REDUCTION IN HIRING TIME

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP83T00573R000200220043-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 18, 2002
• Sequence Number: 43
• Publication Date: April 11, 1980
• Content Type: MF

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11 April 1980
MEMORANDUM FOR: Agency Office Heads
FROM: Harry E. Fitzwater
Director of Personnel Policy, Planning,
and Management
SUBJECT: Reduction in Hiring Time
t
1. The time it takes to recruit, process and bring new employees on
board has been of continuing concern to all of us. This is to advise you of
new procedures which the Office of Personnel Policy, Planning, and Managemenn.
(OPPPM) has adopted to reduce this hiring time. The procedures outlined below
result from extensive system dynamics modeling which identified major blocks
of time spent in the hiring process and who is responsible for the time. Of
particular concern, the model revealed that we lose 0.5 percent of our applicants
per day because of the extensive time it takes at every step of the way: .from
initial contact, through decision-making and clearances, to EOD. By expediting
each step, it is possible that the-time spent in employing professionals can
be reduced from an average of 325 to as little as 81 days and possibly 48, and
clericals from 167 days to as little as 42 days, and even possibly less.
Among the steps that have been taken are:
a. Installed a minicomputer (CAPER) to track a
lic
t
pp
an
files, monitor processing and accumulate statistical data
on applicant flow and time.
b. Amended procedures so that no records or files are
created on applicants rejected in the initial screening.
This eliminates 20,000 files a year from the system and
the attendant workload.
c. Established an Applicant Screening Panel (ASP) to
immediately screen out and reject those candidates who have
nothing to offer the Agency. The Panel is rejecting 65 percent
of the applications that previously would have clogged the
processing system. The Panel also identifies those offices
for which each candidate appears to be qualified.
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d. Developed a new two-part Personal History Statement
(PHS). The first part of four pages contains information on
qualifications and will be used by offices to express interest
in interviewing applicants. The second part contains information
to be used by the Office of Security in conducting an investigation.
By the use of the new two-part PITS, we expect to get Part I returned
in ten days rather than the 24 now required and to increase the rate
of return from the present 60 percent.
e. Asked each of the major user components to prepare an
unclassified description of their Offices for inclusion in infor-
mation packages forwarded to their applicants.
f. Asked the Offices of Security and Medical Services to
prepare criteria that they use to clear applicants. These will be
included in the application package and i is expected that this
self-screening will eliminate some applicants who would not make
it through the clearance process.
g. Established a group of expediters, including a representa-
tive from the Offices of Security and Medical Services, to ensure
quick decisions at each point from getting applications in, through
office decisions and processing, to setting early EOD dates.
h. We are hiring part-time Xerox operators and couriers to
reproduce and hand-carry applications to offices. By sending the
application out concurrently, the file 'review time will be reduced
to 14 days from an average of 30 days and maximum review time of
81 days when five or more offices are interested in the same file.
The ten-day office file review time will be rigidly enforced by
the expediters. We will bring applicants in for office interviews
as soon. as possible to achieve early acceptance or rejection.
i. Initiated processing of engineers and computer science
applicants as soon as suitable applications are received. About
70 such applicants are now in process.
j. Put the Skills Bank listing on a computer for one-day
"electronic mail" delivery rather than the three days formerly
required to deliver them to each component through the regular
mail system.
k. Asked the Office of Security to polygraph local clerical
applicants and to conduct a pre-investigative interview on all
other applicants immediately after office interviews and prior to
beginning the field investigation. This will eliminate many
applicants who must now go through the entire processing before it
is determined that they should be rejected. This in turn reduces
the processing workload, thereby reducing the time it takes to clear
applicants.
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3. Under the new system, the Applicant Screening Panel (ASP) will
concurrently:
a. Place acceptable resumes on the Skills Bank List.
b. Send the resumes to offices which may be interested
in the applicant.
c. Mail the applicant a package which contains the medical
and security criteria, flyers about offices for which the applicant
may be qualified, and applications. The first part of the new PHS
will be completed by the applicant and returned within two weeks.
The second part, containing information necessary for security
processing, will be completed and brought in for the pre-processing
interview or polygraph.
4. When Part I of the application is received, it will be sent only to those
offices which expressed interest in the resume. Offices will have ten days to
decide whether they wish to bring the applicant in for an interview. If we co
not hear from them within ten days, the applicant will be rejected. If the
office is interested after the interview, the applicant will be given a pre-
investigative interview by the Office of Security. If this is successful, tle
office will then request that OPPPM put the applicant in process.
