Department of Human Resources
Rebecca Hunter, Commissioner
Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a question to view the answer below:
- How do I apply for a job with the State of Tennessee?
- What happens after I submit my application?
- I am in the process of completing my application online and have a problem. Who should I contact for assistance?
- How do I change the email address (or other contact information) associated with my online application account?
- Can I be scheduled to take a written test at a location other than Nashville?
- What if I need special accommodations when taking the tests?
- I've completed my application and taken the tests. How does the rest of the hiring process work?
- I received a notification indicating that I did not qualify for a job for which I applied? Can I appeal this decision?
- How do I access my online application after the application submission hours (i.e. after 8:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m.)?
- How do I change the legal resident county in my applicant record?
- How do I change the county work preferences in my applicant record?
- How often should I check the DOHR website to be sure that I do not miss out on an opportunity to apply for a job while it is open?
- When a position is to be filled, is the hiring agency required to have an open period for accepting applications before they can fill the position?
- How do I apply for an Executive Service or Non-Career Service job?
- How do I apply for a Non-Competitive job?
- May I submit a paper application?
- What happens when an application is submitted for a job that is closed (i.e., applications are not currently being accepted)?
Answers:
- How do I apply for a job with the State of Tennessee?
- What happens after I submit my application?
- I am in the process of completing my application online and have a problem. Who should I contact for assistance?
- How do I change the email address (or other contact information) associated with my online application account?
- Can I be scheduled to take a written test at a location other than Nashville?
- What if I need special accommodations when taking the tests?
- I've completed my application and taken the tests. How does the rest of the hiring process work?
- I received a notification indicating that I did not qualify for a job for which I applied? Can I appeal this decision?
- How do I access my online application after the application submission hours (i.e. after 8:00 p.m. or before 7:00 a.m.)?
- How do I change the legal resident county in my applicant record?
- How do I change the county work preferences in my applicant record?
- How often should I check the DOHR website to be sure that I do not miss out on an opportunity to apply for a job while it is open?
- When a position is to be filled, is the hiring agency required to have an open period for accepting applications before they can fill the position?
- How do I apply for an Executive Service or Non-Career Service job?
- How do I apply for a Non-Competitive job?
- May I submit a paper application?
- What happens when an application is submitted for a job that is closed (i.e., applications are not currently being accepted)?
Visit our "Search and Apply for Jobs" web page for a summary of the steps in the application process. On this page you will also find links to the Current Openings, as well as to the Promotional Openings for which applications are being accepted.
Please Note: Only current full-time Tennessee Career employees may apply for the jobs listed on the "Promotional Openings" page.
For each job you apply for, your application will be evaluated to determine whether you meet the minimum qualifications (e.g., education, experience) required for the job. If your application is approved for a job classification requiring a written test, you will be notified with testing instructions. For most job classifications, testing is not required. Instead, a score is calculated for you based on a rating of your education and work experience. You will be notified of your rating score within a few weeks following the submission of your application (or approximately one to two weeks after the closing deadline for applying).
You may contact the Applicant Services Division at 615-741-4841 for assistance between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (central time). If you are experiencing a technical problem with the online application program after 4:30 p.m., then you may contact the NeoGov Applicant help desk at 1-877-204-4442 for assistance until 9:00 p.m. (central time).
Log back into your online account (see instructions above) and click on My Account. Next, click on Edit Contact Information. Change your email address (and/or change other contact information) and then click the
button.
There may sometimes be special testing sessions conducted at other sites (e.g., locations in Memphis, Knoxville, or other Tennessee cities), but there is no regular testing schedule for any location other than Nashville. Therefore, applicants are usually advised to come to the Nashville testing center when they are approved for test admission. If a testing location is available outside of Nashville, you will be scheduled for that location if it was indicated as your testing location preference when you completed your application.
The Nashville testing office administers tests on a daily basis (Monday - Friday, except State holidays). The testing admission hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. No appointment is required, but applicants must apply and be approved for a particular job before they can be admitted for testing. If you have questions regarding testing issues, please call (615) 253-3083 for assistance.
Applicants with certain impairments which affect their ability to participate in a written, computer, or performance test may be eligible for an alternative examination or other testing accommodation. For more information, call 615-741-0441 or Tennessee Relay Service at 711.
