencies.

USAJobs
The official job-listing website of the U.S. federal government: www.USAJOBS.gov

Vacancy Announcement
Describes the skills and experience required of applicants for an available position. Also known as a job posting.

Veterans’ Preference
By law, qualified veterans who are disabled or who served on active duty in the Armed Forces during military campaigns or certain other specified time periods are given preference over non-veterans both in hiring from competitive lists of eligibles and in retention during reductions in force.  Preference does not guarantee veterans a federal job nor does it apply to promotions or other in-service actions. For additional information, see USAJobs.

Volume Hire
A situation in which a department or agency needs to hire multiple individuals for a similar position at the same time.

Workforce Analysis
A process through which agencies review staffing data and trends to determine their current and future hiring needs, allowing them to prepare a better succession plan.