OPM deputy director nominee lays out priorities

Catherine Griffin, the nominee to be the deputy director of the Office of Personnel Management, detailed her priorities to Senate lawmakers today and admitted to not knowing enough about pay-for-performance to have an opinion.

But Griffin says she knows members of the Senior Executive Service need more training on everything from pay-for-performance to hiring flexibilities to overall leadership.

In fact, Griffin says she supports Sen. Daniel Akaka's bill to make management training mandatory.

The Hawaii Democrat and chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce and the District of Columbia introduced the Federal Supervisor Training Act of 2009 (S. 674) in March.

"We tend to promote people because they have been there, they are next in line and they know the work to be done," Griffin tells the subcommittee.

"Yet we rarely find out if they will be a good supervisor and whether they will be able to lead people, evaluate them appropriately and understand the hiring process, and whether they are going to be an effective hiring manager. Mandatory [training] is good way to go. Anyone in those positions should have some level of training to do the job."

Griffin says her initial priorities include improving the hiring process, ensuring there is diversity across the federal workforce and pushing for agencies to have a better understanding of how to apply veteran preferences.

"I do think we have to find a way to simplify and shorten the hiring process," she says.

"I know there is some work underway and I appreciate the legislation you filed. It is something we need to start looking at on the front end of how people come into the federal government."

As for diversity, Griffin says she believes the government needs to do a better job at all levels, but especially in the Senior Executive Service ranks.

"As deputy director, I would work tirelessly with director [John] Berry and the staff at OPM, to enhance the diversity of our federal employees: not just diversity in traditional terms of race, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, and disability, but also with respect to our many cultures, our generational divide, and our multifaceted talent pool," she says.

"If we wish to open the door to a diverse, talented workforce, we also need to work tirelessly to give federal workers opportunities for training and advancement."

Part of that training would be around pay-for-performance. But first, Griffin says, she would need to learn more about the approach.

When asked by Sen. Voinovich about what she thinks of pay-for-performance, Griffin took a pass.

"I don't have an opinion and I don't know enough about it," she says. "I know a study is underway and I also know that I've read that unions and director Berry said they will work together to come up with some sort of plan. I'm hopeful that the study underway will give us some clear direction in this area."

Later during the hearing, she told the subcommittee that supervisors need mechanisms for rewarding high performers and dealing with those who are not performing at a high level.

"I think [the process] exists in the General Schedule system, but it is not used properly enough," Griffin says. "It goes back to training supervisors."

Another areas Griffin wants to focus on is communicating and educating agencies about the hiring flexibilities that exist in the law.

She says many managers do not know what's available to them, or they are not using it appropriately.

"OPM has to do better job in developing some training around this to give folks the opportunity to learn more," Griffin says.

She points to the Schedule A hiring flexibilities for hiring severely disabled employees.

"Veterans would benefit from this, but I cannot tell you how many agencies don't use it or don't know about it or if they use it, they use it ineffectively," she says. "We could do a better job helping agencies understand what they have available to them."

Griffin admits to having a lot to learn about OPM and human capital issues.

"I would spend a lot of time listening to career folks who have been involved in various aspects of work at OPM," she says.

"But my guiding principle would be what's best for the federal employee. I think that is what OPM is focusing on to have the best working environment for employees as we look at policy and changes to the personnel system."

Akaka says he hopes the full committee will vote on her nomination in the "near future" so it can be sent to the full Senate for consideration.

He and Voinovich also asked for a meeting with Berry and Griffin this fall to continue to discuss OPM's priorities.

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On the Web:

Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee -- Nomination hearing of Catherine Griffin

GPO -- Federal Supervisor Training Act of 2009 (pdf)

GPO -- Senior Executive Service Diversity Assurance Act of 2009 (pdf)

FederalNewsRadio -- OPM to create pools of qualified applicants

FederalNewsRadio -- A cure for broken federal hiring process

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