TSA Needs to Improve 

Efforts to Retain, Hire, and 

Train Its Transportation 

Security Officers 

March 28, 2019 

OIG-19-35 
 

 

 

 

 

DHS OIG HIGHLIGHTS 

TSA Needs to Improve Efforts to Retain, Hire,

and Train Its Transportation Security Officers 

March 28, 2019 

Why We Did 

This Audit 

TSOs are integral to 

improving aviation 

security at our Nation’s 

airports by identifying 

prohibited objects in 

bags, in cargo, and on 

passengers. Therefore, 

TSA must retain, hire, 

and train its TSOs with 

the requisite skills and 

abilities to help protect 

the Nation from aviation 

security risks. We 

conducted this audit to 

determine the extent to 

which TSA retains, hires, 

and trains TSOs to 

accomplish its screening 

mission. 

What We 

Recommend 

We made nine 

recommendations that, 

when implemented, 

should help TSA improve 

TSO retention, hiring, 

and training. 

For Further Information: 

Contact our Office of Public Affairs at 

(202) 981-6000, or email us at 

DHS-OIG.OfficePublicAffairs@oig.dhs.gov 

What We Found 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 

needs to continue to improve its retention, hiring, and 

training of Transportation Security Officers (TSO). 

Specifically, TSA needs to better address its retention 

challenges because it currently does not share and 

leverage results of TSO exit surveys and does not 

always convey job expectations to new-hires. Prior to 

August 2018, TSA did not always focus on TSO career 

growth. Thus, the agency may be missing 

opportunities to prevent early attrition. By improving 

its retention efforts, TSA could save funds otherwise 

spent to hire and train new TSOs. 

Furthermore, TSA does not fully evaluate applicants 

for capability as well as compatibility when hiring new 

TSOs. Thus, the agency may be making uninformed 

hiring decisions due to inadequate applicant 

information and a lack of formally documented 

guidance on ranking potential new-hires. Without 

complete information, TSA may not be selecting the 

most highly qualified individuals as TSOs. 

Prior to July 2018, TSA had not standardized the 

approach for training new TSOs before they attend 

basic training and did not consistently send TSOs to 

basic training immediately following onboarding. TSA 

also does not give all airports complete visibility into 

its basic training curriculum as a basis for training 

new-hires locally. Without an experienced workforce 

or a consistent, robust training program, TSA is 

missing opportunities to strengthen its workforce. 

Given the importance of TSOs fulfilling the aviation 

security mission, TSA must address its retention, 

hiring, and training challenges, which could save 

millions in taxpayers’ dollars. 

TSA Response 

TSA concurred with all nine recommendations and 

initiated corrective actions to address the findings. 

www.oig.dhs.gov OIG-19-35 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Washington, DC 20528 / www.oig.dhs.gov 

March 28, 2019 

MEMORANDUM FOR: The Honorable David Pekoske 

Administrator 

Transportation Security Administration 

FROM: John V. Kelly 

Acting Inspector General 

SUBJECT:	 TSA Needs to Improve Efforts to Retain, Hire, 

and Train Its Transportation Security Officers 

Attached for your action is our final report, TSA Needs to Improve Efforts to 

Retain, Hire, and Train Its Transportation Security Officers. We incorporated the 

formal comments provided by your office. 

The report contains nine recommendations aimed at improving TSA’s retention, 

hiring, and training efforts for its Transportation Security Officers. Your office 

concurred with all nine recommendations. Based on information provided in 

your response to the draft report, recommendations 4, 6, and 8 are closed 

while recommendations 1, 2, 5, 7, and 9 are resolved and open. Once your 

office has fully implemented the recommendations, please submit a formal 

closeout letter to us within 30 days so that we may close the recommendations. 

The memorandum should be accompanied by evidence of completion of agreedupon corrective actions and of the disposition of any monetary amounts. 

