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Post by weekendworrier on May 2, 2016 15:27:42 GMT -5
In response to, "Did anyone get an OMHA offer." Not I. But I did get a "Thanks, but no thanks" letter in the mail over the weekend.
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Post by sealaw90 on May 2, 2016 15:36:27 GMT -5
Sorry guys, I can't "like your posts - I am rooting for a board member to get selected by OMHA.
Perhaps the new certs OMHA pulls will result in more hirings and a few board members will be included.
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Post by moopigsdad on May 2, 2016 15:37:20 GMT -5
You wouldn't be the only one receiving such a letter weekendworrier. Don't despair as new certs are not only in process for SSA as you are aware, but will be occurring for OMHA again soon, too. This OPM/agency hiring process as a whole can make you "doubt" yourself. Please do not do so, it isn't you, it's just part of the process. There are many more candidates who want the job, then there are open jobs at present. It has nothing to do with you being qualified or not, but everything to do with others being liked slightly more than you based upon some intangible. Keep your head up and keep trying.
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Post by Velma on May 2, 2016 21:51:55 GMT -5
Thanks to those who have offered encouraging words. They are appreciated.
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Post by mamaru on May 3, 2016 8:28:08 GMT -5
Received my letter on Saturday. It said, in pertinent part: "Thank you for applying for an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) position with the Office of Medicare Hearings and Appeals (OMHA). We received applications from several excellent candidates, making the selections especially difficult. I regret to inform you that we have made selections for this position and the offers have been accepted. Thank you again for expressing an interest in the ALJ position and we hope you keep us in mind for the future." Based on the feedback we're seeing, it's my guess that they pulled an old form letter and copied it.
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Post by jessejames on May 3, 2016 8:50:03 GMT -5
So are you saying that they just decided not to hire anyone based on the January certificate?
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Post by moopigsdad on May 3, 2016 10:46:31 GMT -5
No, hiring will be occurring based upon the last cert, but it is just not final yet in terms of official offers being given. OMHA will be pulling new certs for the Seattle office it will be opening and staffing soon. So, do not give up hope that OMHA may hire you because they will be many more chances in the future. Denver is stil a possibility for future hires as well, but it is not as far along as the Seattle office.
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Post by Gaidin on May 3, 2016 13:02:43 GMT -5
A true friend of the Board reported to me the following:
"OMHA offers will be sent out tomorrow for those selected from the January 2016 certs."
I don't know whether those offers will be by snail mail or email or carrier pigeon.
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Post by Who Me? on May 3, 2016 15:43:35 GMT -5
I have good information that the letter was sent to individuals not selected this time around, and thus that the basic message of the letter is accurate, but that the specific contents of the letter are not accurate - offers have not gone out for OMHA positions. I think that this means that if you did not get a letter or an offer, you are still in play. For any who received the letter, remember that OMHA needs to hire MANY ALJs in the near future. I find it hard to believe that OMHA, or any rational employer, would send out FOAD letters without first having confirmed acceptances for the positions to be filled. For the sake of argument let's assume OMHA has identified the candidates they want to hire. The unsuccessful candidates are sent the FOAD letter. Now, OMHA makes offers to the "A" list candidates. Most will accept. However, it is possible that one or more of the offerees might turn down the offer for a variety of reasons. For example, one of the spouse's relatives is just diagnosed with cancer (real life case) and the spouse refuses to move to the new location. Or perhaps, the offeree also concurrently gets an offer from ODAR at a more desirable location. Sure, at the last GAL the candidate was willing to accept the position. But, things have changed and the offer is declined. Now, OMHA has to go back to a candidate or candidates it told to get lost and offer them the position. How foolish would the Chief and Deputy Chief look now? Employers don't send FOAD or any thanks but no thanks letters unless they have a confirmed acceptance in place.
