Agencies' implementation of the controversial "preferred Executive Order" question faces opposition from employee associations.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has recently published a "merit hiring plan" that includes a new questionnaire for all applicants for federal positions GS-5 and above. The questionnaire asks applicants to identify one or two relevant executive orders or policy initiatives that are significant to them and explain how they would help implement them if hired.
However, the OPM hiring plan has been met with criticism from various quarters. National Treasury Employees Union National President Doreen Greenwald has called it a "solution in search of a problem." Greenwald argues that the OPM hiring plan substitutes a political loyalty test for the intensive, competitive process that federal employees are currently hired through.
PEER, an organisation that advocates for government employees, has called on OPM to withdraw its hiring plan, claiming that it conflicts with merit system principles and functions as an illegal litmus test for federal job applicants. PEER argues that the executive order question in the questionnaire violates federal hiring laws that prohibit discrimination on the basis of "non-performance-related factors" and political affiliation.
The German Federal Ministry of the Interior has also issued a similar request to publish a controversial series of essay questions to accompany most federal civil service positions. This move has raised concerns about politicizing the federal hiring process.
The Whitehouse has expressed concern that the OPM hiring plan undermines the foundation of a non-partisan federal civil service. The OPM hiring plan's inclusion of a new test has also been questioned for its merit, as suggested by related articles.
The questionnaire is limited to 200 characters, which is far short of OPM's recommended 200-word maximum. This has led to concerns that the brevity of the questionnaire may not adequately assess an applicant's qualifications.
The OPM hiring plan is associated with bipartisan reforms, as suggested by related articles. However, the controversy surrounding the plan has led some to question the necessity of these reforms.
The OPM hiring plan's new test is becoming a requirement in the federal hiring process, as seen in a job listing for the superintendent of Mount Rushmore National Memorial. PEER has called on OSC to warn federal hiring officials of their legal obligations under Title 5 of the U.S. Code and merit systems principles.
Greenwald asserts that federal employees have been built on merit and skill for more than a century. Greenwald argues that the American people rejected political loyalty tests in the late 19th century, and the OPM hiring plan may represent a step backwards in the evolution of the federal workforce.
The OPM hiring plan is a contentious issue that continues to divide opinion. As the debate continues, it remains to be seen how the OPM hiring plan will impact the federal workforce and the Constitution.
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