18f / joining-18f Goto Github PK

We need a way to house the different roles that we are currently hiring for so that applicants can see if there is something they are specifically interested in and that they can use during the application process to indicate that interest.

Potential solutions
MVP: Use the current Who We Are Hiring page and add the positions with a short blurb about each.

Long term: Create a new page that is used to only house the roles. Contains a description of each team with links to the performance profiles associated with role.

Notes: I'll create a pull request for the MVP solution.

As a prospective applicant, I want to understand what timelines to expect, what kind of cohort-level application analysis to expect, etc., so I can assess my progress accordingly.

On the application, (I think) it should be...

About the "why":

not... About the "why:" (switch colon & closing ")

Current state: Applicant selects a primary skill from a drop down list.

To capture a better representation of the candidate and enable more dynamic routing to SMEs and team, add the ability to indicate self assessment of multiple skill areas

Notes:
There are two options that we are considering that meet the requirements (see below). The preferred solution is something that is closest to the first option (also used by PIF). Would love thoughts/feedback if there is a better way to do it.

1 - A drop down per functional skill with a 0-5 rating.

• Greatest flexibility in allocation
• Greatest degrees of assessment, more information about candidate (Candidate can indicate multiple top skills, Candidate also indicates which skills they don't have)
• Potentially sub-optimal applicant experience due to increased number of fields to complete (15 fields)
• Does not force applicant to rank skills

2 - A drop down for top skills in order of expertise (1st, 2nd, 3rd)

• Better user experience with only three fields to complete
• Forces stack ranking of top 3 skills
• Decreased level of flexibility in allocation
• Decreased degrees of assessment, less information about candidate

Later stages of the application process require applicants to submit documents that include especially sensitive information such as their Social Security Numbers, signatures, etc. Some applicants choose workarounds like sending password-protected ZIP files and calling with the phone number, but for a variety of reasons, others don't.

Let's suggest ways applicants can protect their data so 1) they know if they don't already know and 2) it's clear that these approaches are welcome.

https://pages.18f.gov/joining-18f/who-we-are-hiring/
http://18f.github.io/agile-labor-categories/

Should we kill the second one?
/cc @gboone

To make the evaluation process easier and ensure applicants can provide the best information, add language to the resume link and/or resume section suggesting that a link is the best option.

Notes: Maybe something like "At this time our application cannot accept file attachments. It is recommended that you provide a link to a hosted version of your resume."

Then we can reiterate by including something like this on the copy/paste Resume Field. "Note:The copy/paste resume field does not capture formatting and will only provide the text."

I think it might be worth talking about that everyone here is an "innovation specialist" in the eyes of GSA. People start to get offers and then are confused as to what that means.

Also, please tell me if this is the wrong way to suggest edits. :)

As a member of the talent team, I want to know when a new application has been submitted so that I can review it as promptly as possible.

Technical notes:
Destination: [email protected]

A confirmation email is sent to candidates that have successfully submitted an application.

Problem: Applicants are unsure if their application was successfully submitted and reaching out to talent team to confirm if their application has been received.

Note: I just wanted to capture this issue somewhere. It may not be something that we can or will want to do with this interim solution but didn't want to lose the feedback.

We need to make the following additions to the application page and make them mandatory:

Functional Skills - drop down with the following options:
Acquisition/Contracts Management
Data Visualization
Dev Ops
Design: Visual
Design: Content
Design: Front End
Design: User Exp. & Research
Marketing, Communications
Operations, Recruiting
Product Management
Project Management
Software Dev: Front End
Software Dev: Back End
Software Dev: DevOps
Technical Architecture

General Schedule - Grade Levels drop down with 13,14, 15 options
18F hires against GSA position descriptions at the GS 13, GS 14 and GS 15 level. Please select the level that you would wish to apply to. For more information, please read here
Innovation Specialist - Grade 13
Innovation Specialist - Grade 14
Innovation Specialist - Grade 15

Team Talent is working on the "please read here" section. :)

Following up on @hestherchang and @jamiealbrecht's convo.

