About Us
President Obama's Memorandum dated May 11, 2010, Improving the Federal Recruitment and Hiring Process, is Phase I of the Administration's comprehensive initiative to address major, long-standing impediments to recruiting and hiring the best and the brightest into the Federal civilian workforce. The Memorandum is based on issues that you and your managers have brought to the attention of OPM, and it is designed to help you and your Agencies build the workforce you need to achieve your goals.
The Presidential Memorandum launches the Obama Administration's flagship personnel policy reform initiative. It builds on a nearly year-long collaboration between OPM and Agencies aimed at streamlining the hiring process and recruiting top talent, especially for mission-critical jobs.
The President's initiative provides for a vigorous Government wide recruiting effort, makes it easier for Americans to apply for Federal jobs, raises the bar on candidate quality, and provides a commonsense approach to the overall hiring process. These steps are taken with rigorous adherence to and respect for the merit system principles upon which the civil service is grounded. Following on the President's Veterans Employment Initiative of November 2009, this reform package honors the sacrifice and commitment of our veterans by safeguarding their rights under law.
Successful implementation of these reforms will help each agency achieve its objectives for the American people, but these reforms will not succeed in each agency without strong leadership from the top. Institutional inertia has stifled previous reform efforts. The President's initiative sets a new course with clear objectives and detailed guidance, followed by continuous two-way communication between your agency and OPM and expert support at each step along the way.