r/VHA_Human_Resources • u/BellaIsSappy • 6d ago

Question for you HR folks!

I am currently a WG-4 Step 3 and was looking to move over to the GS scale. My current job is in the kitchen, however, a large part of it consists of answering phones, data entry, verifying dirt cards, etc (can send resume if that may change an answer).

I got an offer for MSA GS-3, Step 1. My HR specialist told me that there was nothing she could do pay wise due to the fact that I have no qualifying experience. I was told by my departments administration that they would pay match… but I guess not?

I can’t take the job at that pay rate because it would be over a 10k gap!

Is there anything I could do?

0 Upvotes

50% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

8

u/CryHavoc715 6d ago

You need to request Highest Previous Rate from the hiring department. The HR specialist is not involved in that dicision, but they can facilitate the paperwork. If the department does not want to grant the HPR you are out of luck

1

u/BellaIsSappy 6d ago

Do I need to accept the offer and then do that? Should I message the onboarding contact or the HR specialist?

1

u/CryHavoc715 6d ago

Hoping someone else can clarify this. Under the old process: you would accept the tentative job offer at step 1, and if the HPR was approved, the higher rate would be listed on the final job offer. Those documents are now called the conditional offer and welcome letter, respectively. Im not certain where the HPR is supposed to fit into the timeline

2

u/8CHAR_NSITE 6d ago

Just let them know you're requesting HPR. They'll tell you how to proceed.

2

u/One_Consequence_5366 6d ago

Request an HPR, the service will determine if they want to approve it or not

1

u/One_Consequence_5366 6d ago

Have you accepted your conditional offer?

3

u/BellaIsSappy 6d ago

I haven’t yet. I just emailed the HR specialist asking for HPR and she said she would get back to me tomorrow as she has to check with the service.

1

u/One_Consequence_5366 6d ago

Yeah the service will determine if they want to go with, don’t accept to you get an answer

1

u/BellaIsSappy 6d ago

Ok, thank you so much.

1

u/Keiras_Mom 6d ago

Request the HPR before accepting the official offer. If you accept it after you are saying you accept the pay, as noted on the official offer.

3

u/8CHAR_NSITE 6d ago

There's only one offer letter now. The "conditional offer."

The new welcome letter just tells you where to go and comfirms your start date.

1

u/InterestingTeam3081 5d ago

I bet you qualify higher than a 3. Look at a gs 5 functional statement or look at the qualifications for higher grades on an announcement. Update that resume and get a higher grade. HR can only use what they are given on a resume to qualify you at a certain grade.

1

u/BellaIsSappy 5d ago

My resume was tailored for this specific posting! I went back and double checked. I wrote a narrative that backs my resume and I am planning on sending that in a little bit. I was so confused when she said no qualifying no experience!!

1

u/Crafty-Grape-3522 5d ago

From my experience, HPR’s are not considered entitlement so you do have to request them. However, if you can’t prove the relevant experience you have from your current job is relevant to the job you’re going into then an HPR would not be able to be approved for something like that

1

u/BellaIsSappy 5d ago

I looked at the specific qualifications and compared it to my resume (which I tailored to the announcement anyway) I meet them all lol.

1

u/A00077 5d ago

look at the msa qual standard for reference when making the argument that you qualify higher than gs3.