why does the VA hire or promote within to non-veterans instead of giving veterans top priority?

2020-07-25T16:23:05-04:00

Response by CSM Darieus ZaGara made Jul 25 at 2020 6:42 PM

2020-07-25T18:42:28-04:00

Veterans with 30 % commendable can compete. I have seen many VA postings that were for all categories, are you citing a specific office, or Hospital?

Response by SP5 Charles Gould made Jul 25 at 2020 10:05 PM

2020-07-25T22:05:09-04:00

Vietnam Combat Vet. 100% Service Connected disabled. Other than getting my meds from the VA, I stay the hell away from it. They exist to self perpetuate, not to help vets.

Response by CAPT Kevin B. made Jul 26 at 2020 10:01 AM

2020-07-26T10:01:51-04:00

VA follows OPM regulations in their personnel administration functions. As such, the veterans preference might move you into the highly qualified bracket of new applicants only. If you are not qualified, preference can't make you qualified. After that, you're competing head to head. Veterans preference DOES NOT apply to Merit Promotion. That is in-house 1-2 years in the same series and one grade lower current employee thing. Even then, there may be a hiring freeze and Stopper List circumstances like overseas returnee or staff reduction elsewhere in other agencies too. As a former senior hiring manager, we'd see some Vets on initial hiring certificates. For the most part we'd pick them up only if they made the highly qualified bracket. There's an extra justification step if you are going to bypass a Vet in the top bracket. By far the reason most Vets don't see the light of day in our outfit was no writing skills. Bottom line, preference is not a mandate or entitlement. You still need to be able to do the job.

Wet blanket aside, I always recommend Vets take a look at the new entry career ladder opportunities. Those are ones where you hire in at a lower level and you get training and increasing complexity of duties over 4-6 years. Promotions are non competitive if you skate the long program well. We had GS5-7-9, 7-9-11, and 9-11-12 ladders. The downside is if you don't reach the target, you can be terminated because the permanent position is the top grade. We used this method a lot in the 1102 Contract Specialist Series. We also had a much higher percentage of Vets qualify and get hired for the blue collar WG type positions in the production shops.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jul 26 at 2020 1:54 PM

2020-07-26T13:54:17-04:00

Often times the good ole boy network prevails.

Response by SSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Jul 27 at 2020 10:56 AM

2020-07-27T10:56:25-04:00

I've heard often that some jobs were posted on USAJobs only to make the announcement and, therefore, legal. By the time it was posted, the hiring authority had already selected their candidate, and that candidate only had to apply for it.

It's not always what you know, but who.

Response by SGT Christopher Hayden made Jul 27 at 2020 3:40 PM

2020-07-27T15:40:22-04:00

Welcome to the real world. Companies and organisations do this all the time.

Response by SFC Quinn Chastant made Jul 27 at 2020 4:12 PM

2020-07-27T16:12:02-04:00

I can not speak for the VA, as I worked for DA, but you also need to understand how the system works for hiring and promotions. The Federal System uses what is called Resumix. With that, you need to use machine readable font when submitting applications for employment; and highlighted Key Words.

Thus the first stage with Resumix needs the Computer to recognize specific wording and codes to go to the second step. That involves the program picking up on what ever search parameters programed in before submission to a person in Human Resources to review and evaluate.

So it isn't necessarily preference is to a civilian or outside hire, so much as it is to a person who understands how the system is configured, and how well they may of been assisted, or coached, in formulating their Resumix submission.

Most individuals truly loathe Resumix, but its the system you need to understand in order to get hired or move up.

Retirement is good....