Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Civil Service Merit – The White House

REFORM THE FEDERAL HIRING PROCESS AND RESTORE MERIT TO GOVERNMENT OFFICE

Pursuant to the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including sections 3301, 3302, and 7511 of title 5, United States Code, it is hereby ordered:

Section 1. Policy. American citizens deserve an excellent and efficient federal workforce that attracts public servants of the highest caliber committed to achieving the freedom, prosperity, and democratic rule that our Constitution promotes. But current federal recruiting practices are broken, isolated and outdated. They no longer focus on merit, practical skills and dedication to our Constitution. Federal hiring should not be based on unacceptable factors, such as a person’s commitment to illegal racial discrimination under the guise of “equity,” or their commitment to the invented concept of “identity.” of gender” in matters of sex. Inserting such factors into the recruitment process undermines the will of the people, endangers critical government functions, and risks losing the most qualified candidates.

By making our recruiting and hiring processes more efficient and focused on serving the nation, we will ensure that the federal workforce is prepared to contribute to American greatness and attract the talent needed to serve effectively our citizens. By significantly improving hiring principles and practices, Americans will receive the federal resources and services they deserve from the most qualified federal workforce in the world.

Second. 2. Federal Hiring Plan. (a) Within 120 days after the date of this order, the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and the administrator of the Department. of Government Efficiency (DOGE), will develop and send to agency heads a federal recruitment plan that will bring into the federal workforce only Americans who are highly qualified and dedicated to promoting American ideals, values, and interests.

(b) This federal hiring plan must:

(i) prioritize the recruitment of individuals committed to improving the effectiveness of the federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the Constitution of the United States;

(ii) prevent the hiring of individuals on the basis of race, sex, or religion, and prevent the hiring of individuals who are unwilling to defend the Constitution or faithfully serve the executive branch;

(iii) implement, to the extent possible, technical and alternative assessments as required by the Chance to Compete Act of 2024;

(iv) reduce the government-wide recruitment time to less than 80 days;

(v) improve communication with applicants to provide greater clarity regarding application status, deadlines and feedback, including regular updates on application progress and explanations of hiring decisions, if applicable;

(vi) integrate modern technology to support the recruitment and selection process, including the use of data analytics to identify hiring trends, gaps and opportunities, as well as leveraging digital platforms to improve candidate engagement; And

(vii) ensure that department and agency leaders, or their representatives, actively participate in the implementation of the new processes and throughout the hiring process.

(c) This federal recruitment plan will include specific agency plans to improve the allocation of senior management positions in Cabinet agencies, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Office of Management and Budget , the Small Business Administration, the Social Security Administration, the National Science Foundation, the Office of Personnel Management, and the General Services Administration, to best facilitate democratic leadership, as required by law, within each agency .

(d) The Federal Recruitment Plan will provide specific best practices for the human resources function in each agency, for each agency head to implement, with appropriate guidance and recommendations from DOGE.

Second. 3. Accountability and reporting. (a) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management will establish clear performance indicators to evaluate the success of these reforms and will regularly request analysis from the agency.

(b) The Office of Personnel Management will consult with Federal agencies, labor organizations, and other stakeholders to monitor progress and ensure that reforms meet the needs of applicants and agencies.

Second. 4. General provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed as impairing or otherwise affecting:

(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency or its head;

(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative or legislative proposals; Or

(iii) the functions of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve or the Federal Open Market Committee relating to the conduct of monetary policy.

(b) This Order will be implemented in accordance with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.

(c) This order is not intended to and does not create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies or entities, its officers, employees. , or agents, or any other person.

THE WHITE HOUSE,

January 20, 2025.