Are you a hiring manager or HR official who has used the controversial Federal Career Intern Program to bring on new employees? Do you find it to be an efficient, useful hiring tool? Is it better than the standard hiring process, and if so, why? Or have you seen your office abuse its authorities to sidestep veterans preference, merit principles and hire managers’ favorites, as unions allege is frequently the case?
Federal Times is interested in hearing your impressions of FCIP — how it works, its upsides, and its downsides. Feel free to e-mail me at slosey@federaltimes.com if you’d like to talk. If you’d prefer to talk off the record, or for me to not use your name in my story, that would be fine by me.
4 Comments
While it is an efficient hiring tool, it is definitely being used to sidestep veterans preference and merit promotion in my agency (DoD USAF).
FCIP has been the best tool available in my 42 year career to hire the brightest, most qualified interns into federal service. The quality of our workforce has been greatly improved.
It is abused in my agency too (financial management area) at a Navy command outside the beltway!
I am a vet and I am working in the VA’s TCF internship program and I have not witnessed any abuse at my station nor have I heard or seen this happening at other stations around the country. From my peer’s response to this we have roughly 85% of vets brought in through this program. Regardless if you are a vet or not it comes down to if the person is being hired into these programs are qualified to be in those position.