STATINTL
S. We are concerned about the accuracy of requirements we receive from
offices each year. For example, last fiscal yo we had requirements for 1,tO0
new employees. We entered on duty almost which brought us to within A of
the Agency ceiling. When we have a larger data base in our minicomputer and have
developed the necessary modeling techniques, we will be monitoring the flow cf
applications against office requirements to determine problem areas. We expect
that this phase of the new system will be operational by August and that next
fiscal year's requirements reported by each office can be made more realistic.
6. A major related problem concerns Recruitment Guides. Recent survey.
of supervisors making decisions on applicant files show that only about
10 percent had ever seen their Recruitment Guides. When shown to them, these
supervisors were appalled at the inaccuracies contained in the guides. Since
the Recruitment Guides are the major reference tool used by the recruiters
to reTe-r candi ates, they must be current and accurate. We ask that supervi?:ors
and managers involved in selecting applicants update their guides and that
you personally review them. We ask that the revised.guides be forwarded to
OPPPM within the next 30 days.
7. In order to better acquaint you with the recruitment process, we a=ve
scheduled briefings on the new system for your Directorate. You will be not_fied
in the near future of the time and place of the briefing. We urge you to attend
this briefing since a reduction in hiring time is a goal we all share. We
believe that a strong cooperative effort can help us meet this goal.
STATINTL
ar E. i a er
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Career Opportunities
For Computer Scientists
in the Central Intelligence Agency
Working Environment
CIA offers exciting challenges to computer science
majors, as well as engineers and mathematicians with computer
science interests. CIA's Office of Data Processing (ODP)
operates one of the largest and most technologically advanced
computer installations in the U. S. Government. IBM and
Amdahl large scale processors and minicomputers from several
manufacturers host a broad range of software systems including:
MVS, JES3, VM, CMS, TSO, CICS, and UNIX. These support a
variety of programming languages and data base systems,
such as, PL/l, FORTRAN, COBOL, APL, BASIC, PASCAL, C, GIMS,
and RAMIS. In addition, ODP provides a number of proprietary
software packages to computer users involved in such varied
tasks as economic research, medical technology, and behavioral
research.
Initial Assignment
Computer scientists entering ODP may be assigned one
of two major career fields: computer applications development,
or computer systems engineering. Assignment will depend on
the employee's interests and the needs of the Agency. In
either area, new employees will receive a thorough orientation
to CIA and ODP and continued training to adapt their academic
education to ODP's working environment. Senior computer
professionals guide new employees as needed to ensure that
they make meaningful contributions to the Agency's mission
and develop satisfying careers.
Applications Development
Computer Programmers and Systems Analysts develop
applications software to support intelligence collection,
analysis, and production, as well as a broad range of
administrative and management functions. Applications
include analytical models, graphics, signal analysis,
medical technology, office automation, and large integrated
data base management systems. While some of these applica-
tions are unclassified, most involve highly sensitive national
security data. Programs are developed and maintained through
terminals using a variety of programmer workbench tools
available on ODP's timesharing network.
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Systems Engineering
Systems Programmers, Telecommunications Specialists, and
Computer Equipment Analysts develop and maintain a sophisticated
and technologically advanced computer network designed to plate
computer power directly into the hands of intelligence analysts
and support personnel. Tasks include: maintaining system
software for interactive, online, and batch processing systems;
testing and quality assurance for large software/hardware
development projects; designing and developing special purpose
information processing systems; testing and installing proprietary
software packages; measuring the performance of large scale
computer systems; planning and designing future computer con-
figurations; developing and maintaining telecommunications
networks; and interfacing computer equipment.
Research and Development
Computer scientists in CIA constantly strive to provide
state-of-the-art computer technology to intelligence analysts.
Frequent contacts with computer manufacturers, research firms,
and computer user groups ensure that CIA remains on the leading
edge of technology. Projects range from large data base manage-
ment systems and high speed.text search to office-environment micro-
processors and electronic mail.
Professional Development
ODP employees are offered continuing education and profes-
sional growth through in-house training programs, computer
manufacturer's training, tuition sponsorship at local colleges
and universities, attendance at computer conferences and semincrs,
and participation in professional societies and computer user
groups. Great emphasis is placed on remaining current in the
rapidly evolving fields of data processing and computer scier:cL.
After three years, ODP employees are eligible to compete for ar-
annual one-year fellowship to continue their studies full-time
in an academic program of their choice. Rotational assignment:"
with other offices in CIA are a normal step in the career
progression of ODP employees. Eventual career development may
lead to managerial positions within ODP or other parts of thE-
Agency. The analytical skills and systems approach that compuz er
professionals bring to bear on problems are much in demand in.
CIA and the Intelligence Community.
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