Subject Matter Expert (SME) Evaluation Review (Single Grade Level)

• Review resumes to determine if applicants meet the technical qualifications (i.e., specialized experience) required for the job 
• Sign a Statement of Understanding 
• Recuse yourself as appropriate 
• Follow merit principles 
• Mitigate rater bias 
• Document your rating and justification

• Individuals who understand the technical requirements of the position.
• Supervisors or incumbents at or above the grade level of the position being announced. 
• Requirement to submit a HR Systems Access form to gain access to USA Staffing.

• The review will be based on the Specialized Experience the Hiring Manager developed.

Example:

Customer Experience Strategist, GS-301-13

1. Two SMEs independently review an applicant’s resume against each specialized experience statement targeted for the resume review 
2. Each SME independently makes a determination as to whether or not the applicant meets each specialized experience requirement based on the content of their resume 
3. Each SME provides a justification for their evaluation of each specialized experience statement 
4. If the two SMEs disagree on one or more specialized experience, a third ‘Tiebreaker SME’ will review the resume and prior raters’ documentation to make a determination as to whether the applicant’s resume reflects the target experience 

What to Look for During Resume Evaluation 

• Look at the first 3 pages starting at the work experience only  
• Verify at least one (1) year (52 weeks, full-time) of relevant job experience at the grade XX level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) for each of the X specialized experience statements  
• Do not make a determination based on anything other than the target experience outlined in the specialized experience statement and the work experience contained in the applicant’s resume 
• Do not look for specific keywords 
• Do not follow links in the resume 
• Do not reject for overqualification 

Resume Review Reminders 

• You are looking for Grade XX (or private-sector equivalent) experience 
• Volunteer work or experience in an educational setting qualifies 
• Full-time = 35-40 hours a week 
• One year = 52 weeks 
• Rely on your expertise and the training/calibration process to interpret (equivalent) private sector experience 
• Rate each specialized experience statement 
• Provide a brief justification for each rating 

Justification Statements 

• When rating ‘Yes’ (resume reflects the required experience) 
• Indicate where in the resume you found support for your rating (i.e., year(s) experience gained, as well as position title as needed for clarity).  
• When rating ‘No’ (resume does not reflect the required experience) 
• Resume reflects insufficient evidence of …  
• Provide additional justification as needed to help others to retrace your decision.  

Good Justification Statements 

• Sample justification for ‘Yes’ (resume reflects the required experience): 
• “CX Strategist position 9/19-Present” 
• “2017 –2020” 
• Sample justification for ‘No’ (resume does not reflect the required experience): 
• “Resume reflects insufficient evidence of Solving Problems/Improving Processes using Human-Centered Design. See 2018-2020. Lacks experience with multiple phases of the design process.” 
• “Resume reflects insufficient evidence of Developing and Facilitating Workshops. See 2020-Present. Relevant experience but at the Grade 9 level only. Does not meet GS-12 or equivalent requirement.” 

Good Justification Statements 

• Sample justification for ‘Yes’ (resume reflects the required experience): 
• “CX Strategist position 9/19-Present” 
• “2017 –2020” 
• Sample justification for ‘No’ (resume does not reflect the required experience): 
• “Resume reflects insufficient evidence of Solving Problems/Improving Processes using Human-Centered Design. See 2018-2020. Lacks experience with multiple phases of the design process.” 
• “Resume reflects insufficient evidence of Developing and Facilitating Workshops. See 2020-Present. Relevant experience but at the Grade 9 level only. Does not meet GS-12 or equivalent requirement.” 

Samples of Poor Justification Statements 

• This applicant is overqualified and will not accept the position.” 
• “This applicant does not meet requirements because they’ve changed between positions so much, they probably have a personality problem.” 
• “This applicant is not qualified because they have no experience in this agency.” 

Note: Poor justification statements will result in extra work for you. HR will reject the statement and ask you to provide a better justification for your decision. 

• If the two SMEs disagree on one or more specialized experience requirements, a third Tiebreaker SME reviews the resume and the justifications provided by other SME to make a final determination. 
• The role of the Tiebreaker SME:  
• Review the resume AND the rating justifications from the two prior SMEs against the rating criteria 
• Determine whether or not the resume reflects the required experience 
• Write a brief justification in enough detail to retrace the decision 

• You may begin reviewing resumes as soon as you receive notice from USA Staffing. 
• A single SME can review a typical resume to evaluate three to four specialized experience statements in 10 to 15 minutes 
• Each review should take about 10-15 minutes and will get progressively easier 
• Review the first 3 pages of the resume, making note of relevant experience 
• We recommend 1-hour blocks of review time, with breaks in between.  
• Make regular progress (vs. attempting to complete in 1-2 days) 
• Take regular breaks (e.g., every 3-5 resumes) 
• You will have 10 calendar days to complete your reviews 

HR Review of Justification Statements 

• HR will review all justification statements 
• HR will provide feedback on any unacceptable justification statements 
• If you receive feedback on an unacceptable justification, your rating will not be used