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Career News | Oct. 7, 2019

What is Direct Hire Authority?

By DCAA Staff Writer

Direct Hire Authority (DHA) is a temporary authority granted to agencies by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to hire individuals in an expedited manner.

DHA allows agencies to:

  • Waive the rating and ranking system (including examinations, if required)
  • Suspend veterans’ preferences
  • Eliminate the “Rule of Three” – where hiring managers are presented the top three candidates

Agencies must still post vacancy announcements and include information about the use of DHA, but when the agency identifies a qualified candidate, an employment offer can be made on the spot and an appointment can be made immediately.

DHA does not waive qualification requirements – all candidates selected using DHA must meet the same qualification requirements as other candidates.

DCAA uses three types of DHA

  • Expedited Hiring Authority – used at job fairs to give on the spot job offers to qualified candidates.
  • Direct Hire for Post-Secondary Students and Recent Graduates – used to collect resumes and transcripts at college job fairs for subsequent job offers.
  • Financial Management (FM) Career Field – allows hiring of individuals in specific FM fields, including auditors.

For more information about positions with DCAA, visit the career center page on our website.