On May 11, 2010, the President issued a memorandum – Improving the Federal Recruitment and Hiring Process, requiring agencies to implement significant changes to streamline and improve the current hiring process. “To deliver the quality services and results the American people expect and deserve, the Federal Government must recruit and hire highly qualified employees, and public service should be a career of choice for the most talented Americans. Yet the complexity and inefficiency of today's federal hiring process deters many highly qualified individuals from seeking and obtaining jobs in the Federal Government.”
If you read Part I of this blog, by now you should have a clear understanding of the importance associated with writing solid narrative statements (KSAs) REGARDLESS of the federal hiring reform. Today's application process is really not too different from what it used to be:
Step 1
APPLICATION REVIEW: A Personnel Staffing Specialist will review your package to make sure you have completed the application correctly by including all of the appropriate documentation requested (lots of people don't make it past this point). If the application is correct, they will review your resume to decide if you have the basic qualifications for the position.
Step 2
RESUME REVIEW: The staffing specialist will then review your application to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications for the job. You can find this qualification information on every vacancy announcement. If you are qualified for the position, they will usually decide if you are QUALIFIED or HIGHLY-QUALIFIED. If you are either of these, then the KSAs are reviewed.
Step 3
KSA RATING AND RANKING: Each KSA will be reviewed by the Human Resources Staff and assigned a numerical score using a crediting plan or "scorecard". The scale is generally based on a point system. Ex: 5 points for barely successful, 15 points for successful and 20 points for highly successful.
Each level has a description of benchmarks, which are examples of tasks a candidate would perform at that level. Chances are, the hiring manager has emphasize the most important aspects of a job by assigning relative weights to each KSA.
Others will designate particular KSAs as being Desirable (D). It is important to remember that you need to address every one on the list. You should assume that all KSAs are equally important. Factors affecting level of credit your KSA is given include: complexity of duties, circumstances, impact, variety, duration and people contacted. Panel members take into account experience, education, training and awards as they relate to the factors. Once the total score (responses to KSAs, performance appraisal and training) is determined, you will be ranked among other applicants. If your KSAs are scored in the range of the highest scores, you will have your name included on the Best Qualified List. This group of Best Qualified candidates will go forward to the Selecting Official or hiring manager for consideration, who ultimately makes the selection for the vacancy.
Understanding the personnel review process and the importance of good KSAs is critical to your success in being hired by the Federal government.
KSA Example
Skill in presenting information both orally and in writing.
During my tenure with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), and especially in my current position, a substantial part of my duties has required strong skills in presenting information both orally and in writing. As an example of my oral communication skills, I was selected by the office Director to be a presenter at an NCI symposium on the documentation of cancer research. This symposium was designed to inform cancer researchers about the new methods of cancer documentation within the NCI guidelines. This symposium was attended by 100+ participants consisting of researchers, scientists and support staff. I spoke on the history of the NCI, the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on documentation, and the relationship between NCI and the National Institutes of Health.
In my former position as Executive Assistant to the Office of the Director (OD), I served as the liaison between the support staff of the OD, the NIH executive support staff, and companies in the private sector. I was responsible for keeping all parties informed about assignments and tasks due to the OD. My ability to communicate this information clearly and succinctly was very important in ensuring that the assigned tasks were fully understood and completed in a timely manner.
Effective written communication skills are also critical in my current position. I have taken over a number of writing assignments previously completed by my supervisor. For instance, I draft monthly reports that update Division Directors and Institute Administrators on changes in procedures and regulations and their impact on operations. These written reports are concise yet detailed, and they are routinely approved by my supervisor without corrections. In addition, all office correspondence is routed through me to ensure procedural and grammatical accuracy before I give it to the Director for signature.
My experience and skills have been supplemented by several related training courses in oral and written communications that I have completed through the Graduate School, USDA, and the NIH Training Center. These courses include the following:
- Report Writing - June, 2009
- Federal Writing Skills - May, 2010
- Advanced Briefing Techniques - November, 2011
- Talking Clearly and Effectively - April, 2012
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