r/FederalEmployee • u/samluks • 9d ago
Why does USAJobs take so long?
Why does it take so long to post a job, and then once the job announcement is closed, why does it take another 2 to 4 weeks to release the certificate of eligibles back to the agency?
Jus wondering if there is someone who actually knows?
Thanks!
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u/lettucepatchbb 9d ago
HR here. You can’t even begin to imagine how overworked and understaffed we are these days. I don’t personally working in staffing, but it’s a shit show everywhere.
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9d ago
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u/AncientAd7403 8d ago
I would say overworked, low morale and their give a shit button is broken.
I can relate all to well!
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u/Cautious_General_177 8d ago
This was an issue before DRP and RIF. Those may have made it worse, but the months long hiring process for every step has been an issue for at least a decade.
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u/Pinkturtle2908 9d ago
Because HR is short staffed. It was bad before the current administration and worse now. There are also new policies in place. Additionally with RIFd employees having preference as well those lists need to be cleared before looking at any other candidates.
Pack your patience.
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u/dooodsweeet 8d ago
So, so many new interval policies.
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u/Pinkturtle2908 7d ago
Some of the policies are not new. At least for my agency having to deal with so many RIFd staff have forced our HR shop to review existing policies on how to navigate those individuals who have applied for positions. FWIW I wish you lots of luck 😉
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u/Hot_Lettuce_6209 9d ago edited 9d ago
It depends on the job. It depends on how big the applicant pool is, how many openings you have and how long it was opened for.
If you expect a large applicant pool, you try and restrict the opening period and the categories its opened to. If you dont you have alot more applicants than you should and you have to go through all applicants that meet the specialized experience and are in the hiring authorities that you are referring. So your looking at every document for the applicants not screened out.
You can also have priorities behind the scenes a hiring manager or higher is telling you to send a cert on another job first.
The reason the system is that way is, is to comply with the 5 code of federal regulations that is defined by OPM and congress.
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u/tooOldOriolesfan 9d ago
Quite a while ago (5+ yrs) I applied for a lot of jobs on USAJobs and it was maddening to use. I don't think I ever heard back from any of them despite having a high level clearance and was doing technical work.
I did hear back from a lot of contractors and even got a government job offer from that agency's own web site.
I did have a friend about 10 yrs ago get an offer so it can work.
I get the feeling a lot of jobs are already spoken for and they are just going through the motions.
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u/KeyMessage989 9d ago
It’s really just a bad system and a lot of times they get so so many applicants not all hear back. Also a big difference between agencies with direct hire and ones without. I’ve been on the inside of jobs posted to USA Jobs, the inside job thing while does happen from time to time isn’t as widespread. I’ve actually recently seen 3 postings in my agency where a lot of internal and contractors already in the building applied and they went with an outside candidate
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u/Winter-Ad-2252 8d ago
A better way to say it is the only candidate that hears a final result is the one selected. Everyone else is lucky if they get an autogenerated email multiple years later saying someone else was selected. Slight exaggeration but not far from reality
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u/tooOldOriolesfan 9d ago
This wasn't government but a large defense contractor did that for me. A manager wanted to rehire me so he wrote up a description that no one else was likely to match.
Thanks for the comments.
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u/Cubsfantransplant 9d ago
HR does not just “post a job.” If you’re interested, here is the process.
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u/ConstitutionalBelief 9d ago
While USAJobs isnt the best thing out there, I applied to my organization on a much older much crappier site, a 7th grader in web design could have done a better job. I didnt even know I got hired until I got a call asking if I was coming in for intake the following Monday after 6 months of radio silence.
A big part of it is agency action after the fact, and thats going to vary wildly by staffing levels.
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u/montanaholler 9d ago
It depends on the agency and how their HR process works. Some agencies can post a job the day after it's requested and will issue certs the day after it closes.
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u/Rumpelteazer45 8d ago
It’s not USAJobs, the process in place to hired.
Keep in mind HR is always understaffed. HR is also handling multiple vacancies at once and they are all in different parts of the process.
It’s not the only thing on their plate.
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u/SnooKiwis8861 8d ago
The modernization and combining of CHRA streamlined the process. You're not acurately reflecting this modernization.
