Eliminating Barriers to Diversity In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 100 May 19, 2000 MEMORANDUM To: All Supervisors and Managers From: Chip Groat, Director Subject: Eliminating Barriers to Diversity An important goal of the Department of the Interior (DOI) is to recruit a workforce that reflects the diversity of the Nation. This objective is also an integral part of the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) strategic goals, and one that we must continually strive to achieve. While the USGS has made limited progress in improving representation within our workforce, I believe we can and must improve our diversity, not only through recruiting and hiring, but also through our retention initiatives On May 9, 2000, John Berry, Assistant Secretary ? Policy, Management and Budget, issued a memorandum to the Bureau Directors requiring all bureaus to review their hiring policies and practices and remove any inappropriate barriers that hinder achieving a diverse workforce. Each bureau is also required to take affirmative and progressive actions to enhance diversity within our agency. Assistant Secretary Berry identified six actions that bureaus must implement, effective immediately, to address under-representation within DOI. The following lists those six items, with clarification on how I expect these action items to be implemented in the USGS: 1. Advertise all vacancies for under-represented occupations within the USGS to the greatest extent possible. Vacancy announcements will be issued, and will be open to all sources, when management plans to fill a competitive service position in an underrepresented occupation. Vacancies that result from reorganization decisions will be reviewed by the Headquarters Personnel Office and the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) to determine if they are exempt from this policy. While student employment opportunities are not subject to this requirement, in order to expand our applicant pools, managers are strongly encouraged to advertise student employment opportunities through the student employment web page as well as notify the Bureau Outreach Recruitment Initiative Coordinator, of their student employment needs so that candidates can be referred for consideration. Sarah Griffin, our bureau's student employment coordinator, can be contacted at sgriffin@usgs.gov or (703) 648-7395, regarding these programs. 2. Conduct targeted recruitment and establish Federal Equal Opportunity Recruitment Program (FEORP) applicant files for all positions in under-represented occupations that are projected to be filled. The bureau will use the Online Automated Recruitment System (OARS) to notify organizations, representing the interests of diverse candidates, of USGS vacancies. USGS recruitment teams will continue to work closely with selected academic institutions to identify highly qualified diverse candidates for employment consideration. Further, I will assign SES champions to work with each of the seven bureau recruitment teams to foster continuing support and ensure positive outcomes for this effort. 3. Re-advertise all under-represented occupations that do not yield qualified candidates in the applicant pool from under-represented groups. No certificate will be issued to the selecting official without candidates from under-represented groups, unless approved by the Bureau Director. Prior to such approval the Bureau Director must review all applications to determine if the proposed certificate is correct. If the Bureau Director is the selecting official, the applicable Assistant Secretary is to approve. Vacancy announcements will be readvertised if applicant pools do not render qualified candidate(s) from underrepresented group(s). If qualified candidates from underrepresented groups do not emerge among the best-qualified lists referred for selection consideration, the vacancy must be readervertised or the selection certificate must be forwarded to me by the Headquarters Personnel Office and OEO for approval. 4. Track the diversity of the applicant pool throughout the selection process and report to the Bureau Director (and subsequently to Assistant Secretary Berry) the trends and patterns of hiring practices. The diversity of applicant pools will be tracked utilizing the bureau's Online Automated Recruitment System (OARS) and bureau selections will be monitored by the OEO. OEO will hold pointed discussions with senior managers in the bureau to evaluate hiring trends and practices and report to me on our progress in addressing issues raised by Assistant Secretary Berry in his memorandum. 5. Conduct exit surveys to determine why employees are leaving the Department and take appropriate actions where necessary to improve career-enhancing opportunities. The Office of Personnel has developed an online exit interview instrument to be completed by all employees leaving the bureau so that reasons for their departure can be assessed. This system will be implemented within 30 days. Simultaneously, the Office of Personnel will provide new employees access to an automated entrance survey to determine career interests and employment expectations. The information gathered from these surveys will be used to address issues relating to career development and staff retention. 6. Report to me your bureau's implementation of upward mobility and developmental programs. Senior executives within the bureau will be held accountable for identifying opportunities for career enhancement through the use of developmental programs such as upward mobility. Within 15 days of issuance of this memorandum, every senior executive is to notify the Bureau Personnel Officer of at least one position they have identified to fill through one of these developmental programs. Servicing personnel offices can provide information to you on these programs. Senior executives will report their utilization of these programs to me on a monthly basis so that progress can be adequately evaluated. I will continue to monitor our progress towards achieving our diversity goals, and to discuss diversity initiatives and accomplishments with the Executive Leadership Team members. All managers and supervisors will be held accountable for ensuring equal opportunity and nondiscrimination throughout the USGS workforce. The Office of Personnel and Equal Opportunity staffs are available to assist you in identifying and eliminating barriers to achieving a diverse workforce. Success in this endeavor relies on the commitment of each and every one of you.