Practice Exchange

Ilene Gast, Associate Editor

This column highlights innovative assessment programs of interest to assessment professionals. If you are conducting a project that would interest the ACN readers, or if you know someone who is, please let me hear from you. I can be reached by phone at (202) 305-0590, fax at (202) 305-3664, or electronic mail at ifgast@aol.com.

New Internet HR Services in Portland, Oregon

by Steven Koch and Neil Davidson
City of Portland Oregon

Two new Internet-based services have been developing rapidly in the Bureau of Human Resources, City of Portland, Oregon. One service is an electronic application center. The other service is an up-to-date library of HR documents. Both services promise to be great resources for the Bureau's primary customers, the managers of the operating departments. In addition, these services will benefit employees of the city government, prospective applicants for employment, and other governments.

The electronic application center has been operating since August, 1998. Readers of this article might want to visit the site at http://www.ci.portland.or.us/jobs/ and take a look. The site is a work in progress. It has gone through several transformations in response to input we have received input from managers, the applying public, and from HR Analysts who design selection programs to be announced over the internet. The software that supports the center is extremely flexible and robust. An Analyst need not adhere to a rigid template but may exercise considerable flexibility in meeting the needs of a hiring manager. Dolly Boals, the Analyst who has Information Technology in her assignment portfolio, is serving managers who want applicants to identify the specific programming languages in which they are proficient and to self-rate their level of proficiency. Gail Thompson, the Analyst who has the Bureau of Parks and Recreation in her assignment portfolio, finds it valuable to present a description of the ideal candidate to prospective applicants before they complete the application form. All of this flexibility is supported by the software.

Here is how the system works. Prospective applicants "click" on a current job opening. They are taken sequentially through the electronic application process. First, applicants complete an electronic version of our Accu-scan form (which was designed to be read optically). They provide basic information including their name, social security number, and telephone numbers. Next, applicants can self-rate their qualifications if required, fill in text boxes, attach a resume, attach supplemental application forms, or any additional information required by the job announcement. When the application is complete and the applicant stipulates that the information is true and correct, the information downloads into the City's SIGMA applicant tracking system. Upon completion of the process, the system automatically confirms receipt of the application.

Currently, the site receives approximately 600 "hits" a day. The City now receives approximately 10 percent of its job applications in electronic form. Assuredly, these numbers will increase as people become familiar with the service. Our preliminary analyses indicate that applicant diversity compares favorably with traditional paper and pencil applications. We anticipate that the greatest usage of this system will be from applicants for jobs in information technology, engineering, and upper management. Individuals in these career fields are computer-savvy and expect to be able to apply for positions over the internet. However, we have had some surprises. For example, the new service has been very popular among professional Recreational Administrators seeking opportunities in Portland's Bureau of Parks and Recreation.

The service is extremely convenient for the public. Because materials are available on-line, applicants no longer have fight traffic, first to retrieve application forms, then again to submit them. Applicants can prepare their submissions in the comfort of their own homes. They have ample opportunity to perfect documents before attaching them to the Accu-scan form. Even if prospective applicants hear about a recruitment near the end of the filing period, they are likely to have sufficient time to submit applications before the deadline.

We plan to explore possible links with organizations that sponsor job searches and maintain data bases of prospective applicants from protected classes. This avenue may prove more productive and cost effective than traditional media advertising. We are also setting up mini-satellite application centers to extend service to people who do not own home computers.

We will continue to analyze the impact of this service. We expect that for many job classifications, individuals who apply through the Internet will be hired at a disproportionately higher rate, even though their applications often come from out of state. We also expect that the service will fully support and possibly improve diversity in hiring. Finally, we expect steady growth in the proportion of electronic applications that we receive.

Steven Koch, the Web Administrator, can answer questions about the service. He can be reached at (503) 823-4263. For an HR manager's perspective on the service, call John Worcester at (503) 823-4140. John is the Employment and classification Services Manager of the City of Portland. Questions about the software, the system, and new system features can be directed to Tom Dameron at Authentic Software Co., Inc. at (999) 654-2724.

