Review aims to streamline ART hiring process Published Nov. 12, 2010 By Daniel P. Elkins Air Force Personnel, Services and Manpower Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Personnel officials from the Air Force Reserve Command and Air Force Personnel Center met here Oct. 26-28 to begin steps in reducing the timeline of the hiring process for air reserve technicians. Leadership from AFRC and AFPC met with civilian force integration officials to identify present challenges, assess performance gaps and set goals for reducing the hiring process by 50 percent. Their efforts are also intended to tackle a 15-percent air reserve technician vacancy rate. An air reserve technician, or ART, is a full-time federal civil service employee who serves in a position that requires an active Reserve assignment in a Reserve unit. ARTs account for approximately 14 percent of Air Force Reserve Command personnel but make up 70 percent of the command's full-time staff. Traditional Reservists make up 80 percent of AFRC, while civilian employees represent the remaining 6 percent. Officials at AFPC and Headquarters AFRC have worked diligently to identify issues in ART hiring and are working hard as a team to reduce processing times over the next few months. "ARTs are responsible for training our traditional Reservists and ensuring they remain proficient in their core jobs and wartime skills," said Col. Michael McCully, director of AFRC Manpower, Personnel and Services at Robins Air Force Base, Ga. "Our technicians also maintain day-to-day continuity in their units. Vacancies in our ART force affect unit readiness, so being able to bring ARTs on duty sooner will increase Air Force mission capabilities and improve unit morale throughout the command." Officials are closely examining each step of the process as well as the "handoffs" between the command and AFPC to make the overall hiring procedure more efficient. "The intent of this review is to eliminate bottlenecks and clarify requirements for each step in the hiring process," said Ms. Michelle LoweSolis, the director for force integration at AFPC. "Not only will this bring critical assets on duty more quickly, it will help stem any cascading effects." The review comes as the Air Force moves to implement a single staffing tool through USAJOBS beginning Nov. 15 that will move the service closer to an 80-day hiring process initiative directed by the president earlier this year. USAJOBS will allow both internal and external candidates to apply through www.usajobs.gov from which a single referral list will be generated for hiring managers. AFRC leaders have also set their sights on that 80-day target, hoping to cut the current 166-day average by more than half. Officials hope to shave much of time in each step of the hiring process while also streamlining "handoffs" between each step. Members from both AFPC and the AFRC have formed a team to perform an ART value stream map analysis that will continue the review process. The team will review its progress with senior leaders in early January to ensure success. To learn more about Reserve technician positions, visit the AFRC website at www.afrc.af.mil.