Hiring authority key in meeting goals, faster hiring

by April Rowden
Air Force Personnel Center Public Affairs Office

RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas – As the Air Force continues to seek highly qualified talent to compliment its growing civilian work force, officials are promoting active use of the Schedule A hiring authority to fill these positions with qualified personnel.

Schedule A hiring is a special streamlined hiring authority available to hire individuals with targeted disabilities. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, targeted disabilities are deafness, blindness, missing extremities, partial paralysis, complete paralysis, convulsive disorders, mental retardation, mental illness, and distortion of limbs and/or spine.

Last fall, President Barack Obama announced new initiatives aimed at increasing the employment of people with disabilities in the federal work force, including increased use of Schedule A. To support the initiative, the Air Force has adopted the Department of Defense’s “2 percent goal” in which at least 2 percent of the civilian work force is made up of individuals with targeted disabilities, said Michelle Siples, the Air Force Disability Program manager.

In an effort to increase manager awareness and understanding of how to hire qualified people with disabilities, the Air Force Equal Opportunity Office posted the Air Force Plan for Employment of People with Disabilities and Reasonable Accommodation Procedures, and the Disabled Veterans Affirmative Action Program Plan at http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/afcivilianjobs/resources.asp.

Air Force officials hope the increased awareness will help raise the number of employees with disabilities, presently at less than 1 percent.

“Managers must be aware of the benefits of using the Schedule A hiring authority. Bottom line, it saves time,” Ms. Siples said.

Qualified individuals with targeted disabilities can be hired non-competitively without recruitment, without posting and publicizing the position, without clearance of priority placement, and without going through the certificate process. Schedule A eliminates many of the competitive hiring steps, reducing the time it takes to fill a needed position.

Managers interested in considering Schedule A applicants through non-competitive procedures should contact their civilian personnel section or installation Disability Program manager. The process is noncompetitive, which means human resources specialists and/or disability program managers send resumes of qualified applicants directly to managers. Managers have the option to hire the individual immediately.

Ms. Siples said, “This is an excellent opportunity for managers to make a difference by hiring people with disabilities into the work force. People with disabilities bring to the job an unsurpassed loyalty, dedication and commitment, and we must do more to seek out this untapped source of individuals.”

To be eligible for noncompetitive appointment using the Schedule A hiring authority, candidates must obtain written proof of disability and a certification of job readiness from a licensed medical professional, a state or private vocational rehabilitation specialist, or any government agency that issues or provides disability benefits. Candidates must also meet the Office of Personnel Management’s position qualification standards for which they are applying.

The requirements for each position, such as education and experience, are listed on the OPM website. The site also contains information about the hiring process for people with disabilities and has a list of selective placement coordinators for each federal agency.

Individuals with disabilities may apply for noncompetitive appointment through the Schedule A hiring authority by submitting an application and any necessary supporting documentation directly to the selective placement coordinator or equivalent.

For more information about the Schedule A hiring authority and options for people with disabilities, visit the OPM website, http://www.opm.gov/, or AFPC’s personnel services website and search for“disability employment.” Air Force employees may call the 24-hour Total Force Service Center at (800) 525-0102 or DSN 665-5000.