Social Security's Office of Inspector General (OIG) has issued a report on hiring under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the large economic stimulus bill passed last year. The agency hired 2,115 new employees under ARRA. The report indicates that 74% of the "operations" employees hired under ARRA were hired under the Federal Career Internship Program (FCIP). About 16% of the Office of Disability Adjudication and Review (ODAR) hires were made under FCIP.
FCIP hires are controversial since there is no public listing of such positions. There have been concerns that this allows favoritism and other shenanigans. The explanation given for the heavy use of FCIP is that it is quicker to hire under FCIP and that FCIP hires have a longer period of evaluation. Somebody needs to take a hard look at federal hiring policies. At best, secretive hiring reduces the applicant pool which makes it harder to hire the best possible employees. At worst, secretive hiring can lead to scandals.
FCIP hires are controversial since there is no public listing of such positions. There have been concerns that this allows favoritism and other shenanigans. The explanation given for the heavy use of FCIP is that it is quicker to hire under FCIP and that FCIP hires have a longer period of evaluation. Somebody needs to take a hard look at federal hiring policies. At best, secretive hiring reduces the applicant pool which makes it harder to hire the best possible employees. At worst, secretive hiring can lead to scandals.
Need to bring back the Civil Service test and just hire the people that score the highest.
ReplyDeleteI hired a number of employees under FCIP and there was no favoritism involved; the positions were advertised on USAJOBS.gov and all those meeting the selection were interviewed using a standardized technique.
ReplyDeleteThe best thing about FCIP as opposed to other hiring authorities is the two year probation period. It made it much easier to terminate those who weren't up to the job.
A longer probation period is nice in theory, but what is the actual termination rate of FCIP vs. non-FCIP hires?
ReplyDeleteDon't know, but I DO know that it takes more than a year to properly evaluate a new hire, particularly on the part of the first line supervisor, who has to pass the evaluation to the district manager.
ReplyDeleteThe American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) being used for stuff like this is why the economy is still dragging along.
ReplyDeleteHelps SSA's backlogs, but not the GDP.
A#5, last I heard, a job is a job is rent paid and groceries bought and school clothes for the kids going back to school. No jobs, no consumption, and the GDP stays flat. This is as legitimate a use of the ARRA as any other. Nancy O.
ReplyDelete"a job is a job"
ReplyDeleteNo it is not. A business that hires a person to create more product allows the business to make profits and hire more people.
A government job is going to create no other jobs.
a government job pays somebody so that person can spend money and participate in the economy. it is called the multiplier effect.
ReplyDelete