The Office of Personnel Management has made it a little easier to apply for a federal job.
The agency has updated functionality on the government's jobs website, USAjobs.gov, in an effort to make it easier for users to apply to job openings.
"The primary purpose of these improvements is to create a more user-friendly application experience," said Michelle Earley, USAjobs.gov program manager, in an OPM post about the updates.
"The revised job application features are designed to more clearly communicate the steps applicants are expected to complete and guide them through a step-by-step process in completing an application package that can then seamlessly be transferred to an agency."
OPM outlined the new ease of the application process in a video the agency posted on Feb. 24. Users applying for a job will now go through a five-step process that includes functionality to create or post an existing resume in the USAjobs.gov system, as well as automatically saving through each step.
The USAjobs.gov site has served as a persistent thorn in OPM's side as it sought to recruit new talent to the federal government. The site's application process has often been portrayed as unwieldy and difficult to potential job seekers.
The issue of a site update also came up during acting OPM director Beth Cobert's Senate confirmation hearing to become the permanent director on Feb. 4.
"My sense is there is still a lot of bad customer experience there," Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, said during the hearing.
Cobert promised a "series of enhancements" to the website throughout 2016.
