Long before President Barack Obama launched the hiring reform initiative in 2010, Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry voiced his concern over too-lengthy job descriptions.
Berry says that federal hiring is still a very long process and asks too many questions from the applicants, but is headed in the right direction. At an event at the Brookings Institution, he said that the federal hiring process has somewhat began to resemble the hiring process of Fortune 500 companies. According to Berry, it takes 15 percent less time for an applicant to make it through the entire process. Most job applications are no more than five pages in length and are easier to read.
In spite of the advantages brought in by the revamped system, however, some experts say that the process still needs work. For instance, panelists suggest that the agencies should more closely consider the tools that they use to assess the candidates.
Talent always trumps time, however. Max Stier of the Partnership for Public Service sums it up best: “That assessment of talent is vital. At the end of the day, it doesn't much matter if you hire quickly or slowly if you've got the wrong person.”
Do you agree with Stier? Or is it more important to hire swiftly? Is it too much to ask to hire quickly, while still placing highly-talented people in key positions?
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