When you receive a rating score or you pass a written test (if applicable) for a particular job title, your name is placed on a list of eligible candidates for that job. The list of eligible candidates is used by State agencies when filling Career Service position vacancies. Career Service positions must be filled from among the top five eligible candidates who appear for the job interview and are willing to accept the position. When only current full-time Career employees are competing for the position (i.e., a promotional list is being used), the position must be filled from among the top three eligible employee candidates who appear for the job interview and are willing to accept the position. Please Note: Job interviews are usually conducted in the county in which the position is located. Costs associated with travel to and from interviews are not reimbursed by the State of Tennessee. Additionally, job offers generally will not include reimbursement of relocation costs.
You may contact the Applicant Services Division at 615-741-4841 and request to speak with the Applicant Services employee who evaluated your application. This will allow an opportunity to discuss the qualification requirements and what specifically the evaluator determined you did not meet (based on the information you provided within your application). If you wish to further appeal the evaluation after your conversation with the evaluator, you should submit a written request to the Commissioner of the Department of Human Resources within 15 days.
Please Note: If you failed to submit a full and complete application, and therefore, the evaluator did not have the information necessary to confirm that you met the job qualification requirements, you will not have the option to reapply or submit the missing information if the closing deadline has passed for the job. Therefore, you should be sure that you read all the instructions on the job posting web pages and provide the most complete application possible.
You may click on the link below to go directly to the application login page and access your online account. You will not be able to apply for a Tennessee Career Service job after you have logged in, but you will be able to view your "Application Status" and view/print a copy of any applications you submitted from your online account.
Online Application Login Page
There are two different ways you may update your legal resident county. If there is an open job posting you are ready to apply for, you should edit your legal county before advancing from the "Agency-Wide Questions" section of the application. When you submit the application, this will change your legal resident county for your complete applicant record. If you are not planning to apply for any additional jobs, you may print the form provided at: http://www.tn.gov/dohr/employment/pdf/legalcty.pdf and then mail or fax the completed form to Applicant Services.
County work preferences may be different for each job you apply for, and therefore they cannot be updated in the same way as listed above for legal resident county. You must print and complete the form provided at http://www.tn.gov/dohr/employment/pdf/legalcty.pdf. If you want the counties to be changed for only certain job(s) you´ve applied for, please note the specific job title(s) on the form. Otherwise, we will make the county changes to all your applications with active eligible list scores.
The "Current Openings" web page is usually updated with new job postings on the 4th Wednesday of each month, and the "Promotional Opportunities" web page is usually updated with new job postings on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. Checking the website shortly after those dates each month should insure that you are aware of the opportunities to apply as they become available.
No. If an eligible list already exists (with the names of applicants who applied during a previous open period), and the list is deemed to be adequate with regard to the number of qualified candidates, the hiring agency has the option to use that list. There is no requirement to have an open period for accepting applications every time there is a position vacancy.
The Department of Human Resources does not process applications for Executive Service or Non-Career Service jobs. To apply for these jobs, you should contact the particular department in which the Executive Service or Non-Career Service position of interest to you is located. To get contact information for the human resources offices of each state agency, click on the State of Tennessee departmental human resources offices link provided on the "Search and Apply for Jobs" page.
The Department of Human Resources does not process applications for most of the jobs classified as "Non-Competitive". To apply for these jobs, you should contact the particular department in which the Non-Competitive position of interest to you is located. To get contact information for the various departments and agencies, you may want to visit the State of Tennessee's agency and department directory page for more information. There are four jobs classified as non-Competitive for which it is necessary to submit your application to the Department of Human Resources. These jobs include: Highway Maintenance Worker 1; Transportation Assistant 1; Graduate Transportation Assistant; and Information Systems Associate. These jobs may only be applied for during announced open periods. Check the "Current Openings" web page to see whether any of these jobs are listed as open for application acceptance.
We encourage you to apply online to ensure timely processing of your application for placement on eligible lists. All applications, whether online or in paper form, must be entered into the online system. Mailing time, along with the additional manual steps required to process a paper application, may result in delayed scoring and/or placement on eligible lists. Only paper applications that have been completed on the correct paper form (see link below) and that have been hand-signed and dated by the applicant will be accepted. Incomplete applications, or applications that are not being submitted for a specific (currently open) job title, will be returned to the applicant. Paper applications must be received prior to or by the end of the business day, on the posted closing date (i.e., "Filing Date").
Click here to access a printable paper application form.
It is not possible to apply for a job online while it is "closed", but there are sometimes paper applications submitted for jobs that are not currently open for application acceptance. However, there is no advantage gained by submitting a paper application when a job is closed. The application is returned to the applicant, along with an instruction of where to access the listings of jobs for which applications are being accepted.
