Hiring Preferences and More...

This section provides information on hiring preferences and other initiatives intended to foster a truly diverse workforce.

Priority Consideration for People with Disabilities, Veterans, and Veterans with Disabilities Non-Competitive Hiring Process for People with Disabilities

Priority Consideration for People with Disabilities, Veterans, and Veterans with Disabilities

The following outlines eligibility for priority consideration for initial appointment to a Merit System position.

Priority consideration is given to the following persons in the following order:

  1. A veteran with a disability
  2. An equal preference for a veteran without a disability and for a person with a disability.

Hiring Preference Requirements for a Veteran with a Disability:

  1. Must be rated and placed in the highest rating category on the eligible list;
  2. Must be a veteran rated by the Department of Veterans Affairs with a compensable service-connected disability of 30 percent or more;
  3. Must have been honorably discharged from a branch of the United States armed services; and
  4. Must not have used veteran’s credit to receive priority consideration for appointment to a Montgomery County position.

Hiring Preference Requirements for a Veteran without a Disability:

  1. Must be rated and placed in the highest rating category on the eligible list;
  2. Must have been honorably discharged from a branch of the United States armed services; and
  3. Must not have used veteran's credit to receive priority consideration for appointment to a Montgomery County position.

Prior to appointment to a Merit System position, eligible veterans will be required to submit a copy of form DD 214 for verification of military discharge information.

Hiring Preference Requirements for a Person with a Disability:

  1. Must be rated and placed in the highest rating category on the eligible list;
  2. Must be a person with a disability who meets the eligibility criteria for certification by the Maryland Department of Rehabilitation or equivalent out-of-state agency; and
  3. Must be certified by the Maryland Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services or by an equivalent out-of-state vocational rehabilitation agency as meeting the definition of disability based upon medical evidence.

Hiring Preference Points for Veterans in Public Safety Uniformed Positions:

  1. Police Officer
  2. Firefighter
  3. Correction Officer

If you wish to claim any of the above preferences for a Merit System position, you must answer the Hiring Preference online questions as part of your application.  These questions can be found in the Equal Employment Opportunity Section (Step 2) of the application process.  If you are placed in the highest rating category on the eligible list for positions that you apply for, you will be asked to provide the required verification documents.  Please email the Office of Human Resources at OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov if you have any questions. 

This information is voluntary but must be provided in order to claim employment preference. It will be kept confidential and will only be used during the hiring process to apply employment preference and will not be used in evaluating your application.

Non-competitive Hiring Process for People with Disabilities

The County offers a Non-competitive Hiring Process for people with disabilities as outlined in the document, Non-Competitive Appointment of Persons with Disabilities to County Merit Positions. This applies to people with a disability who meet the eligibility criteria for certification by the Maryland Department of Rehabilitation or equivalent out-of-state agency and have been certified by the Maryland Department of Education Division of Rehabilitation Services or by an equivalent out-of-state vocational rehabilitation agency as meeting the definition of disability based upon medical evidence.

As part of the Non-competitive Hiring Process, the County maintains a database of applicants who are eligible for this initiative. To add your information to the database, you must first sign up and create a profile, then log on to the Hiring Initiative Registration for Employment Database (HIRED) to upload your Schedule A Letter and resume. This database is not linked to a specific position, but establishes a pool of applicants who can be considered for openings as they occur.

To maximize employment opportunities, applicants are also encouraged to visit the Careers website to view current vacancies and job qualifications for each position. For additional assistance or information, email OHR@montgomerycountymd.gov.