I hear you, but at the time i really had no options. None of us did, frankly. I believe Corporate well aware numbers almost impossible at CACI, but i was assured by recruiter not to worry about a thing. I was lied to, and now my corporate loyalty next to zero.
I do know one thing for certain: THIS JOB NOW SUX. I wish there were alternatives. Where i live though, quality jobs few and far between.
I will forge on until a. I get fired b. I find other employment, or c. CACI loses OPM contract and pursues RIF.
@ imbacknow, sorry you are having to go through this again like so many of us who just went through it just a few months ago. I wish there was an alternative as well. What stinks is no one else is aware of whatās going on as we did earlier when USIS collapsed. People may be unaware of what has taken place. Iāve got some friends who have gone contractor so i may be looking that way. I looked at MSM and if hired, you are a contractor, not employee so perhaps i could join them and Keypoint and stay busy until something else came down the wire. Wish I was president of this company so i could run it the way it needs to be run!
Well, Iām glad to know Iām not the only one looking over my shoulder now all the time. Yes, the CACI TLs are now cracking the whip just like they did at USIS and Iām sooo sick of this. Joe Hackett pretty much summed things up for CACI even though he was speaking of KGS. The emphasis is not on quality, no matter what they say. Itās only about the numbers. Virtually every SSBI Iāve had in the past six months has been laden with issues and extensions that the damn bean counters never anticipated. And the FI pays the price. Every time. The CACI CEO makes a big deal about integrity and how heās the model. Well, why the hell doesnāt he get a clue what his company is doing to undermine it all.
Not sure. We were supposed to find out more about it yesterday but they experienced technical difficulties on the call. We are still waiting for the meeting to be rescheduled. I think the TLās and field managers are in the worst position. Given our case load I think it will be all hands on deck to get caught up. Just my two cents.
They are eliminating the Field Manager/Supervisor position. So of them have been given the option to apply for a newly created position or move into a TL role. We were told this reorg would not have any impact on investigators. Think about all the money they just spent do you really think they dont want to see some sort of return on that investment. Now as far as demotions go I have heard about that being possible mostly due to not making numbers. Which are very unrealistic.
The thing is we are paid hourly and not by investigative item. They asked us if we can transmit 3-6 source units a day given our level to determine a goal to work towards. If we donāt meet that goal there has to be a way to count for all the exceptions that stopped us from making the goal. It takes 3 hours to compile and submit an expense report how is that factored in? It can take a half hour to brief a case, make some calls, and schedule out items correctly only to find we get no source unit credit because the item is CE. If they want to demote investigators there needs to be time studies performed with credit given for exceptions that we run into daily in the field. The source unit demands are outdated and needs to be restructured. The only reason investigators have to produce so much is so the support staff doesnāt have to do any field work. Send them out in the field and cut us some slack
@discrepant
The time study is long overdue. The metrics are predicated on outdated OPM coverage and reporting requirements. And the 1 hour CACI allows for admin is woefully inadequate. The expense reporting, completing of source sheets, manifesting, etc., are enormously time consuming and inefficient.
Agreed!!! Time studies should be done in each ORG as well. There is no way a NY, LA, Chicago, or Houston investigator can produce as much as an investigator in VA or DC. The fact that they try to make us all produce the same only causes frustration in the field and time wasted in constant updates and calls with TLās. Letās not forget about the investigators who are too scared to stand up for themselves and work off the clock to make stats. To be clear about my previous post I have nothing against the support staff its just someone has to do the field work that pays everyoneās salaries. And as mentioned these source unit requirements are way off. I think it may be time to organize the field staff. We need a reasonable collective voice to help management run this operation effectively and fairly for everyone involved. Anyone with me to organize?
Iām with you! My TL lost his job Friday. Sucks. Dirtbags! Iāve decided iām leaving this company and going to work as an IC. At least I can make lots of money over there without worrying about someone getting rid of my supervisor. He was the only reason i came over here in the first place! They have no clue how to run this business. Call has been scheduled for Friday at 10am by the way.
Also, does anyone know how long it takes for OPM to call you back after an interview?
Did they at least give him the option to go back in the field? I tried the IC route before and it was not worth it for me. You should stick around and help organize It would seem that now is the time for us to come together as there are only two prime companies on the contract. As far as the OPM deal I was initially selected but never contacted for an interview so I couldnāt answer that. Good luck!
