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The Independent
a day ago
- Business
- The Independent
After DOGE firings White House asks new job seekers to write Trump loyalty essays, from lawyers to janitors
After a months-long freeze on hiring new federal employees and the Elon Musk-led DOGE cuts to the government workforce, the Trump administration is ready to resume civil service hiring — as long as the applicants answer a few essay questions about their level of loyalty to the president and his mission. The Office of Personnel Management last week quietly published a memorandum authored by Vince Haley, the White House 's head of domestic policy that was addressed to the head or acting head of every agency across the entire executive branch. According to the White House's directive, a copy of which was reviewed by The Independent, anyone applying for a civil service position at entry level or above — including such jobs as nurses, janitors, economists and lawyers, among others — must respond to a series of essay questions before they can even be considered for an interview. The 'merit hiring plan' lays out in detail how to implement a January executive order signed by Trump to 'prioritize recruitment of individuals committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.' The plan also seeks to prevent anyone who is 'unwilling to defend the Constitution or to faithfully serve the Executive Branch' from being employed in the civil service. One question asks applicants about their 'commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States,' while another question asks applicants to state how they would 'help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities' and to 'identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives' that they find significant to them. They must also explain how they'd help implement these orders or initiatives. If applicants write answers that are satisfactory enough to land them an interview, the memorandum also states that they must participate in an 'executive interview' with a political appointee from 'agency leadership' who will evaluate their 'organizational fit and commitment to American ideals.' For civil service experts and good-government advocates, the new applicant screening process is setting off alarm bells. Adam Bonica, a Stanford University political scientist who publishes the 'On Data and Democracy' newsletter on Substack, wrote on Sunday that the White House's directive 'signals a profound departure from a cornerstone of American democracy: the non-partisan, merit-based civil service' and looks to implement Project 2025 efforts to deconstruct the nonpartisan civil service in favor of a return to the 'spoils system' that was in place until the late 1800s. 'A merit-based civil service that took generations to build is being dismantled via memo,' he charged. The new hiring guidelines aren't the only way Trump and his allies are upending the nonpartisan system that was set up to govern federal hiring in the wake of President James Garfield's 1881 assassination by a disgruntled office seeker. Shortly after he returned to power in January, Trump signed an executive order that ordered agencies to reclassify career employees who work on policy matters into a new 'schedule' that strips them of nearly all civil service protections. The directive largely re-implements an October 2020 order Trump signed to establish what was then called 'Schedule F' and was set to be comprised of any federal worker in 'confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating positions.' That broad category includes most of the government's non-partisan experts such as scientists, doctors, lawyers and economists, whose work to advise and inform policymakers is supposed to be done in a way that is fact-driven and devoid of politics. Combined with the more than 100,000 open positions created by the massive number of firings and resignations across the entire executive branch during Trump's first few months back in power, these new policies could allow the administration to recruit an equal number of MAGA devotees who would eventually acquire protection from removal by future administrations. Max Stier, president of the nonprofit Partnership for Public Service, told Axios on Monday that it looks like the administration is 'emptying the shelves of the existing nonpartisan expert civil servants' and 'restocking' those same shelves with 'loyalists.' Jeri Buchholz, a former head of HR at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, told the outlet that traditional federal hiring, by law, was meant to 'focus on the knowledge, skills and abilities required for the position.' She said the Trump White House's required questions are by contrast 'philosophical' and 'not even aptitude related,' making them difficult to square with the 'merit hiring plan,' especially since it purports to require agencies to speed up hiring decisions.