User story:
As a prospective applicant, I want to know when positions for which I'm eligible open up so I can apply for them.

As someone on the hiring team, I want as many prospective applicants as possible to know about relevant openings so I can receive applications from all interested applicants at the appropriate times (and so I don't miss out on great candidates simply because they weren't continually checking the website).

Current behavior:
18F is currently hiring for only a few specific positions at a time. When the next round of openings are made active, updates are posted to the website. If prospective applicants see them, they see them. There's no built-in way for them to automatically receive updates.

Desired behavior:
Prospective applicants can in some way sign up to receive notifications when new openings are posted (or, perhaps, when specific relevant openings are posted).

Technical notes:
The simplest way to accomplish this is likely to:

1. encourage prospective applicants to sign up for the 18F mailing list, and
2. be sure to include job openings in the newsletter.

Outstanding questions:

• Who writes content for the newsletters?
• How realistic is it that the schedule of job openings will neatly align with the newsletter schedule? (What are each of those schedules?)

The Interview Process page says to submit a résumé but the How to Apply page doesn't. It should.

Criteria:

• Image of 18F org structure
• what teams (consulting, delivery) and roles are available for consideration
• Provide timeline breakdown from application submission to security clearance

Per conversation with @jamiealbrecht: 18F doesn't currently have capacity to process applications for positions for which we're not actively hiring. However, eager would-be applicants continue to optimistically email about inactive positions.
#57 will more substantially improve the user experience for people who want to apply for positions that aren't currently active. In the meantime, the goals here are to 1) improve the signal-to-noise ratio for the hiring team and 2) make it clearer to would-be applicants that 18F is only hiring for certain positions at any given time.

This is a stub for building a tool to help people find out which level they fit best. Why? To help applicants navigate what's often an unfamiliar process, and to in so doing mitigate some of the documented tendencies toward overestimation and underestimation of qualification (in the non-technical sense) that could otherwise lead to or perpetuate troubling pay discrepancies.

Expanding on #76, which delivered a minimum viable version of this, a text-based table.

User story:
As an applicant who may not have previously worked in government, I want to understand the personal implications of becoming an employee of the federal government (e.g., the Hatch Act, FOIAability of _____, social media considerations, implications for attending or speaking at conferences, etc.) so that I can make an informed decision about whether to accept an employment offer.

Current behavior:
The site includes some information about conferences. The site includes no information about legal ramifications of being a federal employee.

Desired behavior:
See above. Exact content TBD.

Technical notes:
N/A

Outstanding questions:

• What will it say? :)

To better facilitate the manual processing of applications.

Change the vet preference question to be:
"Are you a Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or are you eligible for "derived" preference?"

Possible answers:
"Yes"
"No"

Note: 18F is not responsible for determining if a candidate is eligible for preference, that is part of the responsibility of OHRM during the certification process. 18F can facilitate by capturing the information on the application.

Current behavior:
The rubric on the interview process page is specific to engineering. It used to be coupled with the interview format on the engineering interviews page, which is now more minimal. Perhaps someone split them up?

Desired behavior:

• The interview process page accurately reflects the interview process all candidates can expect
• The engineering interviews page accurately reflects the interview process engineering candidates can expect

Outstanding questions:

• Does the current description match up with the current performance profile direction/evaluation criteria? —@jamiealbrecht
• Is this how candidates are evaluated? (or, How are candidates evaluated?)

Hat tip to @kaitlin for reporting this.

Right now this is a placeholder to remind me to update all of the sections of the join page. Tagging @cbrydges on this too.

Per @coreycaitlin's observation that the README for this repo is currently the same as the one for the 18F Guides Template.

