Federal Recruiting and Hiring: Authority for Higher Starting Pay Useful but Guidance Needs Improvement
GGD-91-22
Published: Sep 10, 1991. Publicly Released: Oct 15, 1991.
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Highlights
Pursuant to a congressional request, GAO reviewed agencies' use of selected personnel authorities delegated by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), focusing on whether: (1) agencies used the advance in-hire authority in accordance with legal and regulatory requirements; and (2) OPM and agencies had adequately overseen the authority's use.
Recommendations
Recommendations for Executive Action
| Agency Affected | Recommendation | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Office of Personnel Management | In order to enhance the agencies' ability to appropriately apply the advance in-hire authority, the Director, OPM, should improve the guidance that agencies must follow in deciding whether to provide advance in-hire salaries. The improvements should include information on the: (1) conditions that define special need; (2) use of comparisons with current employees and who would constitute a group of comparable current employees; (3) need for comparisons when making direct hire appointments; (4) need for adequate documentation to support appointments; and (5) use of the authority in making advance in-hire appointments to GS-1 through GS-10 positions. |
Closed – Not Implemented
OPM's regulations require agencies to develop their own guidelines for approval of advanced hiring rates and to document the reasons for approval in each case. As recommended by the National Performance Review, OPM is abolishing the Federal Personnel Manual. GAO does not believe government-wide guidance is needed beyond the regulatory requirements.
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| Office of Personnel Management | In order to enhance the agencies' ability to appropriately apply the advance in-hire authority, the Director, OPM, should place all key elements of the instructions in regulation. This should include how agencies are to determine whether a candidate possesses superior or unique qualifications. |
Closed – Implemented
The agency does not agree that its guidance should be in regulations. The agency is, however, providing more detailed guidance, definitions, and examples of superior qualifications, special need, and existing pay through the Federal Personnel Manual or other issuances.
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| Office of Personnel Management | In order to enhance the agencies' ability to appropriately apply the advance in-hire authority, the Director, OPM, should more actively monitor, through personnel management evaluations, agencies' use of the authority. |
Closed – Implemented
Agency use of FEPCA authorities, including the expanded authority for advance in-hire, is now a continuing area of coverage during OPM on-site evaluations.
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| Office of Personnel Management | In order to enhance the agencies' ability to appropriately apply the advance in-hire authority, the Director, OPM, should direct personnel officials of agencies that are major users of the authority to write guidance for installations to follow when using the authority. Such guidance should be predicated on the OPM, guidance but tailored to the respective agency. The Director, OPM, should also direct the officials to more actively make personnel management evaluations of the authority's use. |
Closed – Implemented
Final regulations published October 22, 1991, direct agencies to establish internal guidelines and evaluation procedures and to establish documentation and recordkeepting procedures that allow reconstruction of each case, but do not direct officials to increase personnel management evaluations of the authority's use.
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Topics
Federal employeesHiring policiesMonitoringPayPersonnel recordsPersonnel recruitingPublic service employmentSalary increasesPersonnel managementLabor force