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Chapter 7 Employee selection Multiple choice questions 1. In their selection processes, employers are giving increasing emphasis to: a. computer-based skills. *b. behavioural and attitudinal characteristics. c. assessment centres. d. unstructured interviews. General Feedback: Page 252. Learning Objective 1. Factual. Many organisations are focussing on job applicants' cultural fit and thus on attitudes and behaviours in their selection decisions believing that job skills are more trainable. 2. Selection criteria should: a. include all the performance indicators identified in recruitment. b. correspond closely to how a job is performed now and in the future. *c. be consistent with the organisation's strategic direction and culture. d. reflect the standard of applicants from which a choice is to be made. General Feedback: Page 252. Learning Objective 1. Factual. An organisation's success depends on it having the right people in the right place at the right time. The strategic business objectives and culture should determine the people selected. 3. Which of the following is not one of the major research findings about interviewing? a. Interviewees who play hard to get are rated more highly. b. Unfavourable information outweighs favourable information. c. Interviewers' post-interview ratings are highly related to their pre-interview impressions. *d. Interviewers are less likely to change their initial opinion of the applicant from positive to negative than from negative to positive. General Feedback: Page 267. Learning Objective 5. Factual. Research has shown that interviewers are more likely to change their initial opinion from positive to negative. May 2022 In accordance with 5 CFR 338, this site contains policy established by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for General Schedule (GS) (or equivalent) white collar occupations in the Federal Government. This information is primarily for Federal agencies that need to determine whether applicants meet the minimum requirements for
the positions being filled. Qualification standards are intended to identify applicants who are likely to perform successfully on the job, and to screen out those who are unlikely to do so. The standards are not designed to rank candidates, identify the best qualified applicants for particular positions, or otherwise substitute for a careful analysis of the applicant's knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies. The
General Schedule Qualification Standards section of the Operating Manual contains group qualification standards, associated individual occupational requirements (IORs), individual qualification standards, and competency based qualification policy and guidance. This section contains the policies, instructions, and standards used to help
determine the qualifications of applicants for Federal employment. The qualification requirements in this section are used when filling General Schedule (GS) positions at grades GS-1 through GS-15. The requirements must be met by all individuals appointed to General Schedule positions in the competitive service. The qualification requirements in this section, other than testing, may be used for excepted service positions under Schedule B and also used for Veterans' Recruitment Appointment (VRA)
applicants. Unless otherwise specified, the same policies, instructions and standards apply to both initial appointments and in-service placement actions. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) OPM is responsible for developing and issuing minimum qualification standards,policies, and instructions. OPM is also responsible for approving qualification standards for particular positions when no standard in
this section is appropriate for filling an agency's position(s). Federal executive branch agencies are responsible for applying the appropriate standards in individual personnel actions and when examining for positions under a delegated examining authority. Agencies are required to establish and outline policies that implement the OPM provisions prescribed in this operating manual in their agency merit promotion plans, policy, and guidance. Information
provided in OPM qualification standards generally is not sufficiently specific to be used directly in examining for positions or quoted in job announcements. Therefore,agencies must include in their job announcements the general or specialized experience or education required for their positions. It is not adequate to state,"See Qualification Standards Operating Manual for General Schedule Positions for experience requirements. (See
(c)) on describing experience in job announcements). All job postings must include specific qualifications based on the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs)/competencies from a job analysis for each employment action (5 CFR 300.103). Agencies are also responsible for developing
selective factors, when needed, to supplement the standards in this section. Selective factors may only be prescribed if the KSAs/competencies are required upon entry to the position and are essential to performing work successfully as validated by a job analysis
(Delegated Examining Operations Handbook, Chapter 2). Agencies are responsible for establishing medical standards without OPM approval for occupations for which they are the predominant employer, i.e., have 50 percent or more of the positions in the occupation (See
9(b)). Agencies can also modify qualification requirements for certain inservice placement actions (See 8(c)). When agencies define or modify
particular requirements, they are responsible for supporting their decisions. Agencies can also waive or modify qualification requirements when assigning employees in reductions in force or in lieu of reductions in force. (See OPM guidance on reduction-in-force procedures.) Agencies may request from OPM waivers of qualification requirements on a case-by-case basis if after
careful analysis of applicant qualifications, it is determined applicants may qualify based on other qualifications gained through experience, education or training. (See Waiver Request) In those rare instances where qualification standards supplemented by selective factors will not meet agencies' needs, agencies are responsible for proposing new standards for OPM's approval. When filling Schedule B positions, an agency's standards can include more restrictive requirements, e.g.,
