On this page
- 1. Using “Set Applicant Count” functionality with USA Hire
- 2. Early Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) Closure
- 3. Using Cut Off Dates with USA Hire
- 4. Holding USA Hire Applicants
- 5. Dynamic Assessment Testing Windows
- 6. Locking Assessment Responses Following Application Submission (Vacancy-Application Processing)
- 7. Changing Screen-Out Criteria after Announcements Have Been Released and Applicants Have Applied
- 8. Ordering or Extending USA Hire Assessments
Advanced functionality is available for users with unique situations as identified below.
1. Using “Set Applicant Count” functionality with USA Hire
When using USA Hire Assessments with a vacancy that utilizes an applicant cap, no additional action is required. If the vacancy closes early due to reaching the applicant cap, applicants will still have the full assessment window that was initially established to complete their USA Hire Assessment(s). For example, if a vacancy was set to close on a Friday, the assessment window would close on Sunday. Even if the vacancy closed on Tuesday due to meeting the applicant cap, the assessment window would be unchanged. Applicants could still complete their USA Hire Assessment through Sunday.
There is no need to change the open/close date in USA Staffing. However, if your agency policy requires a manual change to the open/close date for reporting purposes, do not change the close date on the Announcement Information page until after the online assessment window has closed. Do not change the assessment window dates. Applicants will have the full assessment window time period to complete the USA Hire Assessment.
If timeliness is a concern for opening a vacancy with USA Hire that utilizes an applicant cap, it is recommended to set a short open announcement period (example: 2 days) and extend, as necessary, until the applicant cap is reached. USA Staffing will automatically extend the assessment window appropriately.
2. Early Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA) Closure
If a JOA close date needs to be revised to close earlier than originally advertised (ex: JOA closure is driven by receiving a maximum number of applicants, which was reached before the original close date), the assessment start and end dates must remain the same as originally advertised, since applicants who have already applied have received notice they have until a specific date to complete the USA Hire Assessment. To do so, follow these steps:
1. Navigate to the Assessment Package – Settings.
2. Permissioned users may select the Edit Window button.
3. Ensure the Start and End Dates to match the original assessment testing period (i.e., Open on the first day of the announcement open date. Close two days after the original announcement close date).
4. Click Save Custom Window, and verify that the USA Hire Settings now says “Custom Assessment Window”.
5. After you’ve saved the custom USA Hire assessment window, you can update the announcement close date to an earlier date, as needed. Having a Custom Assessment Window saved will ensure that modifying the announcement open/close dates will no longer automatically update the assessment start/end dates.
3. Using Cut Off Dates with USA Hire
It is possible to use cut off dates to pull lists and evaluate applicants while the JOA is still open. However, this is only possible when the USA Hire Assessment alone is used for rating. If an assessment questionnaire in USA Staffing is combined with the USA Hire for a final rating, applicant scores will not populate until after the close date of the announcement because the assessment questionnaire scores need to be standardized prior to being combined with the USA Hire scores. For more information on
standardization, please see Assessment Standardization.
4. Holding USA Hire Applicants
This feature prevents any applicants from receiving invitations to complete USA Hire notifications after applying for a vacancy. This allows HR users to review minimum qualifications within USA Staffing so that only qualified applicants are sent to the USA Hire platform.
Setting the USA Hire Hold:
1. Click the Assessment Package tab.
2. On the Settings sub-tab, click Hold Applicants.
Removing the USA Hire Hold:
When you are ready to remove the hold, the HR user must first provide applicants an assessment window, and then remove the hold to send those applicants to USA Hire. To remove a hold on USA Hire applicants:
1. Click the Assessment Package tab.
2. On the Settings sub-tab, click Edit Window
3. Within the pop-up window, set the time period applicants will be given to complete USA Hire Assessments once the hold is removed. The Start Date must be the date the hold will be released or earlier. The End Date must be a minimum of 2 days from the date the hold will be released, or later.
4. Once the assessment window has been set on the Settings sub-tab, click Remove Hold.
5. Dynamic Assessment Testing Windows
Dynamic Assessment Testing Windows is an option designed to meet the needs of specific custom assessment processes. This functionality should not be used with the USA Hire Standard Assessments. If an assessment warrants deviation from the standard defined testing window, this option allows assessment testing windows to be calculated dynamically based on the application date. Dynamic assessment window functionality changes how the default defined window functionality performs. Aside from this specific section, the USA Hire User Guide only discusses functionality regarding Defined Assessment Windows. If your agency has a USA Hire custom assessment process which would benefit from a dynamic assessment window, contact your USA Staffing Account Manager. For those agencies which are using this functionality, follow these steps to set up your vacancy:
Assessment Testing Window Set-up
1. Navigate to the Assessment Package – Settings.
2. Under USA Hire Settings, select the Edit Window button.
3. Select Dynamic Windows (Set Days) from the options of Assessment Window Type.
4. Indicate the number of days applicants should receive upon application to complete USA Hire Assessments (minimum of 2 days).
Announcement Template Set-up
Dynamic assessment windows limit the timeline in which applicants must complete assessments, while a position is still open and soliciting applications. When this testing window option is used, applicants will still be able to update their claimed eligibilities, other application questions, or the supporting documentation submitted with the initial application through a secondary application. However, a reapplication will not result in an automatic extension of the applicant’s testing window unless it changes their qualifications for the position or lowest acceptable grade, which result in additional assessments needing to be completed. If the dynamic assessment window is utilized, HR Users should review and modify announcement text for information pertaining to any updates. Below is recommended text to include in the announcement template, if utilizing this feature:
How To Apply
You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. Upon application, you may be provided a testing window to complete additional assessments. This testing window may stipulate a completion deadline before the announcement closes. It is your responsibility to complete the additional online assessments within the timeline provided to remain in consideration for this vacancy announcement. Failure to complete the online assessments within the testing window for this announcement will not preclude you from being considered for and completing the online assessments during a testing window on a future announcement.