Recommendation 3 remains unresolved and open because we did not agree 

with TSA’s proposed corrective action plan. As prescribed by the Department of 

Homeland Security Directive 077-01, Follow-Up and Resolutions for the Office of 

Inspector General Report Recommendations, within 90 days of the date of this 

memorandum, please provide our office with a written response that includes 

your (1) agreement or disagreement, (2) corrective action plan, and (3) target 

completion date. Also, please include responsible parties and any other 

supporting documentation necessary to inform us about the current status of 

the recommendations. Until your response is received and evaluated, 

recommendation #3 will be considered open and unresolved. Please send your 

response or closure request to OIGAuditsFollowup@oig.dhs.gov. 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Consistent with our responsibility under the Inspector General Act, we will 

provide copies of our report to congressional committees with oversight and 

appropriation responsibility over the Department of Homeland Security. We will 

post the report on our website for public dissemination. 

Please call me with any questions, or your staff may contact Sondra McCauley, 

Assistant Inspector General for Audits, at (202) 981-6000. 

Attachment 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Table of Contents 

Background .................................................................................................... 1 

Results of Audit .............................................................................................. 6 

TSA Needs to Continue to Improve TSO Retention ................................. 6 

TSA Needs to Enhance the TSO Applicant Evaluation Process.............. 12 

TSO Training Lacked Standardization and Visibility ............................ 14 

Recommendations......................................................................................... 15 

Appendixes 

Appendix A: Objective, Scope, and Methodology ................................. 22 

Appendix B: TSA Comments to the Draft Report .................................. 25 

Appendix C: TSO Hiring Process .......................................................... 31 

Appendix D: Airports’ Best Practices Based on Visits ........................... 32 

Appendix E:Office of Audits Major Contributors to This Report ........... 34 

Appendix F: Report Distribution.......................................................... 35 

Abbreviations 

BTP Basic Training Program 

CBT Computer Based Test 

GAO Government Accountability Office 

HC Human Capital 

LE/FAMS Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service 

OJT on-the-job training 

TSA Transportation Security Administration 

TSO Transportation Security Officer 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Background 

The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) mission is to protect our 

Nation’s transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and 

commerce. A vital element to the agency’s success is a professional, motivated, 

and dedicated workforce. At the end of fiscal year 2017, TSA comprised 

approximately 61,400 employees. More than 34,200 (56 percent) were entrylevel Transportation Security Officers (TSO). 

TSOs are integral to carrying out aviation security at our Nation’s airports.1 

TSOs secure and protect air travelers and baggage at airports by identifying 

prohibited objects in bags, in cargo, and on passengers to prevent those objects 

from getting onto aircraft. TSO responsibilities include operating various 

screening equipment and technology, performing pat-downs of passengers, 

conducting bag searches, controlling airport terminal entry and exit points, 

interacting with the public, and understanding and implementing TSA 

standard operating procedures (figure 1 shows TSOs screening passengers and 

baggage at an airport security checkpoint). In carrying out these screening 

responsibilities, TSOs must think critically about current threats and risks, 

and the responses necessary to mitigate those threats. 

Figure 1. TSA Airport Security Checkpoint 

Source: TSA 

1 During the partial Government shutdown from December 2018 – January 2019, TSOs were 

required to work to carry out their critical mission to secure the airports. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

The FY 2017 obligational authority of approximately $3.5 billion for TSO 

screening operations encompasses about 41 percent of TSA’s funding,2 which 

includes costs for screening personnel, compensation, benefits, and training 

(figure 2 outlines TSA’s FY 2017 total obligations). 

Figure 2. Total FY 2017 Obligational Authority for TSA 

Source: Office of Inspector General (OIG) analysis of TSA data 

TSA primarily relies on the following offices to retain, hire, and train TSOs: 

	 Human Capital (HC) oversees the recruitment and hiring process. It 

administers and reviews the employee engagement and exit surveys. HC 

also hires contractors to provide recruiting, hiring, and other services. 

 Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service (LE/FAMS) oversees 

background investigations for applicants. 

 Training and Development oversees the development and delivery of 

training programs. 

 Security Operations secures the transportation system. This office 

consists of headquarters and airport personnel. 