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Post by Gaidin on May 3, 2016 16:01:06 GMT -5
I have good information that the letter was sent to individuals not selected this time around, and thus that the basic message of the letter is accurate, but that the specific contents of the letter are not accurate - offers have not gone out for OMHA positions. I think that this means that if you did not get a letter or an offer, you are still in play. For any who received the letter, remember that OMHA needs to hire MANY ALJs in the near future. I find it hard to believe that OMHA, or any rational employer, would send out FOAD letters without first having confirmed acceptances for the positions to be filled. For the sake of argument let's assume OMHA has identified the candidates they want to hire. The unsuccessful candidates are sent the FOAD letter. Now, OMHA makes offers to the "A" list candidates. Most will accept. However, it is possible that one or more of the offerees might turn down the offer for a variety of reasons. For example, one of the spouse's relatives is just diagnosed with cancer (real life case) and the spouse refuses to move to the new location. Or perhaps, the offeree also concurrently gets an offer from ODAR at a more desirable location. Sure, at the last GAL the candidate was willing to accept the position. But, things have changed and the offer is declined. Now, OMHA has to go back to a candidate or candidates it told to get lost and offer them the position. How foolish would the Chief and Deputy Chief look now? Employers don't send FOAD or any thanks but no thanks letters unless they have a confirmed acceptance in place. They do it because they can. They will reportedly be rolling out new Certs for Seattle soon. They could just add the missed spot to those numbers. OMHA doesn't get in a rush about any of this. I have heard absolutely fantastic things about them as an agency but they do things their way and it is distinct from ODAR's way.
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Post by Propmaster on May 3, 2016 16:05:18 GMT -5
I have good information that the letter was sent to individuals not selected this time around, and thus that the basic message of the letter is accurate, but that the specific contents of the letter are not accurate - offers have not gone out for OMHA positions. I think that this means that if you did not get a letter or an offer, you are still in play. For any who received the letter, remember that OMHA needs to hire MANY ALJs in the near future. I find it hard to believe that OMHA, or any rational employer, would send out FOAD letters without first having confirmed acceptances for the positions to be filled. For the sake of argument let's assume OMHA has identified the candidates they want to hire. The unsuccessful candidates are sent the FOAD letter. Now, OMHA makes offers to the "A" list candidates. Most will accept. However, it is possible that one or more of the offerees might turn down the offer for a variety of reasons. For example, one of the spouse's relatives is just diagnosed with cancer (real life case) and the spouse refuses to move to the new location. Or perhaps, the offeree also concurrently gets an offer from ODAR at a more desirable location. Sure, at the last GAL the candidate was willing to accept the position. But, things have changed and the offer is declined. Now, OMHA has to go back to a candidate or candidates it told to get lost and offer them the position. How foolish would the Chief and Deputy Chief look now? Employers don't send FOAD or any thanks but no thanks letters unless they have a confirmed acceptance in place. What you say makes absolute sense. However, the ALJ hiring process does not. I can guarantee you that offers and acceptances have NOT happened yet. In fact, the situation you describe, where OMHA loses out on candidates and hires fewer because they do not have a backup is a real, and all too common, situation. I believe this stems in part from OMHA's practice of doing significantly more background checking before making offers. For financial and time reasons, they do not do the complete checks on anyone except those they are pretty sure they plan to hire. In that case, even if a candidate offered a position declines, there is no way to perform the background checks on a replacement candidate and have that candidate in place for the planned hiring date. The outcome is the same. I assume that they usually send out the FOAD letters after the hires and that they were released early this time by accident, but the letters are inaccurate. All of that is of no consolation and no help to those who received the letters. My only point pertains to those who did NOT receive them and who thought they were doing well in the process and think they might now have been secretly disqualified for some reason. To them, I point out that the process is not yet complete.
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Post by Propmaster on May 3, 2016 16:08:29 GMT -5
... Now, OMHA has to go back to a candidate or candidates it told to get lost and offer them the position. How foolish would the Chief and Deputy Chief look now? ... Also, despite what we call it, the letter was clearly not a "FOAD" letter - it politely says that the individual may be considered in the future. I doubt an applicant seemingly rejected who was, somehow, offered a position the following week would stand on ceremony about it.
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Post by marathon on May 3, 2016 17:20:45 GMT -5
[quote author=" Propmaster" source="/post/97700/thread" Employers don't send FOAD or any thanks but no thanks letters unless they have a confirmed acceptance in place. Sure they do, if they know they wouldn't hire the person even if everyone else declines. You're discounting the possibility that the FOAD letter was only very polite because the signer is very polite.