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Trump administration bans agencies from considering race or gender in hiring process
The Trump administration on Thursday issued new guidelines barring federal agencies from considering race or gender in the hiring process. The guidelines, part of a Merit Hiring Plan sent to agency leaders, also call for preventing the hiring of workers unwilling to 'faithfully serve the Executive Branch.' 'The overly complex Federal hiring system overemphasized discriminatory 'equity' quotas and too often resulted in the hiring of unfit, unskilled bureaucrats,' the Office of Personnel Management wrote in a memo to agency leaders. The memo stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office that seeks to 'restore merit to government service.' The administration has already moved to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs within federal agencies and sought to extend that effort to institutions and companies that interact with the federal government. The hiring plan comes as the federal government has been implementing mass layoffs known as reductions in force, or RIFs, though that process has been put on hold at multiple agencies by federal courts. The administration has also restricted how many new hires agencies can add to their ranks — with only one new position for every four people who depart. OPM is seeking to reduce the hiring process to fewer than 80 days. The memo also calls for eliminating unnecessary degree requirements in favor of skills-based hiring, which both Republicans and Democrats have supported. However, it also requires that agencies use 'rigorous, job-related assessments to ensure candidates are selected based on their merit and competence, not their skin color or academic pedigree,' which has been a focus of Republicans. The 30-page memo orders agencies to stop using statistics on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin or the concept of 'underrepresentation' in hiring, recruiting, retention or promotion decisions. It also prevents agencies from releasing data on the compositions of their workforces based on race, sex, color, religion or national origin. And it ends all programs and initiatives related to hiring, training and promotions based on these criteria, while warning that any hiring manager or employee will face disciplinary action if they engage in 'unlawful race preferential discrimination.' 'An asserted interest in 'diversity' or 'equity' cannot justify discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin,' the memo reads. OPM also takes a shot at the nation's top universities, several of which the Trump administration is targeting, in its mandate to broaden early career recruitment efforts. 'Federal hiring too often focuses on elite universities and credentials, instead of merit, practical skill, and commitment to American ideals,' the memo reads. Instead, the office directs agencies to target recruitment at state universities, religious colleges, community colleges and trade schools, homeschooling groups, faith-based groups and the military, among others. Axios first reported on the memo.
CNN
4 days ago
- Business
- CNN
Trump administration bans agencies from considering race or gender in hiring process
The Trump administration on Thursday issued new guidelines barring federal agencies from considering race or gender in the hiring process. The guidelines, part of a Merit Hiring Plan sent to agency leaders, also call for preventing the hiring of workers unwilling to 'faithfully serve the Executive Branch.' 'The overly complex Federal hiring system overemphasized discriminatory 'equity' quotas and too often resulted in the hiring of unfit, unskilled bureaucrats,' the Office of Personnel Management wrote in a memo to agency leaders. The memo stems from an executive order President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office that seeks to 'restore merit to government service.' The administration has already moved to dismantle diversity, equity and inclusion programs within federal agencies and sought to extend that effort to institutions and companies that interact with the federal government. The hiring plan comes as the federal government has been implementing mass layoffs known as reductions in force, or RIFs, though that process has been put on hold at multiple agencies by federal courts. The administration has also restricted how many new hires agencies can add to their ranks — with only one new position for every four people who depart. OPM is seeking to reduce the hiring process to fewer than 80 days. The memo also calls for eliminating unnecessary degree requirements in favor of skills-based hiring, which both Republicans and Democrats have supported. However, it also requires that agencies use 'rigorous, job-related assessments to ensure candidates are selected based on their merit and competence, not their skin color or academic pedigree,' which has been a focus of Republicans. The 30-page memo orders agencies to stop using statistics on race, sex, ethnicity, national origin or the concept of 'underrepresentation' in hiring, recruiting, retention or promotion decisions. It also prevents agencies from releasing data on the compositions of their workforces based on race, sex, color, religion or national origin. And it ends all programs and initiatives related to hiring, training and promotions based on these criteria, while warning that any hiring manager or employee will face disciplinary action if they engage in 'unlawful race preferential discrimination.' 'An asserted interest in 'diversity' or 'equity' cannot justify discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, or national origin,' the memo reads. OPM also takes a shot at the nation's top universities, several of which the Trump administration is targeting, in its mandate to broaden early career recruitment efforts. 'Federal hiring too often focuses on elite universities and credentials, instead of merit, practical skill, and commitment to American ideals,' the memo reads. Instead, the office directs agencies to target recruitment at state universities, religious colleges, community colleges and trade schools, homeschooling groups, faith-based groups and the military, among others. Axios first reported on the memo.
