Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service
This executive order, titled “Reforming the Federal Hiring Process and Restoring Merit to Government Service,” directs a broad overhaul of how the federal government recruits and hires workers. It emphasizes merit, efficiency, and national service, while signaling a move away from hiring criteria tied to race, sex, religion, or gender identity as bases for selection. The order requires a Federal Hiring Plan within 120 days that prioritizes highly skilled Americans, incorporates technical and alternative assessments (per the Chance to Compete Act of 2024), reduces time-to-hire to under 80 days, and improves applicant communications and use of modern technology and data analytics. It also calls for active leadership involvement across agencies and sets up mechanisms for accountability and ongoing evaluation, with general provisions preserving existing statutory authority and not creating new legal rights.
Key Points
- 1Policy shift toward merit-based, efficiency-focused federal hiring, with explicit rejection of race, sex, religion, or gender identity as hiring factors.
- 2Within 120 days, a Federal Hiring Plan must be developed (in consultation with the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy, OMB Director, OPM Director, and DOGE Administrator) to recruit highly skilled Americans, uphold constitutional commitments, and end inappropriate or non-merit-based hiring practices.
- 3Plan requirements include: (i) prioritizing candidates committed to efficiency, the rule of law, and the Constitution; (ii) prohibiting hiring based on race, sex, or religion and requiring fidelity to the Constitution; (iii) adopting technical and alternative assessments as required by the Chance to Compete Act of 2024; (iv) reducing time-to-hire to under 80 days; (v) improving candidate communication and feedback; (vi) integrating modern technology and data analytics to improve recruitment and selection, while leveraging digital platforms; (vii) ensuring active involvement of department/agency leadership.
- 4The Plan also targets specific agency leadership structures, including improving the allocation of Senior Executive Service positions in several major agencies, to support democratic leadership and lawful administration.
- 5Sec. 3 establishes accountability through clear OPM performance metrics and regular agency analyses, with consultation from federal agencies, labor organizations, and other stakeholders to monitor progress.
- 6Sec. 4 provides general provisions: limits on the order’s effect on existing statutory authority, budget processes, and monetary policy bodies; implementation subject to law and appropriations; no creation of enforceable legal rights by the order.