qualifying experience, but they cannot be lower than or substantially different from the OPM standards. Agencies are responsible for justifying, based on the work of the Schedule B positions involved, any qualification requirements used in addition to those in OPM qualification standards. Agency appointing officials are responsible for verifying employees' qualifications prior to appointment or assignment. Major concepts and
terms, defined for the purposes of this section, follow below in alphabetical order. Purpose of
Standards
The qualification standards in this section help determine which applicants would be able to perform satisfactorily in the positions to be filled. The education, training, experience, or other requirements included in the qualification standards are minimum requirements, i.e., it would be unlikely that an applicant for employment would be able to perform satisfactorily in a particular position or occupational series if he or she did not possess these qualifications. The standards are designed to be easy to understand and to eliminate artificial barriers that hinder entrance into Federal occupational series. The standards provide flexibility through a job analysis to identify the needed KSAs/competencies to meet agencies missions. Many qualification standards include requirements such as the ability to communicate orally and/or in writing, or to produce information through the use of computers or other machines. Such ability requirements are not intended to limit how an applicant will physically perform a duty, i.e., they are not meant to exclude from consideration applicants with disabilities who have demonstrated that they can do the work in other ways, such as by using readers, interpreters, voice-activated equipment, or assistive technology. The required abilities are to ensure that the end product of the speaking, writing, etc., is of the appropriate level of competence. Agencies should keep in mind that reasonable accommodation, including job restructuring, must be considered in determining whether an individual meets the required KSAs/competencies. Content of Standards Most qualification standards permit applicants to qualify on the basis of education/training, experience, or a combination of the two. They include the patterns of education, training, and/or experience most commonly applicable to a particular occupational series. Some qualification standards, however, have specific educational, licensure, or certification requirements that may apply only to specific positions in an occupational series. Furthermore, the requirements in OPM qualification standards can be supplemented by selective or quality ranking factors as described below in 6. and 7. OPM qualification standards include broad requirements used governmentwide. Agencies must identify the competencies needed for their positions and not copy minimum qualifications verbatim. Agencies must conduct job analyses to supplement OPM qualification standards (5 CFR 300.103). Application of Qualification Standards
Updating Qualification StandardsOPM's goal is to keep the requirements in the qualification standards as current as possible. Therefore, agencies are requested to inform Talent Acquisition and Workforce Shaping of substantive changes to occupational or agency requirements so that the appropriate qualification standard can be revised. Additionally, if agencies are having difficulty in obtaining well qualified applicants on the basis of current qualification requirements, they should contact Employee Services, Talent Acquisition, Classification and Veterans Programs Center so that a determination can be made on whether the standard is in need of revision. Establishment of Additional StandardsThe standards contained in this section, adapted by use of agency selective factors, when necessary, should fit most jobs. Agencies may submit requests for updates to standards through their Chief Human Capital Officers for OPM to consider establishing new or revising existing standards at any time. The formal request must come through an agency’s Headquarters Human Resources Office. Agency requests for new standards and revisions must include the following basic information in order to be properly considered:
OPM conducts comprehensive occupational studies to substantiate the need for updating or establishing classification and qualification standards. OPM may request additional information based on the scope of the study and evidence needed to inform policymaking efforts. Requests for updates to qualification standards, new qualification standards, and waivers of OPM qualification standards should be sent to . An OPM representative will contact you regarding your request. The time frame is contingent upon the work that has to be completed, current priorities, and current projects. Incomplete requests will not be processed. Requests to establish additional standards or to update standards may also be sent to: U.S. Office of Personnel Management References and Sources
Test RequirementsThis section contains a summary of occupational series for which the U.S. Office of Personnel Management currently requires written and/or performance tests. It will be updated periodically to reflect changes in test coverage as they occur. The test coverage list in this section of the Manual takes precedence over any information in specific qualification standards about which occupations require written and/or performance tests. Test requirements are for competitive appointments only, unless otherwise specified. Agencies should refer to the "written and performance tests " section for general policy guidance on the use of written and performance tests. Please note that this section contains only a summary listing of test coverage, and does not reflect special examining provisions, such as "outstanding scholar" direct-hire appointments, waivers based on shortage labor market conditions, or other special circumstances that permit applicants to be exempted from written test requirements. (Note that references to "ACWA," the Administrative Careers With America examinations, pertain only to positions that meet the ACWA criteria.) Occupations / Positions for Which Written and/or Performance Tests are Required
