Hiring inclusivity important to AFLCMC success

  • Published
  • By Allyson B. Crawford, AFLCMC Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFLCMC) -- The Air Force Life Cycle Management Center (AFLCMC) is similar to other employers in placing an emphasis on hiring qualified disabled individuals.

“A diverse and inclusive workforce is our objective for the Air Force and Center,” explains Sherri Artuso, AFLCMC Director of Personnel. “Because of different perspectives and diversity of thought that individuals bring… somebody with a disability falls right into that realm. They are an important part of our workforce.”

Schedule A hiring helps recruit and place talent in open positions. This special type of hiring authority means the Center can non-competitively appoint individuals with certain specific disabilities to positions. Through Schedule A, positions may be filled without the traditional requirement of recruiting, posting and publicizing an opening. The Center also utilizes the 30% or More Disabled Veteran hiring authority to make quick hiring placements of the nation’s wounded warriors.

The statistics back up the Center’s goal to create opportunity for candidates with disabilities. A new workforce dashboard makes easier work of tracking hiring trends across the Center. For FY21, 2.5% of the Center’s civilian workforce has a targeted disability and 13.6% of individuals have other types of disabilities.

“We can look back and see through policies we have set - or the Air Force has set - to check and see if we have moved the needle in a positive way,” adds Artuso. “From a trend perspective since FY16, we’ve seen a growth of 140% of our workforce with targeted disabilities and nearly 30% growth in the workforce with all other disabilities.”

The college workforce recruitment program has contributed to the hiring success, allowing AFLCMC to match students to the correct job for their career objectives. Many times, these experiences lead to opportunities for permanent employment.

Artuso is quick to add that disabled employees work at all levels of the organization, from entry level, to journeyman to senior level positions. These individuals hold positions as engineers, logisticians and program managers. Most are at the GS-12 or GS-13 level. 

“At the end of the day, candidates selected for AFLCMC positions are qualified for positions they are appointed to,” says Jennifer Bauer, Chief of Personnel Programs for AFLCMC. “When you look at it from that standpoint – whether a candidate has a disability or they don’t – we are evaluating the knowledge, skills and abilities of the candidate against the position requirements they are being considered for.”

Artuso agrees. “At the beginning of the process, a person is hired because they are the right fit for the job. Inclusivity of all candidates, to include those with disabilities, ensures AFLCMC’s opportunity to match qualified candidates to positions is limitless.”

Hiring events and job opportunities across the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center are available by clicking the recruitment tab under “careers” on our website.