HR pros like to know a fair amount about job applicants before their companies hire them. But that’s nothing compared to what the upcoming Obama administration wants to find out about its employees.
Those seeking a job in the next presidential administration must fill out a 7-page application with a total of 63 questions — including some things most HR pros and recruiters wouldn’t think about asking.
For example, applicants must:
- include any e-mails they’ve sent that could embarrass the President-elect
- list any aliases they’ve used to communicate on the Internet
- link to any blog posts, Facebook pages and other online profiles
- tell whether anyone in their family owns a gun
- identify any affiliation they or their family members have had with Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and other institutions receiving a government bailout, and
- include any resume the applicant has used within the past 10 years.
And, just to be safe, the final question reads: “Please provide any other information, including information about other members of your family, that could suggest a conflict of interest or be a possible source of embarrassment to you, your family, or the President-elect.”
Experts in federal employment say the application process gets more thorough each time a new administration comes to town, in a attempt to avoid controversies previous presidents have faced.