TSA has an inherently challenging mission that involves addressing evolving 

threats, adapting to new technologies, and dealing with consistent personnel 

2 FY 2017 TSA obligational authority was $8.4 billion, which does not include $2.8 billion for 

aviation security and credentialing fees collected. According to a TSA official, obligational 

authority is the authority provided by law to incur financial obligations that will result in 

outlays. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

turnover. History shows terrorists are capable of attacking in many different 

ways. As threats change, TSA pursues advanced technology for detection. This 

requires that TSOs learn and operate new equipment with revised procedures 

to safeguard the traveling public. We have previously reported many findings 

and recommendations in prior Department of Homeland Security OIG covert 

testing and other audit reports specific to TSO performance and training. TSA 

continues to work on improving its workforce’s capability to address security 

risks and vulnerabilities. We believe TSO retention and training challenges are 

contributing factors to airport security weaknesses. Human performance and 

sound judgment are critical factors in protecting the Nation against terrorist 

attacks, thus highlighting the importance of retaining experienced TSOs, hiring 

qualified TSOs, and training the workforce appropriately to secure our airports. 

Congressional and media attention has focused on TSA’s retention and 

employee turnover issues, which include: 

 workforce morale; 

 staffing and scheduling challenges; 

 management; 

 employee attrition; and 

 TSA pay scale. 

TSOs are excepted service positions and are not subject to the same 

appointment, pay, and classification rules as competitive service positions 

codified under Title 5 of the United States Code. The Aviation and 

Transportation Security Act authorizes TSA to set the compensation, terms, 

and conditions of employment for security screening personnel. TSA uses the 

legacy Federal Aviation Administration Core Compensation System to 

compensate its employees. The core compensation system establishes pay 

bands that set a range for the minimum and maximum rate of basic pay for an 

occupation based on position category, duties, competencies, and level of 

responsibility. Employees may receive in-band increases and promotions based 

on individual accomplishments. 

During FYs 2016–17, TSA hired more than 19,300 TSOs, yet lost more than 

15,500 during this same period. TSA spends millions annually to hire and train 

new TSOs to replace those who leave the agency. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

In FY 2017, TSA reported that, on 

average, it spent approximately $6,300 to 

hire and $2,300 to train TSOs through its 

Basic Training Program (BTP) and the 

new-hire training at airports. In that same 

fiscal year, TSA hired more than 9,600 

TSOs, costing the agency approximately 

$75 million3 in hiring and training costs. 

According to TSA, the TSO attrition rate 

matches that for overall Federal 

government employees — approximately 

17 percent in FY 2017, as shown in 

figure 3. 

FY 2017 Average New-Hire TSO Costs 

Hiring 

Recruitment & Hiring Costs $5,545 

Post-Hire Background 

Investigation* $745 

 $6,290 

Training 

Basic Training Program & 

New-Hire Training $2,283

 Total: $8,573 

Source: TSA data as of June 2018 

*Note: TSA estimated post-hire background investigation costs 

because it does not track investigations conducted by position. 

Figure 3. Comparison of FY 2017 Federal Employee and TSO 

Attrition Rates 

0.00% 

2.00% 

4.00% 

6.00% 

8.00% 

10.00% 

12.00% 

14.00% 

16.00% 

18.00% 

Resignations All 

Voluntary 

Involuntary Total 

Federal Government 

Employee Attrition 

Rate 

Transportation 

Security Officers 

Attrition Rate 

Source: TSA data as of April 2018 

According to the Aviation and Transportation Security Act, TSA is charged with 

developing standards for the hiring, retention, training, and testing of security 

screening personnel at all U.S. airports. Hiring is a multifaceted process 

3 TSA officials explained they did not train all 9,600 TSOs hired in FY 2017 through the BTP 

due to storm closures at the training facility and resource restrictions. Airport personnel locally 

trained TSOs who did not attend the BTP. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

involving at least eight distinct steps from TSO application to job offer 

acceptance. As shown in figure 4, these steps include applicants passing a 

Computer-Based Test (CBT), which comprises both a Screener English Test 

and a Screener Object Recognition Test. Applicants also complete an Airport 

Assessment, which involves a structured interview, fingerprinting, and 

verification of U.S. citizenship. Additional steps consist of a medical evaluation, 

including a drug test and a background investigation. The Ready Pool is the set 

of applicants eligible for job offers. For placement in the Ready Pool, the 

Personnel Security Section, within LE/FAMS, performs a preliminary 

background check. Appendix C contains details on the TSO hiring process. 