6. Locking Assessment Responses Following Application Submission (Vacancy-Application Processing)
USA Staffing provides flexibility for agencies to choose whether or not to allow applicants to revise their USA Staffing assessment responses after submitting an application. If this option is activated, applicants will not be able to change any of their responses to the USA Staffing assessment questionnaire (e.g., questions pertaining to meeting minimum qualifications, additional screenouts, etc.). Applicants will still be able to update their claimed eligibilities, other application questions, or the supporting documentation submitted with the initial application. If the locking assessment responses feature is utilized, HR Users should review and modify announcement text for information pertaining to application updates. Below is recommended text to include in the announcement template, if utilizing this feature:
How To Apply
You may update your application documents and some questions related to your personal information at any time during the announcement open period. However, you will not be able to make changes to questions related to assessing the minimum qualifications and competencies (knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics) mentioned in the “How You Will Be Evaluated” section above. To make an allowed update to your application, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
USA Staffing also provides the flexibility to prohibit applicants from updating any part of their application after initial application. If this functionality is utilized, please modify the announcement text as appropriate.
7. Changing Screen-Out Criteria after Announcements Have Been Released and Applicants Have Applied
If an agency overrides an applicant’s rating to eligible or makes changes to a screen-out question scoring after an applicant has submitted an initial application resulting in that applicant now being eligible, applicants will automatically re-rate to PA, but rerated applicants will not automatically be sent to USA Hire. All applicants who were previously ineligible and were re-rated to eligible after the change to the announcement or assessment screen-out will need to have their USA Hire Assessments manually
ordered. This can be accomplished in mass using the Mass Order USA Hire Assessments for Multiple Applicants instructions found below in this appendix. Ordering these assessments will trigger the RA and non-RA USA Hire notifications to be sent to the applicants. If such a change is made, and help is needed, please submit a help desk ticket through USA Staffing and a member of the technical team will assist you with the process.
8. Ordering or Extending USA Hire Assessments
An applicant may need to have his/her USA Hire Assessments manually ordered and have a new assessment request provisioned with USA Hire for a variety of reasons, such as:
• A first-time assessment order, such as when a HR user fixes a screen-out error which prevented USA Staffing from automatically sending the USA Hire Assessment order upon application submission.
• Submitting a subsequent assessment order while the announcement and/or assessment window are still open to send the applicant a duplicate USA Hire notification.
• Extending an existing assessment order to grant the applicant a longer assessment window, such as when extenuating circumstances like a natural disaster occur.
• Requesting a new assessment order so that the applicant has an additional opportunity to complete assessments, such as when extenuating circumstances like a natural disaster occur.
This functionality should be used rarely. Submitting an assessment order to USA Hire will result in an applicant receiving some form of notification regarding their assessment status as the result of each HR-initiated assessment order. Additionally, all assessment order requests will be logged in History.
Pre-requisite: To successfully order USA Hire Assessments, the minimum qualifications code (i.e., NOR code) must be PA, PS, IOIM, IORA, or an eligible code (e.g., ELTE). If the applicant(s) you are seeking to order assessments for are not in one of these NOR codes, they must first be overridden to PA for all eligible rating combinations which you want to provision USA Hire Assessments.
If applicants are being overridden to complete the below assessment order steps, the overrides must be removed by the HR user once these steps are complete.
Individually Order a USA Hire Assessment for One Applicant
1. Navigate to the applicant’s record.
2. Select Order USA Hire Assessments from the Gear Icon.
3. If the assessment needs to be ordered and the assessment window has not already passed, use the default Existing (Retain Assessment Window) order type.
4. If the assessment needs to be ordered and the system default assessment window end date has passed, or the applicant needs to be given extra time to complete assessments, then select the New (Create Assessment Window) order type.
• Assessment Start Date: The start date must be equal to or less than the current date of the order request.
• Assessment End Date: The end date must be equal to or greater than two calendar days from the current date of the order request as applicants must be given a minimum of 2 days to complete USA Hire Assessments.
5. Click the Order button to send the order request to USA Hire. This process normally takes about a minute, at which point the applicant will receive an updated USA Hire Assessment Notification regarding their assessment status and instructions to complete assessments (if they have not previously completed the assessments).
Mass Order USA Hire Assessments for Multiple Applicants
1. On the application overview tab, click the Create List button.
2. Using the checkboxes, select the applicants to mass reorder. Up to 1,000 applicants can be selected at a time.
3. Select Order USA Hire Assessments.
4. In the pop-up, enter a Start and End date to reflect the additional time you want to provide the applicants to complete the assessment.
• Assessment Start Date: The start date must be equal to or less than the current date of the order request.
• Assessment End Date: The end date must be equal to or greater than two calendar days from the current date of the order request as applicants must be given a minimum of 2 days to complete USA Hire Assessments.
5. Click the Order button to send the order requests to USA Hire. Depending on the volume of applicants, this process may take a few minutes. Once orders are complete, the applicants will receive an updated USA Hire Assessment Notification regarding their assessment status and instructions to complete assessments (if they have not previously completed the assessments).