Washington, D.C.- The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently conducted hiring flexibility and emergency preparedness symposiums in Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio. The purpose of the symposiums is to make federal hiring managers aware of the many hiring flexibilities available when recruiting new talent, and to stress the importance of agency preparedness in the event of an unforeseen emergency.

"OPM is committed to ensuring agencies are aware of the various hiring options they have to fill their mission-critical positions, and in providing federal hiring managers with as much hiring information as necessary," stated Acting Director Dan G. Blair. "We also use this as an opportunity to gauge the preparedness of agencies when confronted with an emergency that may impact business continuity."

Since last June, OPM, partnering with Federal Executive Boards, has conducted hiring and emergency preparedness symposiums in 24 cities throughout the country. Each is a half-day symposium featuring sessions led by OPM senior officials and other agency representatives on the various hiring flexibilities, including sessions on veterans' preference, student and excepted-service employment authorities, the Pledge to Applicants, OPM's memorandum on the "Top Things You Can Do To Improve Federal Hiring," and the 45-Day Hiring Model. The symposiums also feature ways agencies can continue business operations under emergency conditions, such as the designation of emergency employees, evacuation and shelter-in-place plans and drills in addition to the use of human resources flexibilities like telework for emergency situations. The symposiums also reference OPM's Federal Agency Emergency Preparedness Survey, which soon will be issued.

Regarding the hiring flexibility focus at the symposiums, Blair said, "The symposiums serve to provide agencies with the tools they need to bring new talent on board quickly. Hiring managers must know of all resources available, and they must understand the need for simplifying the federal hiring process so that applicants spend less time applying for a federal job."

To date, symposiums have been conducted in Washington, D.C.; Chicago; Atlanta; Boston; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Miami; St. Louis; and Denver. Symposiums also have been conducted in Houston; Dallas; Baltimore; Kansas City; New Orleans; Oklahoma City; Albuquerque; New York City; Newark; San Antonio; Seattle; and Portland. Symposiums currently are being scheduled San Francisco; Los Angeles; and Honolulu.

Agencies represented at the symposiums to date include the following:

Department of Agriculture
Department of Commerce
Department of Defense
Department of Education
Department of Energy
Department of Homeland Security
Department of the Interior
Department of Justice
Department of Labor
Department of Transportation
Department of the Treasury
Department of Veterans Affairs
U.S. Bankruptcy Court
Environmental Protection Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
General Services Administration
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Office of Cuba Broadcasting
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
National Labor Relations Board
U.S. Office of Personnel Management
U.S. Postal Service
Railroad Retirement Board
Small Business Administration
Smithsonian Institution
Social Security Administration