The following sections describe the characteristics of the internal recruitment process.
Management may consider qualified employees eligible for a noncompetitive voluntary lateral reassignment or change to a lower level at any of the following times:
- When applications are received.
- Before the competitive announcement process begins.
- During the competitive announcement process.
- After the applications have been assessed.
Employees selected in this manner must meet the qualification requirements for the position. Selection is solely at the discretion of the selecting official.
Individuals with a saved grade are considered noncompetitively for positions up to the level of their saved grade.
Employees seeking noncompetitive placement into a position at the same or lower level must submit a written request to the selecting official for consideration. If an employee with a disability seeks reasonable accommodation by reassignment to a position at the same or lower level, the employee must work with the appropriate reasonable-accommodation committee at the district, area, or Headquarters level.
If a position is not filled through noncompetitive procedures, then it is filled competitively through employee applications in response to a vacancy announcement.
Selecting officials are responsible for defining the area of consideration for nonbargaining vacancies (see 741) as outlined in the following sections.
The following applies:
- The minimum area of consideration for Headquarters vacancies is career nonbargaining employees service-wide.
- The minimum area of consideration for field vacancies is career nonbargaining employees in the local area of consideration.
Exception: Position vacancies to be filled under the Supervisor Selection Process (see 75) must be posted to all career employees (including bargaining employees) in the local area of consideration before any consideration is given to expanding the area of consideration.
All eligible career nonbargaining employees (including Field, Headquarters, and Headquarters field units) may apply if their current work location (duty station) is located within the geographic area of consideration stated in the vacancy announcement.
After the assessment of potential applicants, the area of consideration may be expanded to include:
- Career bargaining employees;
- A larger geographic territory (i.e., area-wide or service-wide); or
- An external announcement.
Career employees are eligible to apply for posted nonbargaining positions if they are within the area of consideration.
Other employees are eligible under the following circumstances:
- Extended eligibility. Eligibility is extended for certain postmaster positions, as follows:
- Postmaster. Postmaster Relief/Leave Replacements (PMR/LRs) and Postmaster Relief (RMPO)] may apply and compete for internally announced career 6-hour postmaster vacancies posted within their district when the area of consideration has been expanded to career bargaining employees.
- PMRs applying for a posted postmaster position at their employing Post Office must be considered by the selecting official at that Post Office.
- Special nomination for nonbargaining positions. Area and Regional Operations vice presidents and the Senior Director of National Human Resources may nominate employees from any location within the Postal Service for any vacancy advertised so that they may be considered in competition with applicants from within the area of consideration. This nomination process is to ensure expanded opportunities to resolve saved-grade situations, hardship, and trailing-spouse cases.
When a vacant authorized nonbargaining position is filled by a higher-level temporary assignment (detail) pending selection of a person for permanent placement, an employee may be assigned to the position for not more than 120 calendar days. A vacant position is a position in which the previous employee has separated or has been placed in another job.
- If the employee on temporary assignment:
- Could become or is a potential candidate for the vacant position, then the higher-level assignment must be terminated before the 121st calendar day.
- Is not a candidate, then the next higher-level manager over the manager with the vacancy must verify the employee’s non-candidate status in order to approve extending the temporary assignment beyond 120 calendar days.
Exception: If the detail assignment was originally approved by a PCES manager, additional approval for the extension is not necessary. (See 716.144.)
The extension lasts until a selection is made and a new employee permanently assumes the position.
- An employee who has served in a vacant position for more than 120 calendar days is ineligible for placement in that position.
The following applies:
- The 120-calendar-day time limit does not apply if the assignment is:
- To a position at the same or lower level.
- During the temporary absence of an employee.
- To an officer-in-charge assignment.
- To an initial-level supervisor position.
- To a Headquarters position.
- A trailing spouse is the spouse of a nonbargaining employee relocated for placement into a new position. The trailing spouse may be detailed for no more than 90 calendar days in the new location. The 90-day assignment may be extended for one additional 90-day period with the written approval of the:
- Director, Human Resources (Field) — for field assignments; or
- Functional officer — for assignments to a Headquarters position.
Announcements are posted for a minimum of 15 calendar days.
The following must be included in the vacancy announcement:
- Geographic area of consideration.
- Job title.
- Occupation code.
- Grade.
- Duty station.
- Functional purpose, duties and responsibilities, and requirements of the position.
- Nonscheduled days.
- Work hours.
If any of these elements require frequent change to meet operational requirements, the announcement must state this.
Section 763.22, “Local Options for Basic Computer Skills and Driving Requirements,” describes the circumstances in which computer skills and driving may be added as requirements.
The following applies:
- Exceptions may apply during periods of organizational change.
