Why does the federal process take so long?

[studentcj]

from what i've read on boards and through talking to various people trying to get on with a federal agency usually takes at least a year and sometimes up to like 3 yrs. I'm curious to know why it takes so long, i could only imagine the frustration

[suzanne1020U.S.]

Um, because they can. :D

[Piggy]

Budgets and politics. For example, when I left my former federal agency, the director was at odds with the Chief. We were supposed to have around 40 Officers by mandate, and we had around 9. They didn't even fill my position until about 2 years later.

Sometimes the jobs are posted, and then they decide to 'put things on hold' for another project. Other times they might be doing a massive hiring spree for a particular agency but the budget gets cut so they have to hold off until more money gets into the budget.

Along with the hiring process itself being very long. Our agency would have the applications sent locally, then it would be sent to DC, before being sent back locally for the second time. Then interviews would be held before a lengthy pre-employment screening process and then the person would finally get hired.

That and the Government does everything slow.

[Switchback]

The federal positions often have a much higher number of appliacnts. This, alone, makes for a long process. Now, compound that with the fact that these applicatants are from all over the country. While most local departments' BIs can be conducted in a more localized vicinity, the federal ones often span the country.

[kels]

Any govt job works at the same speed as molassis running
up hill in the winter in North Dakota (sorry Jake)

Once you understand this..............the rest is simple.

[Group9]

You won't wonder why it takes so long if you ever get hired. You'll only have to work about a month before you know the answer.

Answer: Because it is the way the federal government is.

[Kyn]

The above posters pretty much hit the nail on the head; politics, red tape, needs of the agency, misc projects, etc.

I'll share with you my own personal experience on the hiring process and why it is taking so long.

I took my TEA exam for the USSS back in July of 2008 in the New York office. Due to the upcoming Presidential election the application process was pretty much put on hold. The New York office guys/gals were sent out for the Democratic National Convention, the Republican National Convention, the Presidential nominees (as well as the VP and their respective nuclear families), the U.N. Summit in New York City Sept 2008, President Bush's farewell tour around the world, and lastly the transition of President #43 to President #44.

That's approx. 6 months of nothing going on for hiring in my region. They finally scheduled my panel, and the process seems to be back up and running.

In my experience it was the region that I had applied through and what their schedules looked like. I know that others who applied with the USSS had a faster turn over time then I, due to the fact that there offices weren't as busy.

Since that time I've had several other federal agencies interested in me and their hiring process moved along rather quickly.

[Joeyd6]

I reordered business cards sixteen weeks ago. I still don't have them.

I filled out the form and attached an old card. My agency does not let you play with the layout so it is set. It was sent to my boss for approval, then his boss, then DC HQ clerical staff, who forward it to a agency procurement specialist who sends it to finance for approval and who then gets an OK and then orders it.

A proof is sent back to the procurement specialist who then faxes it to me. And guess what, even with an old card attached, somebody in the process decided my cell number was wrong and changed it. So I fax back a change.

A week later, I get a new proof. It is correct. I let the procurement specialist know.

The company who makes them then sends them to the procurement specialist who puts them in another FedEx envelope to the agency clerical staff who then FedEx's them to me, because everyoen wants to "see them" to release them from liability.

Cards cost $34.95 + 3.95 shipping: $39.90

Agency FedEx costs: $18 + Salary for 5 minutes of my boss ($6), 5 min the SAC ($8), 10 min each way for HQ clerical ($5), 1/2 hour of procurment specialist ($21) and 10 minutes of finace persons times to process payments ($12) = $70

So doing it the government way is $70 + $39.90 = $109.90

Doing it MY way would cost (if I was allowed to order with my gov purchase card in 5 minutes online at my desk): $4 for salary and $39.90 for cards = $43.90, saving the taxpayer $66. But if it ain't broke, we don't fix it!

[ButterChunk]

You can also add that some agencies choose to use contractors for the initial vetting of applicants and sometimes those contractors aren't quite up to the challenge. (read - lowest bidder)

I think the only time I've seen a fed agency hire quickly is when congress has imposed a deadline!