[IPAC-List] Local government preference for internal employees

[Shekerjian, Rene (CS)]

Mark makes some interesting points. Based on my observations in New York State, I would say that when using an open competitive list, agencies are constrained to appointing only those who are reachable. If they have knowledge of one or more eligibles who are reachable, they can certainly put that to use. Knowing that someone is a hard worker and has integrity, or that the person has knowledge of the program area, is a significant plus.

René 


René Shekerjian
Testing Services Program Manager, Testing Services Division

Department of Civil Service
Empire State Plaza, Agency Building 1, Albany, NY 12239

(518) 402-2660 | Rene.Shekerjian at cs.ny.gov      

www.cs.ny.gov





-----Original Message-----
From: mhammer at 295.ca [mailto:mhammer at 295.ca] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2015 7:48 PM
To: ipac-list at ipacweb.org
Subject: Re: [IPAC-List] Local government preference for internal employees

There is formal/explicit preference (which, I concur, may well be considered against policy or even illegal), and there is implicit preference.

Many jurisdictions require that just about *everything* be posted externally, even when the hiring manager is simply trying to turn a short-term contract into a more permanent appointment for a preferred (for all the right reasons) candidate.  In many such instances, the internal employee ends up being selected because the experience and knowledge criteria are engineered to select that individual, or the sort of "dream"
external candidate who explodes out of the woodwork (and which very rarely exists).

The job-relatedness does not have to be attached to their status as current employee.  Rather, the KSAs sought for the position just happen to be enhanced or *result* from the fact that they are an internal candidate.
 Fopr example, there may be a knowledge test as part of the selection. 
The knowledge required for the test may not necessarily be privileged information that ONLY internal candidates would know (which would be discriminatory and certainly grounds for grievance), but it could be information that is certainly helped along by being an internal candidate.

So, for example, one of the requirements may be "extensive knowledge" of some government policy.  The policy may well be posted on-line such that anyone could see it and commit it to memory.  But the chances are pretty good that the internal candidate would have a leg up, relative to those who simply crammed from the posted information.

Bottom line: advantage does not have to equal explicit preference.

Mark Hammer
Ottawa

> Is there data available (even anecdotal) as to any local governments 
> that give preference to internal employees applying for open 
> competitive advertised jobs?  There are some union agreements that 
> call for all jobs to first be posted internal only, and then posted 
> externally if needed, but I have no knowledge of any local governments 
> that give preference just because applicants are current employees of 
> that entity.  I am curious how an entity giving such preference can 
> demonstrate the job relatedness of it, as well as the answer the 
> challenge of external applicants who possess more job-related 
> qualifications than internals who may have moved ahead of them to go 
> forward to the next step in the hiring process.  Veteran's Preference 
> is a legal mandate in the State of Florida for applicants meeting 
> minimum qualifications, but I am looking for a non-legally mandated hiring process that offers this type of preference to internals .
>  Thank you in advance.
>
> Best regards, Leilani Yan
>
>
>
>
>
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