Figure 4 shows the average hiring process took 252 days from application to 

job offer acceptance.4 The average of 252 days includes the number of days it 

may take an applicant to schedule the CBT and resolve issues arising from a 

medical examination,5 which are the applicant’s responsibility and out of TSA’s 

control. Excluding the average number of days related to the applicant’s 

actions, the hiring process takes an average of 183 days from application to job 

offer acceptance. 

Figure 4. TSO Hiring Process and Average Completion Timeframes 

for FYs 2016–17 

Application 

(Beginning) 

1 Day 

Computer

Based Test 

56 Days 

Airport

Assessment 

84 Days 

Medical 

Evaluation 

40 Days 

Background

Check 

17 Days 

Ready Pool

Placement 

0 Days 

Certification 

43 Days 

Job Offer 

Acceptance 

(End) 

11 Days 

|----------------------------------------Average 252-day Completion Timeframe--------------------------------------| 

Source: DHS OIG analysis of the TSO hiring process and completion timeframes 

Prior to July 2018, new-hire TSOs were required to complete onboarding tasks, 

such as online training and shadowing an experienced officer for “A Day in the 

Life” exercise. All new-hire TSOs attended a 2-week BTP at the TSA Academy, 

which is located at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers in Glynco, 

GA. Using approved TSA standard operating procedures, Academy instructors 

provided new TSOs the requisite knowledge and skills to screen individuals and 

their property. In addition to attending the TSO BTP, all new TSOs had to 

complete on-the-job-training (OJT) tasks before being certified on various 

elements of the job, such as pat-downs, explosives detection, and x-ray 

machines. Training and Development could grant exceptions to allow airports 

to conduct new-hire TSO training locally in certain circumstances, such as TSA 

Academy closure or a hiring surge. 

4 In FYs 2016-17, the average time for a TSO to enter on duty after certification was 

approximately 36 days. 

5 TSA has changed its policy and now removes applicants from the process when they do not 

receive a satisfactory medical evaluation. When TSA removes an applicant from the hiring 

process, the applicant is no longer eligible for the TSO position. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Results of Audit 

TSA needs to continue to improve its retention, hiring, and training of TSOs. 

Specifically, TSA needs to better address its retention challenges because it 

does not share and leverage results of TSO exit surveys and does not always 

convey job expectations to new-hires. Prior to August 2018, TSA did not always 

focus on career growth for TSOs, including pay increases based on skill level. 

Thus, the agency may be missing opportunities to prevent early attrition. By 

improving its retention efforts, TSA could save on funds otherwise spent to hire 

and train new TSOs. 

Furthermore, TSA does not fully evaluate applicants for capability as well as 

compatibility when hiring new TSOs. Thus, the agency may be making 

uninformed hiring decisions due to inadequate applicant information and a 

lack of formally documented guidance on ranking potential new-hires. Without 

complete information, TSA may not be selecting the most highly qualified 

individuals as TSOs. 

Prior to July 2018, TSA had not standardized the approach for training new 

TSOs before they attend basic training and did not consistently send TSOs to 

basic training immediately following onboarding. It also does not give all 

airports complete visibility into its basic training curriculum as a basis for 

training new-hires locally. Without an experienced workforce or a consistent, 

robust training program, TSA is missing opportunities to strengthen its 

workforce. Given the importance of TSOs fulfilling the aviation security 

mission, TSA must address its retention, hiring, and training challenges, which 

could save millions in taxpayers’ dollars. 

TSA Needs to Continue to Improve TSO Retention 

TSA has not addressed all of the challenges associated with retaining TSOs. 

TSA does not fully leverage the results of TSO exit surveys because HC does 

not proactively share the survey results with airport management teams. 

According to TSA officials at 2 of the 12 airports visited, lack of clearly 

understanding job expectations, such as pat-down procedures and shift 

schedules, has led to early attrition of new-hires. Further, TSA did not always 

focus on career growth for TSOs, including pay increases based on skill level. 

In August 2018, TSA implemented the first phase of TSO Career Progression, 

which provides newly hired entry-level officers a career path with pay increases 

tied to enhanced skills and training. Under the TSO Career Progression, newhire TSOs must successfully complete standardized training locally and then 

attend training at the TSA Academy within a certain period (e.g., 6 months for 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Category X, I, and II airports) of onboarding if they meet certain readiness 

criteria. 

