New Bill Addresses ‘Dysfunctional’ Federal Hiring Process
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Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mike Braun (R-IN) introduced last week legislation to overhaul hiring in the federal workforce and proposing to remove obstacles agencies encounter when recruiting. The Inspired to Serve Hiring Improvements Act (S.4027) aims to reduce the average age of federal employees by increasing the maximum number of recent graduates that can be appointed to federal positions.
Several recommendations from the March 2020 report on increasing youth engagement in public service by the National Commission on Military, National, and Public Service contributed to the legislation.
“With so many federal employees eligible for retirement, we need to ensure the federal workforce is equipped and prepared to hire and train employees in the days ahead,” Senator Lankford wrote, “This is a fix that will not only ease the frustration of federal hiring but will save taxpayer dollars and ensure high-quality service to Americans.”
If enacted, the bill would allow agency leaders to extend temporary appointments by one year for a total of up to three years, and the option to recertify term appointments for a total of six years.
Further, the bill gives agency heads the authority to hire directly when there is a shortage of highly qualified candidates, contrary to the current rule that allows critical hire authority only in cases of severe shortages. The Department of Veterans Affairs already possesses this wide range of authority, and the Senators intend to extend it to other federal agencies.
Terry Gerton, President and Chief Executive Officer for the National Academy of Public Administration (NAPA), noted in her testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) the importance of attracting young people to the federal government.
“At the time when the government needs fresh ideas, it struggles to hire young people. With twice as many employees over 60 years old as under 30, the federal government will face future workforce issues,” Gerton stated.
Lawmakers in both chambers of Congress are pushing for legislative reforms to federal hiring.
The Chance to Compete Act (H.R.6967) recently moved to the floor after it passed the House Oversight and Reform Committee on April 6. The bill incorporates more subject matter experts into hiring processes and increases focus on skills-based attributes for candidates, rather than educational backgrounds. Senator Lankford co-sponsored the Senate version (S.3423) of the bill with Senator Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) which came out of Committee in February.