If you’re recruiting cleared talent, you need to understand the security clearance process. There’s a good reason why small companies often have a recruiter pull double duty as a facility security officer – by the time you’ve mastered the clearance hiring process, you may feel like a security expert. But whether you’re new to cleared recruiting or just looking for a quick refresher on the latest policy changes, here are five things every recruiter needs to know about the security clearance process.
1. You’re not imagining it – the cleared population is shrinking.
Do you find it’s harder than ever to find qualified, cleared talent for your positions? You’re not alone. The government’s response to insider threats was a serious crack down on access to classified information. Between 2013 and 2016 the Department of Defense reduced the number of security clearance holders by 20 percent.
2. Budget shortfalls can significantly impact clearance processing times.
Over the past several years the security clearance process has been a roller coaster ride. A number of things can impact the speed of security clearance investigations, and budgets are just one of them. Last week the Department of Defense Central Adjudicative Facility confirmed budget issues are causing clearance delays. The issue? A persistent backlog over the past several years has made it hard for the DoD CAF to stay ahead. That means small budget issues can mean major delays for your pending investigations.
3. Uncle Sam will soon be checking social media.
The omnibus appropriations bill passed in December of 2015 prescribed new social media dictates for the background investigations process. But guidance on how to implement those checks has yet to be passed down. Several pilots of continuous monitoring have been implemented, and social media is among the publicly available information being accessed. If you don’t already do a cursory social media check of potential employees, now is the time. There are pitfalls to avoid any time you’re attempting to vet a candidate online. Candidates should be web savvy and understand that anything they post online is far from private.
4. The security clearance process is personal.
Cut and dry, easy security clearance investigations are a dream for both an employer and a background investigator. Unfortunately, the human element of the security clearance process heavily increases the opportunity for error. Whether it’s a sloppy SF-86 or serious questions about mental illness, a successful security clearance determination depends almost completely on a series of individuals (applicant, employer, investigator, adjudicator) performing their jobs well. Interim security clearances may involve even more whim. As security clearance consultant William Henderson writes, “Interim clearances are usually decided base on a single review of the case file. Therefore, interim clearance decisions may depend more on the experience and training of the decision maker than on the persuasiveness of the mitigating information submitted.”
The good news here? As a recruiter, you’re a master of networking and dealing with personnel issues. You’ll need to put on that hat in order to successfully navigate a candidate through the process.
5. There are things you can do to speed up clearance processing time.
If you need to get cleared talent fast, the best thing you can do is hire professionals who already have an active or current security clearance. If you find a great applicant who needs to submit an SF-86, however, there is a lot you can do to help the process to faster. In fact, here’s a list of nine specific steps you can take to speed up the process. While the security clearance paperwork and process are ultimately in the hands of the applicant, be understanding as to how confusing the process can be to an individual who is new to the government – or just not used to revealing every private detail to their potential employer. Make sure you explain the importance of honesty to a candidate before they fill out the SF-86. They may be afraid to admit that marijuana use in college to you, but you’ll be even madder when they lie on their application and are ultimately denied.
The security clearance process is confusing – and always changing. Stay up to date on the latest security clearance news here.