TSA has also identified and addressed some retention challenges. For example, 

the agency has approved retention incentive packages for some cities. By 

improving its retention efforts, TSA could save millions of taxpayer dollars 

spent hiring and training new TSOs. Attrition costs include the costs of 

replacing those who leave by hiring and training new staff to replace them, as 

well as losses associated with productivity, institutional knowledge, decreased 

employee morale, and potential performance gaps as new staff take time to 

fully perform in their job. According to a 2010 report from a consulting firm 

and non-profit organization,6 losing experienced employees can be a serious 

disruption to an agency’s operational capacity and performance. 

TSA Does Not Fully Leverage Results of TSO Exit Surveys to Improve 

Retention 

Although TSA requests that employees leaving the agency complete a voluntary 

exit survey,7 it does not fully analyze departing TSOs’ responses on these 

surveys, especially the responses of high turnover employees such as part-time 

personnel and those with less than 6 months of experience. 

We reviewed a summary of TSA’s exit survey results from 10,128 respondents 

from FYs 2012–17. The exit surveys identified common themes, most of which 

were corroborated by TSA airport officials during our interviews. These 

included dissatisfaction with career advancement opportunities and issues 

with management’s competence and communication. Table 1 identifies the 

most common responses for the part-time and full-time TSA employees. 

6 Booz Allen Hamilton and Partnership for Public Service, Beneath the Surface: Understanding 

Attrition at Your Agency and Why It Matters, November 2010. 

7 TSA’s cumulative response rate to employee exit surveys is 25 percent.
 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Table 1. Summary of Most Common TSA Exit Survey Responses for FullTime and Part-Time TSOs, FYs 2012–17 

Theme FT PT Survey Details 

Career 

Advancement 

X X The most commonly selected reason for leaving TSA was 

dissatisfaction with career advancement opportunities and 

processes. Specific reasons included few opportunities for 

advancement, unfair promotion process, unsupported career 

development, and few professional/career development-training 

opportunities. 

Management X X Reasons respondents cited for dissatisfaction with their 

supervisors included management’s competence, communication, 

promotion of negative work environment, disrespect, lack of trust, 

lack of appreciation or recognition, and unfair practices in 

appraisal, discipline, and advancement. 

Personal 

Reasons 

X X Respondents complained about the impact of the job on their 

personal life, having to care for family, desire to change to a 

different type of work, family concerns, personal health problems, 

commute, moving out of the area, and family dissatisfaction with 

job. In addition, the category contained respondents who were 

retiring or needed to move for full-time work. 

Scheduling X Reasons respondents were dissatisfied with scheduling include 

the lack of flexibility in scheduling, the scheduling process, 

difficulty in obtaining time off, nontraditional scheduling, and the 

inability to obtain shift preferences. 

Pay X X Respondents complained about base pay, pay raises, bonuses, 

and the fairness of pay compared with the work 

performed. Almost three-quarters of those who completed the 

voluntary exit surveys said the new job would pay more. 

Senior 

Leadership 

X Respondents had issues with senior leadership’s competence, 

lack of communication, respect issues, trust issues, lack of 

appreciation, work environment, unfair practices in appraisals, 

and the changes in leadership and the organization. 

Source: DHS OIG analysis of TSA’s exit survey results 

TSA does not fully leverage the results of voluntary exit surveys to help airports 

mitigate the reasons TSOs leave the agency. HC’s Workforce Assessment 

Branch administers employee exit surveys, analyzes the results for common 

themes, and presents the results to TSA senior officials annually. However, HC 

does not proactively share specific results for each airport with each airport’s 

management team. Proactively sharing data from exit surveys for a more 

comprehensive analysis would help maximize retention efforts. 

Additionally, airports do not consistently conduct exit interviews when a TSO 

leaves. TSA airport officials may collect information as TSOs depart, but the 

data is limited and not always used to help improve weaknesses that may be 

contributing to turnover. Management at 7 of 12 airports we visited said they 

do not have a process to interview departing employees (appendix D contains a 

list of best practices observed during airport site visits, which includes 

conducting face-to-face interviews with departing personnel to understand the 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

reasons for departure). Having a process to interview departing employees 

consistently could give TSA valuable information about why TSOs leave and 

help the agency develop beneficial retention strategies. 

