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• If a structured interview question was clearly misunderstood by all candidates and their scores for this question were all generally low, could you eliminate that question before scoring the interview? Or would you leave that question in the assessment for that round of hiring, but consider removing it from future rounds of hiring?
  If the intended results are not achieved with a particular question, it may be considered for elimination before final scoring of the assessment (i.e., given an effective weight of zero). ...
• If a structured interview question was clearly misunderstood by all candidates and their scores for this question were all generally low, could you eliminate that question before scoring the interview? Or would you leave that question in the assessment for that round of hiring, but consider removing it from future rounds of hiring?
  If the intended results are not achieved with a particular question, it may be considered for elimination before final scoring of the assessment (i.e., given an effective weight of zero). ...
• It can be difficult for me to get the hiring manager involved with the creation and development of the job analysis for a given position. What can I do to gain their buy-in and involvement in this process?
  The greater the hiring manager's involvement and contribution to the selection process, the more likely it is that the Human Resources Specialist will be aware of the key job requirements...
• How are assessment accommodation requests involving learning disorders processed?
  In short, OPM does not offer specific guidance to agencies on how accommodation requests are processed.  Please check your agency's policies on processing accommodation requests because policies may vary by...
• In a structured interview, what questions can and cannot be asked? For example, can I ask the candidate if they are fluent in Spanish?
  Essentially, any question that is not job-related cannot be asked, such as asking (or commenting) about a candidate's age, sex, race, national origin, religion, marital or familial status, disabilities, or...
• It is difficult for me to get the hiring manager involved with the creation and development of the occupational questionnaire for a given position. What can I do to gain their buy-in and involvement in this process?
  A key piece in the Presidential Memorandum on Hiring Reform (Section 1: Directions to Agencies) requires that hiring managers and supervisors are "more fully involved in the hiring process, including...
• Do agencies need OPM approval to use a test as the sole basis for ranking inservice candidates? How about for competitive examining?
  Yes, OPM approval is required when using tests to determine basic eligibility or as the sole basis for ranking applicants for inservice placement (reference Part E.9[d][3] of the Operating Manual...
• Can a crediting plan be an approved alternative to the Administrative Careers with America (ACWA)?
  Yes, a crediting plan, which is the same thing as a rating schedule (i.e., occupational questionnaire), can be considered an approved alternative assessment to the ACWA provided the crediting plan...
• Is there guidance available regarding using recency of experience as part of specialized experience?
  Recency is typically defined by the number of years that have elapsed since the job-relevant training or experience was acquired.  The implication is that those lacking "recent" experience (however that...
• How are structured interviews – or the use of structured interviews – connected to Hiring Reform? How does it help?
  In the "Presidential Memorandum (Section 1: Directions to Agencies)," the second item talks about assessing applicants using valid, reliable tools (http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/presidential-memorandum-improving-federal-recruitment-and-hiring-process).  Structured interviews provide a consistent, structured methodology for assessing...

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