The City of Portland has established a second Internet service, a document library, which can found at http://www.ci.portland.or.us/bhr/. This site provides the major documents that contain HR policy for the City government. On this site you will find, for example, the new employees' handbook, personnel rules, the City's compensation plan, and the classification plan with specifications. The site has improved managers access to the information as well as the quality of the information itself. Managers no longer need to print and distribute hard copies of the documents. The new system permits rapid, efficient updating of information. Therefore, managers can be confident that they have accessed the latest information.

The HR document service also saves time and effort for HR Analysts and clerical support staff. The system improves the efficiency with which the City can respond to Classification and Compensation surveys from other municipalities. Rather than spending hours photocopying and responding to questionnaires, our Analysts refer the requesters to the HR document site, where they can select the specific comparability information they need. The system also saves steps for city employees who have personnel-related questions. All city employees have direct access to the system. Often they can use the system to answer such questions, thereby avoiding a call or trip to the HR office.

Our next challenge is to improve access to specific sections of documents by providing indexes and electronic crosswalks. For more information on this service, contact Steven Koch at (503) 823-4263.

OPM Provides New Direction In Federal Selection Policies

by Thomas Kiefer
U.S. Office of Personnel Management

A Changing HR Focus

There are growing indications that in coming years many agencies will face the need to recruit large numbers of new employees. This will be particularly true for "mission critical" occupations, such as financial management and information technology. This development will mean changes in the way HR contributes to agency mission. Instead of programs to manage downsizing effectively, executives and managers will be asking for strategies to recruit and retain a high quality workforce.

In response to these trends, OPM is working with Federal agencies, State and local governments, and others outside government to develop competency-based qualification standards and whole-person assessments that will provide a basis for quickly and effectively identifying high-quality candidates for government jobs. Internet-based systems will make OPM information and services easily available.

A New Approach To Qualification Standards

OPM currently publishes a Qualification Standards Handbook that provides "first-hurdle" minimum qualifications for all Federal occupations. The Handbook is being completely revised to reflect valid, job-related general and technical competencies. Thus, the focus will be on what is required to do the job, rather than on traditional measures, such as years of experience.

The new standards will reflect the 1998 Standard Occupational Classification; this will make them generalizable to State and local governments, and to private sector employers. The entire revision process is taking place in conjunction with classification standards revision, resulting in an integrated qualification and classification standard model.

OPM is currently working with the Chief Financial Officers' Council to revise the accountant standard. This methodology will provide a template for subsequent revision of standards in other areas.

To assure ease of access the Handbook is being posted on OPM's WEB site, making it easily available to the HR community and to others who might find it useful, such as job applicants. Eventually, the Handbook will incorporate hyper-links to other OPM guidance and current job information.

Assembled Whole-Person Assessment

To meet the need for a large number of new hires, OPM is working to develop valid, competency-based whole-person assessments. While agencies will be free to continue to use case-examining for low demand or unique jobs, these new assessments will provide a quick, cost-effective way to assess large numbers of candidates. These assessments will include both cognitive and social skill components. They will be available for both new hires and career development.

Initially, OPM is working with several agencies to pilot-test on-line administration of the currently available Administrative Careers With America (ACWA) exam. OPM is also working with agencies to pilot-test a new clerical exam, and will be developing exams for use in other high-demand occupations where use of an assembled exam is appropriate. All of these new assessments will be available in a variety of formats, including secure on-line administration, e.g., in college placement centers.

Building HR Professionalism

OPM is also working with agencies to build and maintain a uniform level of high-quality professionalism within the Federal HR community. In order to assure effective, uniform implementation of the authority for delegated examining to agencies, begun three years ago, OPM is developing a new program of nationwide training for agency HR staff. The new program will include certification criteria both for OPM Service Center staff, and for agency HR professionals.

OPM's Delegated Examining Handbook is also now available on the OPM WEB site. The Handbook will become a "real time" document, incorporating up-to-date information on policy changes or interpretations of existing policy. This will assure wide availability of accurate information in this important area.

For more information, please contact Thomas Kiefer of OPM's Nationwide Examining Policy Office, 202.606.2019; thkiefer@opm.gov.