Agencies Mostly Positive about Shortcut Hiring Procedure, MSPB Finds

February 9, 2021

Following are key sections of a recent MSPB report finding that federal agencies have “mostly positive” views of the direct hire procedure–known as the §3304 authority, for the section in Title 5 of the U.S. Code where it is found—which is being used more commonly to fill competitive service vacancies, although noting that the practice raises some issues, including a perception that it is “less fair” than full competition.