Following up on #74, which included:

General Schedule - Grade Levels drop down with 13,14, 15 options
18F hires against GSA position descriptions at the GS 13, GS 14 and GS 15 level. Please select the level that you would wish to apply to. For more information, please read here
Innovation Specialist - Grade 13
Innovation Specialist - Grade 14
Innovation Specialist - Grade 15

Team Talent is working on the "please read here" section. :)

Current behavior:
No such field is included.

Desired behavior:
Applicants are required to self-select the GS level to which they're applying.

Technical notes:
One selection max. Applicants can select only one GS level per application. They'll have the opportunity to reapply later if appropriate.

Outstanding questions:

• What will we provide to help applicants choose their level?

User story:
As an applicant, I want to be able to send my materials through the website so that I have a more seamless experience and feel more certain that everything has gone to the right place.

As a GSA HR proper point of contact, I want to be able to collect and review materials from candidates more efficiently so I can save time and focus on harder problems. :)

Current behavior:
All materials are delivered via email over multiple rounds. For further details, see How to Apply.

Desired behavior:
TBD; see questions below.

Technical notes:

• The Google Drive API might come in handy; create follow-up story once we're at that point.

Outstanding questions:

• Which materials should this include, and on what timeline?
• @jamiealbrecht, how does the current process play out from the HR staffer's perspective? (The current applicant process is outlined in How to apply.)

Criteria:

• Identify what materials are needed from candidates
• Clear instructions for applying to 18F directly
• Clear instructions for applying for USDS
• Disclaimer on delays for security clearance

The Public Service Loan Forgiveness program forgives all remaining debt on federal loans after 120 payments while employed full time in public service. It's unclear, based on the FAQ, whether the time must be with the same employer, or whether it can be spread across multiple jobs. If there's any loan forgiveness benefits to joining 18F, we should highlight them.

Similarly, there is the Student Loan Repayment Program that potential applicants (and current employees) might be curious about if there's any way 18F can participate in that.

Confirm the policy requirements for postings

• Public Announcement Requirements

Create profile files using the PD's

Writing Lab Issue for final PD proofing: 18F/writing-lab#71

• GS 13 #128
• GS 14 #150
• GS 15 #151

Find home on Join Page for PDs

• Language/Messaging for site
• Link PD files

As a part of the process of joining 18F, applicants are required to submit evidence, in the form of W-2s or 1099s, of the past two years' salary. This is a bug in the process. Minorities within the technology industry (which is to say, nearly anybody who isn't a white, cisgender male) are underpaid. Basing 18F salaries on prior salaries perpetuates this discrimination. For this reason, past salaries should not be requested—or, at least, not required—for applicants.

As part of the #wg-diversity meeting, we discussed being more transparent on what government health providers cover. Some examples include trans related health care, coverage for pregnancy, HIV, diabetes, etc. I'm not sure if we have to be specific about everything but we should have some basic language to speak to these without promoting a plan over another. First step is to research. Who can help us find these answers?

Toward #76. :)

Add information about citizenship/work visa status. Short answer being that you do not have to be a citizen, but you must already be able to work in the U.S. We can't sponsor visas.

We need to correct the language around sick leave advances for FMLA. It should say something like this:

When serving under a limited appointment employees can only be advanced sick leave up the total amount which would be earned during the term of that appointment. For our staff it would be what can be accrued in 2 years or less.

It depends, obviously, on when they take the sick leave and how much they would be able to accrue in that time.

Also, FMLA is only available to those who have been at GSA a year.

cc @kaitlin

Criteria:

• Identify what materials are needed from candidates
• Clear instructions for applying to 18F directly
• Clear instructions for applying for USDS
• Disclaimer on delays for security clearance

Update the language in the Eligibility section of the application to be:

"Any individual who is not currently a GSA employee or contractor and who is a U.S. Citizen, a non-citizen national of the U.S., or holds a valid green card is eligible to apply."

The performance profile pages need to be updated with the new content generated by the team.

