The Chance to Compete Act—legislation that alters the recruiting and hiring process for federal government jobs to incorporate skills-based assessments—passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 422-2 on Jan. 24.

The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) championed the legislation, which introduces HR best practices such as the use of candidate assessments to improve employee performance and retention.

The bill would prioritize candidate evaluations based on knowledge, skills, abilities and competencies while limiting the use of education when determining if someone is qualified for a role. It also facilitates the use of more robust assessments over the self-assessment questionnaires currently used for nearly all federal jobs.

"SHRM is proud to support the Chance to Compete Act because it removes barriers to federal jobs and implements best practices for hiring," said SHRM Chief of Staff, Head of Public Affairs and Corporate Secretary Emily M. Dickens. "Hiring practices that overlook qualified candidates inhibit the ability of the federal government to fill vital roles. Given the significant demographic changes in our country, improving the federal government's ability to attract talent and identify the right candidates is essential."

The bill was introduced by Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., the chair of the House Education and Workforce Committee, and co-sponsored by Reps. Gerry Connolly, D-Va.; James Comer, R-Ky.; and Ro Khanna, D-Calif.

"The Chance to...

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