- The 15-day minimum posting period does not apply to the EAS positions below. These positions are posted for a minimum of 7 calendar days:
Job Title
|
Level
|
|---|
Mgr., Customer Services
|
EAS 17-21
|
Mgr., Distribution Operations
|
EAS 19-20
|
Postmaster
|
EAS 18-21
|
Postmaster (PTPO)
|
PTPM-56
|
Supv., Customer Services
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Distribution Operations
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Maintenance Operations
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Logistics Operations
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Customer Services (Relief)
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Distribution Operations (Relief)
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Logistics Operations (Relief)
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Maintenance Operations (Relief)
|
EAS-17
|
Supv., Customer Services (Apprentice)
|
EAS-16
|
Supv., Distribution Operations (Apprentice)
|
EAS-16
|
Supv., Logistics Operations (Apprentice)
|
EAS-16
|
Supv., Maintenance Operations (Apprentice)
|
EAS-16
|
The following applies:
- A vacancy does not have to be announced again if:
- An identical vacancy was announced previously; and
- Less than 120 calendar days have elapsed since the identical announcement’s closing date.
- The two vacancies must have the same:
- Job title;
- Occupation code;
- Grade;
- Location;
- Tour (where applicable); and
- Position requirements.
Generally, nonbargaining positions are filled from within the Postal Service. Management is not required, however, to select Postal Service applicants over significantly better qualified external applicants. Every effort must be made to select the individual who best meets the position requirements. The following procedures apply:
- The selecting official initiates recruitment from an external source to fill a vacancy only after exhausting the internal selection process (with or without expanded area of consideration per 743.13).
Note: The internal selection process is considered exhausted if after review, no selection is made from the job posting.
- The selecting official may choose either a noncompetitive or a competitive recruitment source. For example, the official may:
- Reinstate a qualified former nonbargaining Postal Service employee separated due to a reduction-in-force who has been placed on a Reinstatement List under the conditions described in Employee and Labor Relations Manual section 354.27.
- Use one of the external recruitment sources described in 233.
- Initiate a competitive process by having the vacancy posted on usps.com/careers.
- If an external posting attracts qualified applicants but does not result in a job offer being extended, the vacancy may be reposted internally (or filled noncompetitively with an internal employee) no sooner than 180 days from the closing date of the last external posting.
- External applicants must complete PS Form 2591, Application for Employment.
Note: Current Postal Service career employees are not eligible to apply for external job postings.
When a noncompetitive recruitment source is not used to fill a nonbargaining vacancy externally, the vacancy must be posted on usps.com/careers for a minimum of 5 calendar days to ensure adequate public notice (see 42). Additional recruitment activities to attract a diverse mix of qualified applicants for the vacancy’s specialty may be used.
The external area of consideration for postings of career nonbargaining vacancies grade EAS-18 and below may be limited to:
- Current noncareer Postal Service employees; and
- Preference-eligible persons other than current career Postal Service employees, who are not eligible to apply to external postings.
When limiting the area of consideration, the vacancy announcement must include the following statement: “Eligibility to apply is limited to current noncareer Postal Service employees and persons entitled to veterans’ preference. Current career Postal Service employees are not eligible to apply.”
Human Resources personnel are responsible for determining the eligibility of individual applicants and justifying any rejection based on the eligibility statement.
Alternate arrangements to apply may be made for the following applicants:
- Veterans’ preference-eligible persons; and
- Noncareer employees performing military service who are unable to apply using usps.com/careers.
If the nonbargaining position has an examination requirement, all external applicants who apply by the closing date must have an equal opportunity to complete the testing process if not currently qualified.
Evaluate external applicants, including those who qualify based on testing requirements, by using the methods described in 743.4 and the “Nonbargaining Selection Methods” training, unless otherwise stated.
Internal applicants for all posted nonbargaining positions must submit applications by the closing date of the announcement using the online applicant tracking system. Exception: In accordance with USERRA, employees who are on active duty with the uniformed services may apply at any time (before or after the deadline) for an announced vacancy and must be given subsequent consideration if they meet the vacancy’s eligibility requirements (see 772.2b).
Applicants for promotion who meet one or more of the following conditions are ineligible for further consideration for the vacancy (see 422 and 433):
- Are not otherwise eligible based on an examination requirement;
- Do not achieve a passing score on a required examination; or
- Fail to complete the examination process.
The following sections include standards and information on two components used in assessing applications for both internal and external applicant pools:
- The use of guidelines by personnel involved in the process; and
- Process and documentation requirements.
Selections must be made in line with the philosophy and methods described in the “Nonbargaining Selection Methods” training course, available on the Postal Service-learning management system. This course is required training for selecting officials and review committee members.
Applicants must be evaluated based on their demonstration of the knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) relevant to the position’s requirements, in addition to any requirements other than KSAs. The KSAs to be considered are specified on the vacancy posting. Applicants may use all fields within the application to address KSAs and are not limited to presenting all qualification information within specific application response boxes, individually, or in a narrative description.
