By Tom Shoop
Federal agencies' use of hiring flexibilities has increased substantially in recent years, according to a new Office of Personnel Management report.
The report found that from fiscal 2004 to fiscal 2007, the number of employees hired under eight special authorities went up more than 48 percent, from slightly less than 30,000 to more than 43,000. During that same period, the total number of annual new hires went up by less than 2 percent, from 236,000 to 240,000.
"Agencies often claim the traditional ranking and selection procedures of the federal hiring process are the main barriers to attracting qualified candidates and filling positions with the people they need to carry out their missions," OPM reported. To address such concerns, over the years Congress has authorized the use of several alternatives to the traditional competitive examining approach to federal hiring.
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