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Post by moopigsdad on May 3, 2016 18:43:56 GMT -5
OMHA is a quality agency as is SSA. Both agencies handle the hiring process differently. OMHA has about 5% of the total number of the ALJs that SSA has and can afford to take more time to hire. It isn't pushed as much to hire in greater numbers, like SSA. OMHA does a full financial and background check on its possible offerees prior to final offers. SSA hires based upon a very preliminary check and finishes the full check after the ALJ has worked for them for a while. There is no right or wrong way to hire, just a different viewpoint by each agency based upon the numbers of hires picked each time. OMHA may hire as many as eight ALJs based upon the January cert for two offices. SSA, which has many more offices across the country, may hire 60 or more from one cert. Don't compare the hiring process times as they are different, except both follow OPM procedures and rules regarding ALJ hiring. If you are picked up by either agency consider yourself lucky.
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Post by Who Me? on May 3, 2016 19:05:40 GMT -5
[quote author=" Propmaster " source="/post/97700/thread" Employers don't send FOAD or any thanks but no thanks letters unless they have a confirmed acceptance in place. Sure they do, if they know they wouldn't hire the person even if everyone else declines. You're discounting the possibility that the FOAD letter was only very polite because the signer is very polite. True, True, and True. Yes, an employer can send a thanks but we don't want you letter if they are positive they would never hire that person. I understand OMHA's process started with an initial interview with regional office chiefs and I know of an individual who had a second interview with the Chief and Deputy Chief. The second interview leads me to believe that no offers are made until after the Chief and Deputy Chief have vetted the candidate. So there are several scenarios as to the thanks/no offer letters. First, folks who only had the initial/one interview and did not have a second interview with the Chief and Deputy Chief. Since they didn't make the cut, the thanks letter goes out as they probably would not get hired. Next, the second interview candidate who was not offered a slot. He/She gets a thanks letter although he/she was in contention as they interviewed with the Chief and Deputy Chief. If OMHA has more candidates on the final cut list than the number of positions to be filled; then that scenario makes sense. Fill the number of positions and then notify the remaining candidates with a thank you letter. I guess that I was just thinking logically in my earlier post. If I were in charge, I would not send out the thank you/no offer letter until I knew for certain that the open slots were committed. Just seems to be more efficient and potentially less embarrassing than going back to a candidate and retracting the thanks/no offer letter.
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Post by marathon on May 3, 2016 20:36:13 GMT -5
I guess that I was just thinking logically in my earlier post. If I were in charge, I would not send out the thank you/no offer letter until I knew for certain that the open slots were committed. Just seems to be more efficient and potentially less embarrassing than going back to a candidate and retracting the thanks/no offer letter. They won't retract the "no offer." More likely, they pull fresh certs and may give you another bite at the apple then with, or without, another interview.
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Post by jessejames on May 4, 2016 13:18:05 GMT -5
My hope is for a new post-letter cert by OMHA so a new thread can open and we can then spend another period of months waiting for an offer.
I prefer the status of an open cert over the status after a closure letter.
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Post by Who Me? on May 4, 2016 14:44:31 GMT -5
Yes, new certs would be great. Since OMHA recently had certs for Arlington and KC; the question is would the new certs be for other field offices? How would OPM react to reissuing certs for the two locations it provided several months ago considering the small number of potential hires (4 + 4) at Arlington and KC?
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Post by moopigsdad on May 4, 2016 14:55:04 GMT -5
I think only Seattle will be open for certs this next time.
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Post by Gaidin on May 4, 2016 14:59:58 GMT -5
Yes, new certs would be great. Since OMHA recently had certs for Arlington and KC; the question is would the new certs be for other field offices? How would OPM react to reissuing certs for the two locations it provided several months ago considering the small number of potential hires (4 + 4) at Arlington and KC? They do it all the time for ODAR. Particularly, with the new people that have been added to the board and the opportunities to update the GAL it wouldn't be problematic at all.
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