Applicants must demonstrate the KSAs only within the application and any required documentation. They may not use a separately attached document. The only allowable attachments to applications submitted through the applicant tracking system are résumés and specific documents identified in the vacancy announcement (e.g., certifications, writing samples, and transcripts).
Applicants’ qualifications are assessed as described in 743.43, “Assessing Nonbargaining Applicants.”
Assessments must be recorded on PS Form 5957, Requirement-by-Applicant Matrix. Each vacancy package must have one completed, dated, and signed matrix that lists each applicant’s ratings. When using a review committee, the chairperson is responsible for completing a matrix that documents the committee’s consensus ratings. If a review committee is not used, the selecting official must complete the matrix. See 743.442 for retention requirements.
Any notes that the committee chairperson makes in the consensus discussion, or the selecting official makes regarding any of the applicants, while reviewing applications or conducting interviews, are considered official documentation of the assessment process and must be preserved in their original state regardless of the format and medium used for recording. The committee chairperson or selecting official must date and sign all notes taken.
All review committee members are responsible for maintaining any notes made during their independent application reviews, or when conducting interviews. See 743.442 for retention requirements.
Rate the applicant’s demonstration of KSAs for each requirement on the vacancy posting, and record the ratings on the PS Form 5957, Requirement-by-Applicant Matrix. Use the following scale:
- 0 points — Not demonstrated at minimum level.
- 1 point — Minimally acceptable.
- 2 points — Strong.
- 3 points — Excellent.
Instructions for completing the matrix:
- Entering names and KSA requirements. Spaces for entering specific requirements for the position are across the top of the matrix. Spaces for applicants’ names are on the left. All applicants must be listed on the matrix. If a review committee is used, the chairperson is responsible for recording the consensus ratings. If a review committee is not used, the selecting official must record the applicants’ ratings on the matrix.
- Evaluating requirements other than KSAs. Most Postal Service jobs only have KSA requirements. However, if a job does have requirements other than KSAs (e.g., education or test):
- Determine if the applicant meets the requirements.
- In the appropriate space on the matrix, record “YES” if the applicant meets the requirements, or “NO” if the applicant does not meet them.
- Do not assign points when evaluating requirements other than KSAs. “YES” or “NO” is the only rating for such requirements.
- Exercise caution when reviewing education or test requirements, taking care not to disqualify an applicant if the posting indicates that the requirement can be met at a later date.
- Evaluating KSAs. Indicate the applicant’s demonstration of the KSAs on the matrix. For an applicant who:
- Is clearly deficient in demonstrating one or more KSAs, record a zero (0) on the Requirement-by-Applicant Matrix for the requirements that the applicant failed to demonstrate.
- Does not demonstrate any KSA at the minimum level, or who fails to meet any requirement other than KSAs, no further consideration or rating is required. Record a zero (0) as the total KSA point score on the matrix.
- Meets a KSA, enter the number of points earned (1, 2, or 3) in the appropriate space.
- Compiling scores for applicants who meet all requirements. Total the number of points achieved for the KSA requirements and enter the total KSA point score on the matrix.
- Using conversion tables for external applicants only. See Appendix F, “Conversion Tables for Nonbargaining Positions,” and follow these instructions:
- Refer to the conversion table for a job with the same number of KSAs as the vacancy.
- Locate the applicant’s Raw Score (total KSA points) and read across the chart to the converted score. This is the Basic Score.
- The evaluator (review committee chairperson or selecting official) completing the matrix enters the Basic Scores into the applicant tracking system.
The review committee chairperson or the selecting official is responsible for forwarding the completed matrix to Human Resources. Human Resources must attach PS Form 5957 and interview notes (see 743.423 for types of notes) into the applicant tracking system for retention as part of the vacancy package. Exhibit 743.432 shows a sample completed matrix for an externally announced vacancy.
Exhibit 743.432
Completed PS Form 5957 Matrix for a Job With Five KSAs and an Education Requirement, External Vacancy
The review committee chairperson and the selecting official are responsible for forwarding the documentation cited in 743.422 and 743.423 to Human Resources for retention in the applicant tracking system as part of the vacancy package.
Review committee members are responsible for maintaining the documentation cited in 743.423 and retaining it for 5 years (see 743.442). The selecting official is responsible for creating a vacancy file for vacancies filled outside the applicant tracking system and retaining them for 5 years (see 743.442). The vacancy files include records that make it possible to demonstrate how established selection procedures have been followed.
Vacancy files are retained for 5 years.
The selecting official is the manager or supervisor with the vacancy. The selecting official:
- Assesses the potential applicant pool;
- Defines an area of consideration;
- Selects candidates for designated vacancies; and
- Ensures that selections are made in keeping with all applicable selection principles, including equal employment opportunity laws and the Postal Service Affirmative Employment Program.