Back to Top Medical RequirementsThis section provides a summary of the occupational series that have medical requirements. Title 5 CFR 339, "Medical Qualification Determinations," contains the U.S. Office of Personnel Management's basic guidance on the establishment of medical standards and physical requirements for Federal civilian positions. Applicants and employees cannot be disqualified arbitrarily on the basis of medical standards, physical requirements, fitness tests, or other criteria that do not relate specifically to job performance. In addition, agencies are required to provide reasonable accommodation to persons with disabilities who demonstrate that they can perform the work of the position to be filled. In accordance with 5 CFR 339, agencies have the authority to establish medical standards for positions for which they are the predominant employer, i.e., have 50 percent or more of the employees in the occupational series. In establishing such standards, they must comply with the provisions in 5 CFR 339 pertaining to job-relatedness, reasonable accommodation, etc. Generally, when medical requirements have been established by OPM, those requirements are included in the individual qualification standard or individual occupational requirements. The following occupations have medical and/or physical requirements:
In addition, some medical requirements apply to positions that have unique duties, require motor vehicle operation, or involve work performed in a particular environment. Information about such requirements is provided to applicants by the employing agency. Technical Notes and UpdatesThis section of the Manual is included to highlight special staffing requirements or provisions. Regular users of the Manual may also want to retain their own notes here for ready reference when questions arise about recurring issues. Special Staffing SituationsAttorney Positions (GS-905 and GS-1222)The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is prohibited by law from examining for attorney positions or establishing qualification requirements for them. Therefore, Federal agencies that employ attorneys set their own requirements.Air Force and Army Reserve Technician (ART) PositionsThese positions require the appropriate military reserve status. Qualifications criteria for these positions are currently updated in connection with examining delegation agreements. Installations staffing ART positions should consult the appropriate office in their chain of command if they need further information.Aerospace Technology Positions with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)The legislation that established NASA permitted special staffing incentives for aerospace technology positions in a variety of engineering and scientific fields. Information about the requirements for positions filled through the Aerospace Technology program may be obtained from NASA.Department of Defense (DOD) Acquisition PositionsThe Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act requires that Defense civilian acquisition personnel in the Contracting Series, GS-1102, and other acquisition-related positions meet specific educational criteria or the equivalent as determined by DOD. Information about these requirements may be obtained from DOD.Maximum Entry AgeUnder title 5 U.S.C. 3307, agencies are authorized to establish a maximum entry age for original appointment to law enforcement officer, firefighter, and U.S. Park Police positions. A maximum entry age has also been established under this statutory provision for original appointment to air traffic controller positions at terminals and centers. Information about maximum entry age limits will be provided to applicants by the employing agencies.Panama Canal Employment SystemThe legislation that established the Panama Canal Commission authorized that Commission and other Federal agencies with employees in the Republic of Panama to establish qualification standards for positions covered by the Panama Canal Employment System. OPM qualification standards are used for many positions; however, alternate requirements are permissible as determined by the employing agency.Department of Veterans Affairs Qualification Standards Under title 38 U.S.C. 7402, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has the authority to establish qualification standards for a variety of occupations, primarily those involving health care. The list that follows identifies the occupations/positions for which the Department of Veterans Affairs has approved use of the OPM qualification standards in lieu of establishing separate standards under its authority. In some cases, approval of the OPM standard is for use in conjunction with a VA standard. Those occupations or positions are so noted. The list will be updated periodically as changes occur. Occupations/positions for which the Department of Veterans Affairs has approved use of the OPM qualification standards
Back to top Qualifications-Related Policy MemorandaWhich of the following is used to collect information about the applicant's education previous job experience and other background characteristics?The application form is a selection device that collects information about the applicant's education, previous work experience, and other background characteristics.
Which of the following allows organizations to test drive employees before determining whether or not they are suitable for a job?An internship allows you to “test drive” a career before you commit to it full time. That way, you can explore careers and organizations that interest you.
Which of the following comprises the steps of observing and assessing employee performance?The process of observing and evaluating an employee's performance, recording the assessment, and providing feedback to the employee is referred to as: performance appraisal.
Which recruiting approach gives applicants all pertinent and realistic information about the organization and the job?A Realistic Job Preview (RJP) is a recruiting approach used by an organization to communicate the important aspects of the job prior to the offer of a position. Applicants weigh such information against their own preferences.
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