The Challenge
In response to Executive Order (EO) 13932, the Department of Interior (DOI) faced the challenge of improving its hiring processes. Previously, DOI mainly relied on self-report questionnaires, which fell short of the rigorous standards needed for federal hiring introduced by the EO. With the implementation of EO 13932, DOI sought to elevate its practices and viewed USA Hire assessments as a strategic solution. The timing was ideal, as DOI had recently migrated all its bureaus to USA Staffing®, enabling a unified talent acquisition approach.
The Solution
DOI's HR professionals needed robust tools to meet the EO requirements and align with assessment best practices. With over 300 different occupations in the agency, developing in-house assessment tools for each role was impractical. USA Hire offered a professionally developed suite of assessments with no additional developmental costs. Leveraging the expertise behind USA Hire allowed DOI to focus on efficiently selecting high-quality applicants.
DOI adopted a flexible approach by making USA Hire available as an optional tool without a 100% mandatory use requirement. DOI developed a decision tree tool to support HR and hiring managers decide when USA Hire was appropriate, such as for announcements with high applicant volumes or mission-critical occupations. The decision tree advised alternative assessment methods for other hiring scenarios. This adaptable strategy ensured that USA Hire became an effective and efficient tool rather than a one-size-fits-all mandate.
Transparency and communication were key to DOI’s successful implementation of USA Hire. Detailed information about the tool and its application helped garner buy-in from HR professionals and hiring managers. The USA Hire Resource Center provided valuable insights into how these assessments are tailored to specific roles and competencies. Ultimately, DOI's approach gave hiring managers a significant role in the assessment process, leading to higher adoption and satisfaction rates. In FY24, DOI used USA Hire with 1,951 job announcements and made 1,833 hires.
The Successes
- DOI partnered with the Office of Evaluation Sciences at GSA to conduct a third-party analysis to evaluate their hiring practices before and after EO 13932 implementation. The findings were clear: there was no negative impact on time-to-hire metrics. USA Hire assessments significantly improved the quality of applicants, especially in high-volume hiring situations, alleviating the strain on Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) involved in time-consuming manual assessments.
- DOI HR staff appreciated its reliability and seamless integration with USA Staffing. “I have used USA Hire as a secondary assessment since its inception and have continued to be impressed with the quality of candidates referred to my vacant positions. The selections have gone on to become vital members of my team,” noted a hiring manager.