If 6 or more applications are received, a review committee of at least 3 members must assess eligible applicants. (See 743.523 and 743.524 for review committee membership and restrictions.) If there are less than 6 applications, a review committee is not required. When assembling a review committee, the selecting official is responsible for:
- Selecting an inclusive and diverse group of committee members. The Postal Service values diversity in many forms, including individuals of differing gender identities, races, ethnicities, ages, and abilities.
- Ensuring the committee understands and adheres to the equal employment opportunity commitments of the Postal Service to provide an equitable competitive selection process.
- Selecting review committee members who have a reputation for being fair and objective and have demonstrated a commitment to the Postal Service’s equal employment opportunity and diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.
- Seeking assistance from the Human Resources manager to identify available employees who meet the criteria for membership, if necessary.
The review committee’s major functions are to:
- Assist the selecting official in assessing the applicants; and
- Recommend candidates who best meet the qualifications of the vacant position.
Review committee members must be nonbargaining employees at a level equal to or higher than that of the vacant position. The review committee chairperson must be at an equal or higher level than all other review committee members. For review committee membership, level is defined as the grade of the position the employee currently holds, not a saved grade, or a part-time or temporary level resulting from a temporary assignment (detail) or ad hoc assignment.
Restrictions on forming a review committee include the following:
- Neither the supervisor of the position to be filled nor any manager exercising authority over the supervisor, up to and including the selecting official, may serve on the review committee or participate in its deliberations.
- Only Human Resources may approve exceptions to review committee membership. The reason(s) for the exception must be fully documented and placed in the vacancy file.
- Review committee members are prohibited from participating in the consideration or recommendation of a relative (as defined in chapter 5). Each member is responsible for notifying the committee chairperson of the relationship. A member with such a relationship must be excused and replaced immediately.
- Each member must be certified by completing the required training course. See 743.41.
The review committee’s duties include:
- Reviewing and rating applications. Each committee member must independently determine if each applicant has demonstrated each requirement.
- Conducting interviews by web conferencing, telephone, or in person, as needed. Review committee interviews are not mandatory.
- Reviewing written samples of applicants’ past work that demonstrate their abilities to perform requirements directly related to the vacant position. The only allowable attachments to applications submitted through the applicant tracking system are résumés and specific documents identified in the vacancy announcement (e.g., certifications, writing samples, and transcripts).
Note: The committee is prohibited from requiring applicants to:
- Take a written test;
- Write a paper on a specified topic;
- Analyze and solve in writing a prescribed managerial or technical problem; or
- Undergo any other kind of written examination.
- Recording consensus ratings for each eligible applicant on one PS Form 5957, Requirement-by-Applicant Matrix. The chairperson is responsible for ensuring that PS Form 5957 and related notes are included in the vacancy file (see 743.44).
- Recommending the number of applicants who best meet the position requirements, requested by the selecting official. Three to 5 candidates are generally recommended for one vacancy.
The following applies:
- The selecting official designates the review committee and ensures that each committee member has taken the required training (see 743.41) or will take the required training before evaluating applicants. The selecting official and the review committee may discuss how filling the vacant position will support business objectives.
- Delays in completing selection activity must be avoided. Generally, the review committee should complete its activities within 7 days, and the selecting official should complete activities within 5 days.
The selecting official, with or without the assistance of a review committee, identifies the applicant whose KSAs best meet the position requirements and who has a high probability of successful performance in the position. Documentation responsibilities are described in 743.42.
- If a review committee was used, and the committee:
- Did not interview the recommended applicants, the selecting official must personally interview each recommended applicant before making a selection decision.
- Did interview the recommended applicants, the selecting official may:
- Interview them again before making a selection; or
- Select a candidate based on the review committee’s recommendations without conducting additional interviews. For externally posted vacancies, the selecting official must use the Rule of Three when making selections (see 624).
- If a review committee was not used, the responsibilities of the selecting official depend on whether the vacancy is being filled internally or externally, as follows:
- Internal:
- Review and rate the applications.
- Determine which applicants meet the minimum requirements, documenting ratings on PS Form 5957.
- Interview all minimally qualified applicants before making a selection.
- External:
- Review and rate the applications.
- Do one of the following:
- Document ratings on PS Form 5957 based on the application review, interview in applicant-rank order, and make a selection using the Rule of Three (see 624); or
- Interview all applicants in applicant-rank order, document ratings on PS Form 5957, and make a selection using the Rule of Three (see 624).
All selections (competitive or noncompetitive; internal or external) are subject to next higher-level review and approval. The required higher-level review and approval must be accomplished before the personnel action is effected or the selection announced.
Exception: Clerical positions (e.g., administrative assistant) reporting directly to a PCES manager do not require higher-level approval.