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Federal Job Applications Will Soon Have Essay Questions About Trump's Executive Orders And Government Efficiency
Essay questions about government efficiency and President Donald Trump's executive orders will soon be included in federal job applications, the Office of Personnel Management announced Thursday, adding new requirements for civil service job seekers that could gauge their political leanings. The questions were listed in a Thursday memorandum from the Office of Personnel Management. (Photo ... More by) The questions will apply to applications for positions GS-05 and above, a federal pay grade with annual rates as low as $34,454, according to data from the Office of Personnel Management. Four essay questions will be added with a limit of 200 words per answer, with applicants required to certify that they did not use a consultant or artificial intelligence for their answers. The Office of Personnel Management said the questions are being added as part of Executive Order 14170, which Trump signed in January and seeks to make the federal hiring process more efficient. Get Forbes Breaking News Text Alerts: We're launching text message alerts so you'll always know the biggest stories shaping the day's headlines. Text 'Alerts' to (201) 335-0739 or sign up here. 1. How has your commitment to the Constitution and the founding principles of the United States inspired you to pursue this role within the Federal government? Provide a concrete example from professional, academic, or personal experience. 2. In this role, how would you use your skills and experience to improve government efficiency and effectiveness? Provide specific examples where you improved processes, reduced costs, or improved outcomes. 3. How would you help advance the President's Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role? Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired. 4. How has a strong work ethic contributed to your professional, academic or personal achievements? Provide one or two specific examples, and explain how those qualities would enable you to serve effectively in this position. The new questions do not explicitly ask applicants about their political preferences, which is prohibited under federal law. However, Max Stier, president of the Partnership for Public Service, told Bloomberg, which first reported on the job application questions, that the new inquiries were 'deeply problematic' and an 'almost partisan and ideological overlay without understanding the responsibilities they're hiring for.' When exactly the new questions will begin appearing on federal job applications provided by USAJobs, the official employment site for the federal government. The Office of Personnel Management did not immediately respond to Forbes' request for comment. Trump signed Executive Order 14170 with the stated goal of streamlining and making the federal hiring process more transparent. He also signed Executive Order 14173 to curb diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in federal hiring, claiming the initiatives, which are intended to accommodate marginalized groups in the workplace and in the hiring process, are 'illegal, demeaning, and immoral.' Last month, The Washington Post reported some 280 employees working on environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives for the Environmental Protection Agency resigned from the agency themselves or were told they would be fired. The president's goal to reform federal hiring has been pushed alongside the firing of hundreds of thousands of federal employees, which has been done to 'enhance accountability, reduce waste, and promote innovation,' according to the president. However, some of the layoffs have been reversed by the Trump administration or blocked by courts. Federal Government Layoff Tracker: State Department Reportedly Cutting 15% Of U.S. Staff, EPA Firing DEI Workers (Forbes)
Reuters
5 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Trump administration bans use of race, sex data in federal hiring
May 29 (Reuters) - The Trump administration told federal agencies on Thursday to halt the use of statistics on race, sex, ethnicity or national origin in the hiring process, marking its latest effort to extinguish use of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The directive was part of a broader set of guidelines sent to human resources leaders at government agencies fleshing out an executive order, opens new tab signed by President Donald Trump in January aimed at "restoring merit" to the center of the hiring process. All hiring and promotion decisions must be based "solely on merit, qualifications and job-related criteria — not race, sex, color, religion, or national origin," the memo from the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday said. The memo further ordered human resources leaders to "cease using statistics on race, sex, ethnicity or national origin, or the broader concept of 'underrepresentation' of certain groups," in relation to recruiting or hiring. The memo also said dissemination of such data was banned. The directive is the latest move by Trump to undermine diversity and inclusion programs, many of which have been in place for decades in an effort to remedy historical injustices for marginalized groups. Trump and his allies have called such programs anti-merit and discriminatory against white people and men. Advocates and experts have said racial or gender data collection, which has long been a standard across the federal government and many private sector U.S. companies, is a necessary tool to identify inequities or potential discrimination within hiring practices. The OPM memo also said government agencies have been too focused "on elite universities and credentials, instead of merit, practical skill, and commitment to American ideals." In addition to hiring veterans and individuals with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, agencies should recruit more young people from state universities, religious colleges, trade schools, faith organizations and homeschooling groups, the memo says. "Going forward, agencies shall ensure that early career recruitment focuses on patriotic Americans who will faithfully adhere to the Constitution and the rule of law," the memo says.
