The recent changes to federal hiring policies highlight a significant shift from the traditional "rule of three" to a more flexible "rule of many," enabling agencies to consider a broader spectrum of qualified candidates. This new approach aims to enhance hiring processes by providing agencies with greater flexibility in selecting top talent and optimizing resources.
Key Insights
- The "rule of many," effective from November 7th, 2025, allows agencies to select from a larger pool of top-ranked candidates rather than being restricted to the top three.
- Agencies now have more flexibility to establish cutoff scores and manage candidate pools according to business needs, potentially improving the quality of hires.
- The policy encourages sharing candidate certificates across agencies, facilitating efficient hiring processes and broadening candidate exposure to multiple opportunities.
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Let's dive into how non-professional candidates are categorized. CPS eligibles float to the top of the highest quality category. It also differentiates professional positions at the GS-9 level and above, which do not float and are listed only as veterans. It references ICTAP, CTAP, and RPL requirements and emphasizes that candidates must be well-qualified. Selections must be made from the highest category, following the order of selection rules.
In this exercise, three candidates were placed in the highest quality category. Always check your agency’s ranking and merging procedures. The referenced URL provides additional information on competitive hiring and identifies which positions have positive education requirements.
For this exercise, the candidates are categorized as follows:
- Denise – Veteran (CPS, floats to the top)
- Lisa, Landon, and Nick – Non-veterans, Best Qualified category
- Casey and William – Better Qualified (TP), no floating
- Sherry – Better Qualified, non-veteran
- Pat – Good, non-veteran
The Best Qualified category includes Denise as the veteran and Lisa, Landon, and Nick as non-veterans. Denise must be selected for the first vacancy because she is the only veteran in that category, unless there is a valid objection based on interview results or a background issue. Absent a legitimate objection, the agency does not have discretion to bypass her.
For the second vacancy, the agency may select any of the remaining non-veteran candidates in the Best Qualified category based on interviews and merit considerations.
New Hiring Policy: The Rule of Many
There is a new hiring policy that replaces the longstanding Rule of Three. This updated approach is known as the Rule of Many. It allows agencies to consider a broader pool of top-ranked candidates.
The final rule became effective on November 7, 2025. Agencies must be fully compliant by March 9, 2026. The rule was published in the Federal Register, and agencies are currently developing implementation procedures.
Agencies now have two options for competitive hiring:
- Category Rating
- Rule of Many
An agency must choose one method for a given announcement.
How the Rule of Many Works
The Rule of Many permits agencies to refer a broader group of top-ranked candidates instead of limiting consideration to the three highest-ranked individuals. This provides hiring managers with greater flexibility and allows for multiple selections from a larger pool of qualified applicants.
Benefits include:
- Greater flexibility in making multiple hires
- More options for narrowing applicant pools
- Increased ability to remove candidates after multiple selections
The rule also strongly encourages sharing certificates across agencies or components. One agency may announce a vacancy, and another agency may use that same certificate for similar positions. The announcing agency retains first selection rights. This approach can save time and expand hiring opportunities.
The Three Consideration Rule applies under the Rule of Many, but does not apply to Category Rating.
Referral Options Under the Rule of Many
Agencies have flexibility in defining how candidates are referred. Options include:
- Cutoff Score: Establish a minimum score based on job analysis data. All applicants meeting or exceeding that score are referred.
- Business Necessity Cutoff: Set a higher minimum score to manage applicant volume based on agency resources.
- Fixed Number of Applicants: Refer a specific number of the highest-ranked candidates.
- Percentage of Applicants: Refer a defined percentage, such as the top 5% or 10%.
Ultimately, the Rule of Many allows agencies to make business-driven decisions when managing applicant pools. Agencies are currently finalizing their internal policies, and additional guidance is expected as implementation continues.