Attachment II.C. - TSO Hiring.pdf

Annual TSO Hiring Figures

2012 2013 2014 2015

Transportation Security Officers (TSO) Hired [D-band] 6,352 4,853 4,713 7,256

TSO Computer Based Tests Attended 71,524 34,532 56,120 74,391

TSO Airport Assessments Conducted 31,767 15,438 20,824 31,494

TSO Medical Exams Attended 23,571 11,765 17,109 26,144

APPLICATIONS Percentage of Applicants Meeting Minimum Eligibility Requirements 99%

Percentage of Applicants Invited that Attended CBT 73%

Percentage that Pass the CBT 63%

AA Percentage that Pass Airport Assessment 86%

MEDICAL Percentage that Pass Medical 55%

Percentage of e86 Forms Initiated that are Submitted to TSA Personnel Security 81%

Percentage that Pass Pre-Hire Background Check 91%

JOB OFFER Percentage of Job Offers Accepted 70%

* Actual process step pass rates vary by airport location.

HSTS01-16-R-HRM037: Attachment II.C. - TSO Hiring

BACKROUND

CBT

2015 TSO Candidate Approximate Nationwide Pass Rates by Hiring Process Step*

Applicant Hiring Stage Pass Rate

Calendar Year

HSTS01-16-R-HRM037: Attachment II.C. – TSO Hiring

TRANSPORTATION SECURITY OFFICER (TSO) HIRING PROCESS (as of February 2016)

All prospective TSO applicants need to apply to an open Job Opportunity Announcement (JOA).

- All JOAs are posted on OPM’s USAJobs website.

- Within each TSO JOA there is hyperlink to a Realistic Job Preview video for prospective applicants to view prior to submitting their application to ensure the position is an opportunity they wish to pursue.

All applications are reviewed to ensure the applicant meets minimum eligibility requirements.

- Determination is made based on applicants’ response to specific questions.

- Notification is sent to the applicants advising if they did or did not meet eligibility requirements.

- Eligible applicants are also invited to register/log-in to their Candidate Dashboard.

Based on the airport’s hiring need, applicants are invited to schedule the Computer Based Test

(CBT) on a first applied, first invited basis.

- The CBT is comprised of two parts and takes approx 2 – 2 ½ hours to complete o SET – Screener English Test o SORT – Screener Object Recognition Test

- Candidates self schedule on-line or schedule with an Help Desk agent with the applicant picking an available testing site and time slot of their choice. CBT testing locations are available within close proximity to an airport, but candidates can opt to schedule at a location closer to their residence.

- Candidates receive e-mail notification of pass/fail results within minutes of completing the test.

- CBT results are valid for two years.

Candidates that pass the CBT are invited to log on to their Candidate Dashboard to electronically submit their TSA Forms 2811 and 2812 (General Release and Credit Check Release Forms).

- Candidates are advised that they only have 14 calendar days from the date they passed the CBT to submit their 2811/2812 Forms or they will be inactivated and withdrawn from the entire process.

- Inactivated candidates receive an e-mail notification.

- Inactivated candidates have no required waiting period to re-apply to an open vacancy and will move directly to this step if their CBT scores are still valid upon re-application.

Upon submission of their 2811/2812 Forms, all male applicants are validated against the

Selective Service System (SSS) website to ensure males born after December 31, 1959 have registered.

- If they have not, they are contacted and provided proper guidance on how to register

(if still under age 26) or how to request a SSS waiver.

Candidates that submit their release forms are initiated access to e-QIP so they can begin to fill out their e-86 (National Security Questionnaire) and are placed on the Airport Assessor

Dashboard so they are visible for the airport staff to schedule them to come in for local airport assessment.

Based on the airport’s specific hiring need, applicants are contacted to schedule local airport assessment appointments.

- Candidates are scheduled based on the date in which they submit their release forms

(First-In-First-Out order)

- During this initial outreach, airports are strongly encouraged to speak with the candidate further about the unique position requirements at their location (e.g., hours of operations, uniform requirements, parking options, availability of public transportation, etc.). This is done to allow candidates an opportunity to decide to self-opt out of the assessment process if they are no longer interested.

- Candidates are advised of what forms of identification to bring for assessment check-in.

Candidates come in for local airport assessment at their scheduled time. This assessment is a multiple hurdle event that includes:

o Check-in – Candidates must provide appropriate identification to prove both identity and US Citizenship and sign a non-disclosure agreement (that they won’t talk to anyone about the assessment process).

o Structured Interview – all TSO candidates are asked the same standard set of questions regardless of the airport in which they are assessing.

o Color Vision Test – tests for color vision deficiencies.

o Single Sheet Forms – candidates are required to sign an acknowledgment form advising that they have 21-days to complete their e-86/OF-306.

o Fingerprint Collection – candidates fingerprints are collected electronically and transmitted to the clearinghouse until they are needed.

