The Government Accountability Office has called on the Office of Personnel Management and other federal agencies to make some improvements to the General Schedule classification system and other key areas of human resource management.GAO said in a May 20 report that it found inconsistencies in five of the eight attributes necessary to implement an effective GS system, including transparency, adaptability and simplicity.
“This occurred, in part, because some attributes are at odds with others so fully achieving one comes at the expense of another,†GAO said.
The agency said it found skills gaps in about 24 mission-critical occupations and has urged OPM to implement changes to probationary periods to address issues concerning employee performance across government agencies.
“In response, OPM agreed to consult with stakeholders regarding the need for longer probationary periods for some complex positions,†GAO reported.
Moreover, the level of employee engagement in the federal government dropped from 67 percent in 2011 to 63 percent in 2014, according to the agency.