The contractor world is just as impacted by USIS shutting down than the full timers. USIS paid the most, Keypoint slightly less and CACI so little it was never worth it. But now with CACI not even having contractors it only leaves Keypoint on the OPM contract, although others may be in the loop soon. The key is getting on with an agency directly- ATF, State Deptā¦ Or getting on with an organization like Omni that has other contracts (non-OPM). I would strongly suggest joing ACBI, they are a great organization with a ton of valuable information (I have no affiliation with them but for anyone looking on going into contracting I would recommend them). It is a pretty tough time out there for our fieldā¦
Iād just to highlight some before and after info that I went through:
When I started the FI job way back in 07 or 08, I was with Keypoint. Great company, good values, took care of the people (though for a rookie FI) communication was a little lax from Managers who worked from CO. I left to go to CACI a few yrs later, not as an FI but in another job capacity but I worked with people who were FIās on temp assignment and heard good things.
For me with CACI, it was a great company, good communication and great job with many contract venues for the type of work I do.
Fast forward, I was offered a job with USIS while out contract ended OCONUS I knew all about their (USIS) background, fallacies, problems etc. (With KP they always highlighted USIS as a bad org to work for - even though everyone working for KGS worked for USIS).
USIS, I did my homework before signing. I knew of the past and I read up on the present and they made me a good offer. I took the job, and I believe it was fantastic. Tools were in place to allow an INV do his/her job, good TL, District Mgrs, and everyone was trying to go get away from the past failures.
Wham, loss of contract and we are all scramblingā¦Devastating when you are told just temp and the final word came down we were over with.
A couple of options was to go with KGS or CACIā¦I went with KGS, because I worked for them before and knew the business. WRONG!!!
KGS is now the āold versionā of USISā¦WAY BADā¦ I canāt speak for CACI except to say, I have some friends there and they think the org will come around. I don;t know but I would hope.
Good luck securing opm special agent position. I hear average applicant pool about 200/opening. Doubtful former USIS will be selected with sooo many right out of college with high gpa, etc. If you are a military vet, you stand better chance.
Times are tough. I am applying for KPGS right now. Tired of CACI issues for last 6 months. I hope kpgs offers lots of overtime.
Good lot IMBACK with KGSā¦overtime - hah?..Details - for sureā¦.demotions - most likelyā¦The structure- not to bad but no defined leadership from ground level (with faults). I just wonder how CACI and KGS differ so muchā¦Iām KGS and want to (maybe) got to CACIā¦you are CACI and want to go to KGS? Dangā¦OPM INV just want to retire and get outā¦
That is disheartening news. I need to āclaimā more OT to increase monthly income, and CACi getting more difficult with OT. Notice i said āclaimā not work.
Stay at kpgs. Caci grass not greener, really. My stats average cuz amount ot claimed. I will be candidate for demotion at Kpgsāno doubt.
I mean how many more times am I going to have see and work on cases where almost all of the other items are completed before the ESI is conducted. Cases should sit in queue until the ESI is complete. Such a waist of money and resources.
I think you have the right idea about organizing. What information is available?
Management will never do time studies because that would never be in their best interest. I think the last few months have shown that KGS and CACI are only looking out for their own best interest. I donāt care if someone has been an investigator for 50 years, it is not physically possible to consistently, on a daily basis, get 5-6 sources AND transmit daily.
Discrepant is right. Employees have no voice and no power. Management will keep up their unrealistic demands until they are given a reason not to.
I think what āEVERYONEā forgets is the purpose of the job is for National Security and nothing else. When I started way back when,. they said a source interview is 15mins, on average. True to a point as long as you donāt do your job. My source interviews are at least 20-25 mins, done properly and asking the ārequiredā questions. Thatās just source interviews without drive time, arranging a time and place to meet. Add the other factors in - you are talking at least an 45 mins to hour (not including typing).
ESI - to be done properly, without an HR mindset, can take 2-4 hrs; however; you have the redundancy of typing what was already asked and answered in the case papers. You have to type the frequency of contact, leads etc in the ROI where if itās put in the case message you should be okay, I would think.
If a person says, or annotates they donāt know in the response sections, - they donāt know. If I find out different, I will inquire and add in the ROI, however the reviewers or who ever want to know why the home phone listed is the same as the cell; (lot of people use only the cell); if the sub was born in another country, however a U.S citizen, you have to write everything out in the ROI like ā¦ i.e; born a U.S citizen to a military member overseas however review asks did she/he have a foreign passport or identity card? Itās normally on the Cps.
