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Home > HRD

Department of Defense Hiring Reform

On May 11, 2010, the President released a memorandum, “Improving the Federal Recruitment and Hiring Process,” referred herein as the Hiring Reform memorandum. The memorandum issued key directives for Agencies to execute no later than November 1, 2010.

The Hiring Reform memorandum requires all Federal Agencies to implement the seven touchstones listed below by November 1, 2010. To ensure compliance, the Civilian Personnel Management Service (CPMS) formed the DoD Hiring Reform Working Group. The working group is comprised of DoD components and field activities and is charged with tracking, developing, and delivering reform initiative products.

  1. Eliminate written essay-style questions (KSAs)
  2. Allow applicants to apply for federal jobs with resume and cover letters
  3. Implement Category Rating
  4. Managerial responsibility and accountability for hiring
  5. Improve the quality and speed of hiring
  6. Applicant status notification
  7. Action planning

While the goal is to improve the quality and speed of agency hiring actions, the involvement of hiring managers is essential. Washington Headquarters Services (WHS) Human Resources Directorate (HRD) Advisors are available to provide hiring managers with hiring reform guidance and training on effective, efficient, and timely ways to recruit and hire well-qualified individuals. 

For more information on Hiring Reform, please go to the following links:

OPM Memorandum dated May 11, 2010 “Comprehensive Recruitment and Hiring Reform, Implementation of the President’s Memorandum of May 11, 2010”, click

USD(P&R) Memorandum dated October 22, 2010 “Department of Defense (DoD) Hiring Reform: A Call to Action”, click

Director, WHS Memorandum “Hiring Reform” dated January 28, 2011, click (summarizes the seven “touchstone reforms” and subsequent actions taken by WHS to achieve these reforms)

For an overview of DoD’s Hiring Reform efforts, please go to the Civilian Personnel Management Service (CPMS) website http://www.cpms.osd.mil/HiringReform/
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