Posted by: Federal managers can now use a rule that allows agencies to hire the spouses of military service members without the need for them to compete for jobs. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) finalized the rule that takes effect today, September 11 and gives eligible spouses the opportunity to apply for federal jobs without going through the usual competitive, federal hiring process.
The rule offers federal careers for spouses of military service members who are relocating to a new assignment permanently, become disabled during duty or die during active duty. If the spouse is killed during service, the widow or widower must remain unmarried before getting an appointment.
As with any federal hiring and recruitment initiative, significant steps should be taken to ensure that this rule results in a long-term, rewarding process for the federal agencies and the military spouses who are interested in federal employment. At Monster, we help agencies understand that successful recruitment and retention programs are attainable through appropriate analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation.
Other ways that agencies can begin using the rule effectively include:
- Take advantage of OPM’s training and guidance on understanding the military spouses rule and how to use it to recruit and retain qualified applicants
- Implement and participate in the proper channels to reach qualified military spouses
- Integrate and assimilate military spouse hires into their positions so that are able to be immediately productive. For instance, our Onboarding solution streamlines the routine of integrating new employees and greatly increases employee productivity from day one and retention.
While there will be continued debate about the notion of preferences beyond what we’ve already seen reported, it’s important to recognize that one of the most vital issues for federal agencies that will use this hiring authority is determining how to best nurture this new breed of employees.
Fri, Sep 11, 2009
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