Federal government modernizes decades-old recruitment system through recent alterations to the hiring process for public offices

The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has finalised regulations for federal hiring aimed at giving managers greater flexibility in the recruitment process. The new regulations, which take effect on Nov. 7, 2022, incorporate the "rule of many" initiative, which combines elements of the "rule of three" and category rating.

The "rule of three" selection process, enacted in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, provides hiring managers with a list of the three most qualified candidates. However, the "rule of three" often results in hiring managers passing on all candidates and posting a new solicitation, a problem that the "rule of many" aims to address.

The "rule of many" allows hiring managers to stack rank candidates without regard to the Rule of Three and previous categorization buckets. This new approach incorporates a granular ranking system, similar to the "rule of three" and category rating, and offers the flexibility to sift through many qualified applicants.

In a blog post, OPM Director Scott Kupor stated that the "rule of many" enables hiring managers to make more informed decisions and reduce the chances of qualified candidates being overlooked.

The OPM made technical changes to the "three considerations rule" in response to feedback from public commenters. The revised "three considerations rule" is part of the ongoing federal hiring regulations aimed at giving managers greater flexibility.

Under the "three considerations rule," agencies can make 10 selections from a certificate of 30 eligibles, allowing them to remove up to a total of 7 eligibles from the certificate. The "three considerations rule" does not specify any limitations on the number of applicants that can be removed in a single round.

It's important to note that the "three considerations rule" is a separate aspect of the federal hiring regulations, distinct from the "rule of many" initiative. The "three considerations rule" is not related to the "rule of three" or the "rule of many" in federal hiring, which were previously mentioned.

The "rule of many" initiative dovetails with other recent hiring reforms, such as shared certifications and skills-based hiring. Agencies are expected to be in compliance with the new hiring regulations by March 9, 2026.

As of now, there is no information available about anyone replacing Scott Kupor as director of the Office of Personnel Management. The new regulations mark a significant step forward in modernising federal hiring practices and improving the recruitment process for both hiring managers and job seekers.

Federal government modernizes decades-old recruitment system through recent alterations to the hiring process for public offices