- The above steps are executed in sequential order; with the exception of color vision and structured interview which are interchangeable. Should a candidate fail a step or wish to stop proceeding in the process, they are read an exit script and exited from the premises.

- Failing candidates receive an e-mail notification.

Candidates that pass the local assessment steps are extended a Conditional Offer of employment.

- The Conditional Offer advises them that they must successfully meet both the medical/drug and pre-hire background requirements.

- The terms of the Conditional Offer are clearly explained to each candidate so they do not prematurely quit any current employment.

Candidates that accept their Conditional Offer are then provided a Security Officer Medical

Questionnaire (SOMQ), a Drug Specimen Kit, and the toll free number to contact to schedule their medical check appointment.

- Candidates are required to complete the SOMQ prior to attending their appointment.

- Candidates are instructed not to open or tamper with their drug specimen kit.

- Candidates can schedule their appointments based on the available appointment slots from across a nationwide network of medical affiliates.

Candidates have 21 calendar days post Airport Assessment to log into their Candidate Dashboard to electronically complete their OF-306 and log into e-QIP and fully complete their e-86 form.

- Candidates are reminded to check their e-mail regularly as they will be notified if their e-86 form is incomplete or needs correction.

- Failure to accurately complete the forms in the 21 calendar day window will result in involuntary withdrawal from the entire process.

- Involuntary withdrawal candidates at this stage receive an e-mail notification.

Candidates have 21 calendar days post Airport Assessment to schedule their medical appointments.

- Candidates receive reminder e-mails and reminder phone calls to schedule their medical appointments.

- Failure to schedule medical within the 21 calendar day window will result in involuntary withdrawal from the entire process.

- Involuntary withdrawal candidates receive an e-mail notification.

After attending medical, the candidate’s medical paperwork is sent overnight to the Medical

Reviewing Official who reviews each candidate’s medical situation against the latest TSO

Medical Guidelines.

- If there is something questionable or that requires additional documentation, the candidate is placed on medical hold and forwarded the appropriate further evaluation paperwork that they may submit for use in the medical adjudication process.

- A candidate is allowed up to 45-days to clear their medical hold. Candidates who do not provide additional information within this time-frame are involuntarily withdrawn from the process.

- Involuntary withdrawal candidates receive an e-mail notification.

- Candidates who do not pass medical receive an e-mail notification as well as a FedEx copy of a letter advising of the medical ineligibility determination.

For candidates who clear medical, their completed e-86 form is electronically released to TSA

PerSec with the applicable signed single sheet forms attached (i.e., OF-306, TSA 2811 and TSA

2812) and their fingerprints sent on to the FBI for classification to be utilized in the pre-hire background adjudication.

- TSA PerSec utilizes the information from the e-86, OF-306, fingerprint results, credit check results and other available information to make a pre-hire background suitability determination.

- Candidates who do not pass their pre-hire background check receive an overnight letter directly from TSA PerSec explaining the reason for their background ineligibility.

Candidates who clear the pre-hire background check are then placed into the Ready Pool.

As airports have immediate hiring needs, they request a TSO Selection Certificate (Cert).

- Candidates in the Ready Pool are validated against the TSA Employees Relations database to identify any former employees who may have been separated for just cause within the past year as they are not eligible for re-employment. Provided there is no restriction from hiring, the candidate is certified eligible for a final job offer.

- Candidates are certified as Best Qualified (BQ), Highly Qualified (HQ) or Qualified

(Q) based on a transmuted score derived from their CBT and Structured Interview scores.

- Veterans Preference is adjudicated. In order to be eligible, candidates must indicate that they are veteran preference eligible at the time of application and provide the appropriate supporting documentation.

Airports extend the final job offers and schedule their candidates’ Entry-on-Duty (EOD) dates based on when they have training seats available at the TSA Academy. Candidates are required to EOD prior to the expiration of their pre-hire background results; which is 183 days (or six months) from the date they passed their pre-hire background check.

TSO candidates that accept their final job offer are initiated access to TSA’s EOD Online System

(e-Orientation) to electronically complete their new hire paperwork prior to attending orientation.

- This system provides new hires access to a number of videos and tutorials about working for TSA and the federal government.

During this entire process, a TSO candidate can log in to their Candidate Dashboard to see where they are at in the process and what (if any) next steps they need to take to continue moving through the hiring process. Similarly, they can call the Help Desk at anytime to get a status update.