Writing Lab Copy Request Issue: 18F/writing-lab#65

• Content designer
• Director of Outreach #141 (Pending 18F/writing-lab#55)
• Acquisition Specialist #133
• Data Architect #134
• Practical Dev #135
• Product Lead #136
• Software Developer (Front-End, Back-End, Full-Stack) #137
• Front End Designer #138
• User Experience Designer #139
• Visual Designer #140

Once all files are merged:

• Change all appropriate files to "Active: true"
• Merge #183 - Updates the roles and teams page with all previous changes

This issue can be done once the final changes to the application have been made.

To better facilitate the manual processing required per applicant, reorder the questions within the application

New Order:
Name
Email
Phone
City
State
ZIP Code
Vet Preference
Additional Opportunities
Eligibility
Availability
Preferred location
Where did you learn about 18F? (Add something that says enter referral information here)
What position would you like to apply to? (Grade Level)
Functional Skills (Drop Downs)
Other Skills (Short Answer Text)
Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Resume Link
Resume
Why do you want to join 18F?
What role at 18F most excites you and that you believe you are the best fit for and why? (This question still in development)

This issue doesn't required immediate action.

@fureigh What do you think about making the Eligiblity quesiton required? I know that there is only one response possible, but if we make it required then the applicant will either be unable to submit the application or they will be forced to lie if they do not, in fact, meet eligibility requirements.

There are a few applicants that didn't submit a response but based on other information, I'm guessing it was an oversight and not that they aren't actually eligible.

For the moment, we should take down open positions. This is just temporary until we get up the application and content around the new process.

Currently reads "If someone referred you to us, please include their name."

However, candidates also have referral codes we gave them (they aren't people names). Can we pls include something like the message below under "Where did you learn about 18F?"?

"if someone referred you to us, please include their name. If you have a referral code, please include that in the box below."

@jamiealbrecht any ideas to make it less wordy?

A few things:

1. Remove business analyst, digital performance analyst, and delivery manager from the page completely.
2. Put interaction designer, etc under design
3. Please take off anything related to content. No current openings.

cc @awfrancisco @elainekamlley

Apologies if this is the complete wrong way to do this. :) But thank you in advance.

User story:
As a GSA HR proper point of contact, I want to be able to readily see whether a given applicant is a veteran so that I can be certain I'm satisfying the appropriate requirements.

As a veteran considering applying for a position, I want to be able to indicate my veteran status so that I can feel confident that my application will be handled appropriately.

Current behavior:
Applicants are free to mention their veteran status but are not explicitly invited or encouraged to do so.

Desired behavior:
When an applicant submits their initial materials, they're invited to indicate their veteran status. Once their application is submitted, GSA HR proper points of contact can appropriately take that into consideration throughout the hiring process.

Technical notes:

• Minimum viable version of this: encourage applicants to mention their veteran status in their initial application email.

Outstanding questions:

• @jamiealbrecht, do the users need to be able to see whether a particular applicant is a veteran or to see which of the applicants are veterans (or both)? Thinking about display vs. filtering.
• How is this currently handled?
• Relatedly: how does knowing someone's veteran status affect what happens next with their application? (As an interim measure, I'm hand-waving above about "satisfying the appropriate requirements," but specificity is key.)

Change: Add a new essay to the application that will allow us to capture the applicants interest in a particular role or team at 18F in addition to serving as a writing sample.

Proposed Question: What role or team at 18F do you believe you are the best fit for and that most excites you? Why?

Additional language to be included with the question: If you need inspiration, check out this page (link to the new page with the roles). If you don't see a perfect role there, that's ok! Just tell us what you think could be

Per conversation with @JenTress about HR requirements.

Change: To facilitate the manual processing activities, remove the auto sort function from the application response sheet.

Notes: The vet auto sort is no longer necessary since all candidates will go through qualification and OHRM will review all for Vet status and apply accordingly.

Change: Add language to the description that indicates clearly that if they were referred by an individual, this is the field to document this information.

...in each project's README. Per #89.