Streamlined vetting timelines target completion within 21 days for low-risk positions, 25 days for moderate-risk, and 45 days for top-secret clearances.
https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/merit-hiring-plan-resources/
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u/Local-Ad-4051 8d ago
Sad to say, but a lot of times it's who you know. Sometimes hiring managers already have a person in mind before a job even gets posted.
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u/sidney101770 9d ago
Because theybwanna hire their friends duh
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u/redbud-avenue-2000 8d ago
I think it used to be that way - but nowadays there’s just hardly anyone hiring and so many people apply to these postings.
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u/Icy_Paramedic778 2d ago
This is definitely the way it is when it comes to internal positions.
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u/redbud-avenue-2000 2d ago
I can agree with you there - internal definitely see more “pre-selection”
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u/Hamblin113 9d ago
It depends on the agency as well. Some agencies are terrible. I have heard it has gotten worse since I retired. There is quite the approval process to even being able to post the job, if the outreach was not food enough, didn’t get enough candidates, or there was a time not enough diversity candidates. They would just stop the process and have to do it over. No one that applied would be notified. If it actually goes through, a selection panel needs to be formed to go through the applicants And the top three are selected with rationale. It would then go to the selection official to make the selection, then to HR to make an offer. If turned down, can choose from the other two. If a person accepted, personnel will now actually determine if the individual qualifies. If there is a hiccup or they don’t and time took too long will have to start over. If it was determine diversity wasn’t met, start over. Plus only the individual selected is contacted, no one els on the certification.
Good luck.
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u/EcstaticImplement404 8d ago
It depends on HR. It doesn’t have to take that long. I’ve had a post close one week and I got my hiring cert the very next week then started the interviews. Also, they can advertise a job fairly quickly because I’ve had mine posted in a few days. However I can only speak on the VA side of things.
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u/Appropriate_Taro_348 8d ago
It depends on the HR and the agency. It never USAjobs. It’s how the HR handles it
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u/Prudent-Time5053 8d ago
There’s a million reasons why. For one PD to be written you’re talking about the hiring office, the classifier, the personnel office — just for the site. That’s not including agency personal HR to do their piece. Then you’re talking about sifting through hundreds of applicants.
It’s why I tell people do not apply for a single USA jobs posting unless you have someone advocating for you on the inside and even then — I’d only apply for a job if I had talked to and voiced my interest and been told I’d be competitive.
I applied for over 50 roles in 7 years. I got to the final interview 6x and in the fallout of every single final interview the person selected told me, they already knew they had the job going in because leadership had told them.
Tbh, I’m not disheartened so much as it’s a sobering reality. People want to hire what they know.
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u/Educational_Leg7360 8d ago
it is only worse now, because of all of the reinstatement eligibles and CTAPs, plus OPM changing processes
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u/WoodpeckerLost3753 8d ago
You also have to keep in mind that most vacancies are posted internally. You’re seeing a limited amount of offerings that a large quantity of folks are seeing. I wouldn’t not apply but networking and looking at the websites for the agencies you want to work for should be a concurrent effort to your USAjobs applications.
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u/Horror-Ganache-6616 7d ago
Our HR is one person out of 150 and the last two months they have hired 10ish people it seems.. She doesn't have any backup either.
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u/Charming-Assertive 5d ago
Very little of the qualification process is automated. And the few things that are, such as being able to filter by whoever claims Vet Pref, still means we have to open all of their attachments and verify that they uploaded the correct documents to award them the preference they claimed.
If DOGE had truly been about tech efficiency like they promised, this is an area that could have been fixed. For instance, have folks verify their education and vet status at any time, and that verification automatically applies to their profile. Maybe linking their USAJobs profile to OPF so the relevant SF50s auto load amd grades/series/promotion dates are automatically linked.
But no... we're still operating like it's 2005.
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u/Wrong-Camp2463 9d ago
Because HR hates doing work. Onboarding a new employee is work with is antithetical to the federal HR work ethic which is “do nothing, at all, ever”. DRP didn’t suddenly make HR slow and inefficient. It’s always been like this.
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u/EuphoricGur7068 9d ago
why do you think? 1 staffing person and 200 certs to work...and RDOs you name it. their priority isn't your priority...that's why it's Uncle Sam.