OPM Releases Policy Updates on Skills Based Hiring

A memorandum for Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) released Monday announced draft updates to federal hiring policy based on the Executive Order on Modernizing and Reforming the Assessment and Hiring of Federal Job Candidates that was released by the Trump Administration in June 2020. The executive order directed agencies to expand the use of competency-based assessments and rely less on educational requirements when hiring for certain positions.

The memorandum announced updates to general qualifications policy for agency review in three specific categories: the General Schedule (GS) Qualifications Operating Manual, the Group Coverage Qualifications Standard for Administrative and Management Positions, and the Group Coverage Qualifications Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions.

The goal of the original executive order was to allow more individuals to hold government jobs even if their career path was non-traditional or unconventional. Aside from government jobs that legally require a degree, agencies will focus more on providing competency assessment to candidates to better asses their aptitude for the job.

The GS Qualifications Operating Manual provides agencies with qualification standards for potential new employees. OPM expanded the manual to include more skills and competencies that would qualify an individual for a federal job. The Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Administrative and Management Positions covers almost all of the GS Occupational Series. Professional and scientific work is covered by specific qualifications requirements and the Group Coverage Qualification Standard for Professional and Scientific Positions. The Group Coverage Qualification Standards were updated to include guidance on skills and competencies in addition to education or experience.

OPM is requesting that federal agencies review the updated policy and provide comments by Monday, November 30, 2020.