DON Implements New Hiring Tool For Civilian Job Recruitment
By Junarion Hubbard, CNFJ-CNRJ Human Resources Office


The Department of the Navy (DON) has begun a multiyear effort to improve hiring processes to better attract and retain a skilled and talented workforce — improving the applicant’s experience, reducing time to fill vacancies and collaborating across all areas. USAJOBS will replace the CHART system for applicants; USA Staffing will replace the RESUMIX tool used by hiring managers and human resource professionals. The chart above provides key improvements using the new process when compared with the current system. Chart courtesy of www.donhr.navy.mil

To retain and recruit the best and brightest to the Department of Navy (DON) civilian workforce, DON is improving its hiring process. In spring of this year, DON began transitioning from using CHART and RESUMIX to a more streamlined process using USAJOBS (for applicants) and USA Staffing (for hiring managers and human resources professionals). Commands serviced by the Commander Navy Region Japan Regional Human Resources Office Yokosuka, will transition in October of 2011. The transition involves changes in the hiring tools and systems backbone.

“These improved tools and processes are just one part of the DON response to critical hiring reform initiatives,” says Jean Mercer, DON HR Systems and Business Transformation director. “Our application process has become more streamlined and easier to understand. Also, USAJOBS provides one-stop shopping for our applicants to seek out federal jobs within the DON as well as with other agencies.”

USA Staffing will enable hiring managers and human resources professionals to work more closely together to attract and identify quality candidates for positions, reduce the time to fill vacancies and improve the application experience. By strengthening the collaboration between human resource (HR) professionals and managers, the DON expects to increase job offer acceptance rates, improve customer satisfaction and provide a mechanism to better connect the right talent to the right job.

“This makes hiring decisions quicker and reduces the time it takes to fill the vacant positions,” says Mercer. “The changes also support increased collaboration among hiring managers, senior leaders and HR professionals. Our experience tells us that this produces the best results – that means we get the best candidates for the position.”

HRO Yokosuka and its satellite offices will schedule briefs for supervisors and managers in August. Employee briefs will also be scheduled in the near future. Online training and information on the transition and related hiring reform initiatives is currently available on the Hiring Reform page at www.donhr.navy.mil. Applicants, employees, and hiring managers are encouraged to visit the site for the latest information on DON action to improve and reform the hiring process.

DON has also established an e-mail account to receive questions on the hiring reform.

Individuals may send questions to DONhrfaq@navy.mil, or they may contact the CNRJ HRO Yokosuka site manager for additional information.

While this is sound good on paper, the system is still ripe for abuse. Yoko base doesnt look for Qualified personnel. they look for friends and in some cases, potential employees just like them.

USAJobs/USAStaffing really aren't all that new. AF and Army have been using them (in some capacity) for a few years now.

nonameneeded- it's not just Yoko, that observation holds true across civil service (for the most part). It's not what you know, it's who you know or who you golf with :p

Posted By nonameneeded on 08-01-2011 9:53 PM
While this is sound good on paper, the system is still ripe for abuse. Yoko base doesnt look for Qualified personnel. they look for friends and in some cases, potential employees just like them.

Sounds like some sour grapes to me.  I had to go through the wringer to get my job.  2 interviews, a panel interview, full reference checks, then an additional screening.

From what i have seen, if you don't make the Cert, you aren't getting hired.  The hiring manager doesn't have that much control over who makes the cert.  They get a package with the names who were eligible.

Contracts are a totally different thing, but GS is much more controlled.

I'd say both are true. I was pulled for the cert for my job in Yoko. Had a phone interview and had not only my supervisor but, my branch head, division head and director questioned about my ability to fill the billet. Meanwhile, back in the home yard, I was passed up by someone underqualified for a position due to 'family' not once but twice. When you're Daddy is a Superintendent, you're going to find yourself in a cushy job. Hell, I found out I made that cert the day after they "interviewed" all the one candidates.

So yeah, it goes both ways. However.. I'm going to Japan. I think, no make that Know, I win. HA!