Q. What does "DEU" mean and how does it differ from a regular human resources department?
Q. I have questions about a job announcement, such as the duties, tour of duty, etc. Who should I contact?
Q. I can't print the announcement or required forms. What should I do?
Q. What happens to my faxed assessment questionnaire and supporting documents?
Q. I want to talk to someone at the DEU about general questions, but the voicemail system says that only messages from preference-eligible veterans requesting reconsideration, as well as disabled applicants requiring help, will be answered. Why?
Q. What does "DEU" mean and how does it differ from a regular human resources department?
A. DEU stands for Delegated Examining Unit. Within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), there are eight DEUs located throughout the country servicing VA medical centers. DEUs announce certain open positions to the public (via job postings) that VA facilities do not have the authority to recruit for. Those positions generally include non-health care or health care support jobs, such as clerks/secretaries, police officers, engineers, food service workers, housekeeping aids, and psychology technicians, to name a few. Medical center HR departments have the authority to recruit directly from the public for professional medical positions, such as physicians, RNs, LPNs, social workers, psychologists, pharmacists, etc. Currently, the DEU does not post job announcements for those types of health care positions.
Q. I have questions about a job announcement, such as the duties, tour of duty, etc. Who should I contact?
A. Rather than the DEU, you should contact the HR department at the facility where the position is located.
Q. I can't print the announcement or required forms. What should I do?
A. If you do not have access to a computer with printing capabilities, you can go to the nearest VA medical center Human Resources Management Office to obtain all of the required forms and a copy of the announcement.
Q. What happens to my faxed assessment questionnaire and supporting documents?
A. All documents are faxed to the central scanning center in Macon, GA, where they are matched to the correct announcement by the vacancy ID number. The assessment is scanned electronically. If you have completed your assessment online and then faxed supporting documents, they will be matched to your assessment. You should keep a copy of the fax receipt showing that all pages were received.
Q. I want to talk to someone at the DEU about general questions, but the voicemail system says that only messages from preference-eligible veterans requesting reconsideration, as well as disabled applicants requiring help, will be answered. Why?
A. Please review this entire FAQ section to find the answers to your questions. Detailed instructions are also located within each job announcement. If you still have questions, you can contact the VA human resources office listed in the announcement.
