Merit Hiring Plan Resources

A key element of the Merit Hiring Plan is implementing skills-based hiring, eliminating unnecessary degree requirements, and requiring the use of rigorous, job-related assessments to ensure candidates are selected based on their merit and competence. 

Agencies are required to maximally adopt the use of technical assessments and phase out the use of occupational questionnaires (or self-assessments). 

Agencies are additionally strongly encouraged to use at least two assessments throughout the hiring process to ensure a multi-hurdle process that produces a rigorously ranked and validated certificate. And agencies are strongly encouraged to use a USA Hire assessment.

• USA Staffing Assessment Capabilities
• Assessment Passing Score Frequently Asked Questions
• Assessment Questionnaire 'Copy from File' Import Template
• Assessment Scoring and Weighting Decision Guide
• Assessment Strategy Presentation Series
• Assessment Videos
• Manual Assessment User Guide
• Multiple Hurdles Guide
• Structured Resume Review Resources
• USA Hire Assessments
• USA Staffing Assessment Standardization

All Federal competitive service job vacancy announcements graded at GS-05 or above will include four short, free-response essay questions as provided in the Merit Hiring Plan, with the exception of announcements for teachers, Wage Grade employees, and seasonal workers.  

Agencies may exempt other positions from use of the questions in their discretion, where they determine that such an exemption is appropriate for the position. 

While agencies are encouraged to use these questions for competitive merit promotion hiring (both internal and external), it is not a requirement.

• Adding Merit Hiring Plan essay questions
• Adding Default Announcement Questionnaire for Merit Hiring Plan essay questions

A key element of the Merit Hiring Plan is to reduce time-to-hire to under 80 days by emphasizing the use of talent pools and shared certificates. 

Executive Order 14170 directs that government-wide time-to-hire be reduced to under 80 days. This goal refers to time to initial offer, though the Merit Hiring Plan will also seek to reduce delays associated with personnel vetting requirements.

• Candidate Inventory
• Pooled Hiring Feature Comparison
• Talent Pool Request Forms for Cross-Government Hiring
• Shared Certificate Guide
• USAJOBS Agency Talent Portal