Hiring controls aim to shape civilian workforce Published June 7, 2011 By Sharon Bowman 21st Force Support Squadron PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Air Force leaders announced civilian hiring controls, effective May 9, as part of a strategic review of its civilian workforce to evaluate the high priority mission areas and determine where positions need to be realigned. The Air Force-wide efforts to stem the civilian personnel growth are a result of Secretary of Defense Robert Gate's efficiency initiatives to maintain civilian manning at fiscal 2010 levels. Hiring controls will allow Air Force officials to take a targeted approach to meet the directed manning levels. Those controls will affect Team Pete in a number of ways. The hiring controls will limit the ability to hire new employees into the current workforce. The policy states the Air Force can only hire one person for every two vacancies (1:2 ratio). There are exceptions to the hiring controls but not many. This will, of course, impact the workforce and will at times be stressful. In addition, this measure should help Peterson AFB prepare for future reduced funding and manpower levels. Each major command will be responsible for determining which positions are recruited. If you applied for a position recently you may receive notification from the Air Force Personnel Center regarding your application. Applicants should continue to apply when jobs are announced in the future, if they wish to move to another position. For those who are selecting officials, one-third of the base's Request for Personnel Actions currently at AFPC will be canceled. AFPC will notify you if and when this happens. If you made selections on your certificate on or before May 12, your primary selections will be honored. If your primary selectee declines, no further offers will be made, and the RPA will be canceled. Unfortunately, if you have a certificate and have not made selections, the certificate and RPA will be closed if the position is not exempted from the hiring controls. Additionally, if no selection was made and there is a priority placement program match, that PPP match must be cleared. AFPC and the losing organization will jointly determine qualifications and if the match is determined to be highly qualified, the requesting agency will be required to accept that employee. Current announcements for positions subject to hiring controls will be closed. Management reassignments may take place within an organization, or if both supervisors agree, from different organizations on the Peterson complex. Summer hire actions will continue. Classification actions with Air Force Manpower Agency falling in the fenced (exempted) area of the hiring controls will continue as normal. RPAs received at AFMA on or before March 14, 2011, falling into the unfenced (non-exempted) category will continue to be classified. However, after being classified, the RPA will be returned to the CPS for a fill determination based on the hiring controls. RPAs received on or after March 15 falling into the unfenced (non-exempted) category will be returned without action to the CPS. The RPAs may be returned to the CPS for recruiting when it meets the 1:2 hiring controls. Encumbered position reviews and employee position classification appeals are not affected and will continue to be worked in accordance with current guidance. Headquarter Air Force Space Command/A1 will determine the final priority for RPA submission to AFMA and/or AFPC using a cross functional panel of leaders within Air Force Space Command. All mission partners will manage hiring controls through its respective MAJCOM. Verification from MAJCOMs indicating all hiring control guidelines have been met must be attached to RPAs prior to being forwarded to the CPS. The Air Force recognizes the invaluable contributions of the civilian workforce, but also recognizes the fiscal constraints under which all services are operating. The personnel center will do its best to balance mission needs while taking care to minimize the effect on the civilian workforce.