Stage Release Notes 27.03

The USA Staffing Release Notes provide an overview of the most recent functionality deployed to the USA Staffing Stage environment. 

This content was released to USA Staffing Stage on 10/20/2026.

Request

Request Approvals

The Request Approvals page is available for all request types and includes a Strategic Hiring Committee Approvals section to document approval of a position and candidate by the Strategic Hiring Committee (SHC).

The Strategic Hiring Committee Approvals section contains the following sections and fields:

Recruitment Approval

The Recruitment Approval section allows users to confirm SHC approval of a position before proceeding with the hiring action.

• SHC approved this position – A required checkbox that must be selected before the request can be approved.
• Date Approved (Optional) – A date field used to record the SHC approval date. This field is enabled when SHC approved this position is selected. Future dates cannot be selected. Clearing the checkbox also clears the approval date.
• Supporting Documentation – An optional document upload button for attaching SHC approval documentation. Uploaded files are added to Request Documents.

Note: For requests in Incomplete or Submitted status, the Approve Request button is disabled until SHC approved this position is selected. This applies to the Staffing Approach page and the New Hire page for Onboard New Hire requests.

Candidate Approval

The Candidate Approval section allows users to document SHC approval of the candidate packet before sending a job offer.

• SHC approved this candidate – An optional checkbox used to confirm candidate approval.
• Date Approved (Optional) – A date field used to record the candidate approval date. This field is enabled when SHC approved this candidate is selected. Future dates cannot be selected. Clearing the checkbox also clears the approval date.
• Executive interview conducted – An optional checkbox used to indicate whether an executive interview was conducted.

Note: Candidate approval is not required to approve the request.

Permissions and request status

Users with Edit Requests permission can update approval information based on the request status.

• Incomplete and Submitted – Approval information can be edited.
• Active Recruitment, Pending Recruitment, and Selection Made – The SHC approved this position checkbox is read-only.
• Request Cancelled, Complete, Request Failed, Request Not Filled, and Alternate Selection Made – The entire Request Approvals page is read-only.

All changes are tracked in History.

Note: The Request Approvals page is available only when the corresponding feature is enabled for the tenant or organization. Users must have permission to view the request to access the page.

Vacancy

Linked Requests

Enhanced the request approval process on the Awaiting Approval tab to require Strategic Hiring Committee (SHC) approval confirmation when one or more selected requests do not have SHC approval recorded.
When the user selects Approve Request, the Strategic Hiring Committee Approval popup displays and requires the user to confirm approval before proceeding. The popup includes:

• SHC approved this position – A required checkbox to confirm SHC approval.
• Date Approved (Optional) – An optional field to record the SHC approval date.
• Approve Request – A button enabled once the SHC approval checkbox is selected.

Upon confirmation, the system records SHC approval for each selected request missing approval, saves the approval date if provided, and proceeds with approving all selected requests.
Note: If all selected requests already have SHC approval recorded, the existing approval process continues without displaying the confirmation popup. Closing the popup without confirming SHC approval cancels the approval action for all selected requests.

Announcement

Announcement Questionnaire

Added a system-generated Merit Hiring Plan Essay Questions section to the Announcement Questionnaire page and Announcement Default Settings. The section includes instructions, four pre-populated essay questions, and a certification statement. Individual questions cannot be edited. This section will be included in announcements created after this feature is released. Announcements created before the Production release date will retain their existing *MHP* questions and will not include the new system section.

The Add Merit Hiring Plan Essay Questions button is available for eligible announcements in Open-Pending Release or Pending Release status.  Existing announcements in Open, Closed, Closed-Never Released, or Removed status will retain any existing MHP questions exactly as they were prior to the Production release. Note: When excluded from an office's Announcement Default Settings, the section is not automatically included in newly created vacancies.

Updated Merit Hiring Plan Essay Question Number 3 to the following:

"In this role, you will be expected to professionally and efficiently implement executive direction. Provide an example where you implemented leadership direction on a strategy or policy decision that differed from your own recommendation."

The updated question is reflected throughout the announcement, application, review, and applicant printing processes. Note: The essay questions remain optional regardless of the Require completion of all announcement and assessment items vacancy setting.

Online Application

Added a separate Merit Hiring Plan Essay Questions page to the application process. Applicants can provide responses to four essay questions, each limited to 200 words, with a live counter displaying the remaining words. Applicants can submit applications without answering the essay questions; however, the certification statement is required if at least one of the MHP questions is answered.

Reviews

Enhanced JOA Reviews to include MHP Essay Questions for HR and Hiring Manager reviewers when Announcement Questionnaire is selected and the section is included in the announcement. Note: When an announcement does not include the MHP Essay Questions section, the section is excluded from printed output.

Updated the Print Assessment Questionnaire column and setting labels to Print Application Questions on the Review Assignments pages and applicable review default settings.

Enhanced Applicant List Reviews and Panel Reviews to support MHP Essay Questions, including:

• Added an MHP Essay Questions toggle under Certificate Display Settings on the Applicant List Default Settings page for each certificate type. Each toggle is enabled by default and can be configured independently.
• Added an MHP Essay Questions checkbox under Certificate Information and Stored List Display Preferences to control whether essay questions are included in reviews sent to Hiring Managers.

Note: The MHP Essay Questions preference under Certificate Information initially reflects the corresponding Applicant List Default Settings configuration and can be modified for individual certificates.

Batch Printing

Enhanced applicant printing to include MHP Essay Questions and applicant responses, including:

• HR batch printing: Added MHP Essay Questions under Select Specific Sections, alongside Assessment Questionnaire.
• Hiring Manager batch printing: Added MHP Essay Questions and Assessment Questions under Include application questions/responses. Both options are selected by default when the parent option is enabled and can be individually deselected.
• Printed output: Displays essay questions in announcement order, with each applicant's response beneath the corresponding question. Questions without responses display No Response Provided by Applicant.
• Completed application PDFs: Includes MHP Essay Questions in applicable PDFs generated from Applicant Record and Applicant Overview.

New Hire

Enhanced the Candidate Approval process for new hires in Vetting status without an associated request. Candidate Approval is required, and the Candidate Approval modal displays upon each user's first access to the new hire record if approval has not already been saved for that record.

• When a new hire transitions from Vetting to Hired status and is associated with a request, existing Candidate Approval information, including the approving user and date (if provided), is reflected on the request's Approvals page and in the request and new hire History.
• When a new hire is removed from a request through cancellation or a certificate audit update, the associated Candidate Approval information is removed from the request's Approvals page. The request History retains the original approval information and records the new hire cancellation.
• When Candidate Approval is completed on a request before the associated new hire record is created, the existing approval information is reflected in the new hire History once the record is created and linked to the request.