TSA Has Difficulty Retaining Small Airport, New-hire, and Part-time TSOs 

TSA continues to struggle with attrition rates across all sizes of airports, as 

shown in table 2. For example, the three largest category airports, representing 

92 percent of the TSO workforce, have an attrition rate of approximately 17 

percent. The smallest categories of airports, representing 8 percent of the TSO 

workforce, have an attrition rate of approximately 19 percent.8 Smaller airports 

may only have four TSO positions; whereas, larger airports may have more 

than 1,000 TSO positions. According to TSA airport officials, TSOs at smaller 

airports may leave due to limited career growth opportunities and scheduling 

challenges. 

Table 2. FY 2017 Average TSO Attrition Rate by Airport Category 

Airport 

Category 

Number of 

Airports 

Number of 

TSOs 

% of Total 

Airports % of TSOs Attrition Rate (%) 

X 28 25,823 7 55 16 

I 57 12,674 14 27 18 

II 80 4,584 19 10 18 

III 112 2,255 27 5 18 

IV 145 1,325 34 3 20 

Source: TSA data through FY 2017 

Note: TSA calculates attrition rates by dividing separations by average headcount. 

New-hire and part-time TSOs leave TSA at a considerably higher rate than 

more experienced and full-time TSOs.9 TSA officials explained that new-hires 

often leave because they do not understand job expectations; part-time TSOs 

often leave for positions with more hours or other part-time work. To 

accommodate flight schedules and operational requirements, TSA hires more 

part-time than full-time TSOs, which could increase its overall attrition rate 

(table 3 shows the TSO voluntary attrition rates in FYs 2012–17). During FYs 

2012–14, part-time TSOs separated at a rate three times greater than full-time 

TSOs. During FYs 2015–16, the part-time TSO voluntary attrition rate was 

more than two-and-a-half times the full-time TSO voluntary attrition rate. 

8 Each airport has a category ranking with category X being the busiest airport followed by a 

category I, II, III, and IV. As noted in table 2, there is an inverse relationship between attrition 

rate and size of airport. 

9 TSA employs more full-time TSOs than part-time TSOs. As full-time TSO employees depart 

TSA, agency policy allows currently employed part-time TSOs the opportunity to backfill the 

vacant full-time positions. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Table 3. TSO Voluntary Attrition Rates, FYs 2012–17 

FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 FY 2015 FY 2016 FY 2017 

Overall 9.13% 10.83% 12.30% 12.02% 13.53% 13.91% 

Full-Time 5.67% 6.79% 8.27% 8.88% 10.06% 10.70% 

Part-Time 18.16% 22.04% 25.40% 23.26% 26.55% 26.58% 

Source: TSA data through FY 2017 

Note: TSA calculates attrition rates by dividing separations by average headcount. 

Faced with TSO turnover, TSA must repeatedly hire and train new TSOs to 

replace those leaving the agency. In FY 2017, more than 9,600 TSOs joined the 

workforce, with TSA hiring about two part-time 

employees for every full-time employee. The new 

employees consisted of 6,611 part-time and 

2,991 full-time TSOs. That same fiscal year, 

8,095 TSOs left the agency, with approximately 

24 percent (1,906) separating within the first 6 

months of their start dates. 

TSA Does Not Always Use Available Options for Communicating Job 

Expectations to TSO Applicants 

TSA airport officials asserted that some TSOs leave shortly after starting 

because they do not fully understand scheduling demands or the daily tasks of 

the job, such as the details of pat-down procedures. One reason this occurred 

is that TSA does not require that airports use available means of 

communicating job expectations to applicants.10 For example, in addition to job 

requirements included in vacancy announcements, applicants may view a 

Realistic Job Preview video, which gives an objective portrait of the TSO 

position and an overview of the application process. The Realistic Job Preview 

video is also available for applicants to view on the TSA Candidate Dashboard, 

which is the system that provides applicants the status of their employment 

application. At 4 of 12 airports we visited, we identified a best practice of 

showing the video to groups of applicants during Airport Assessments. Even 

though TSA provides applicants opportunities to watch the Realistic Job 

Preview video, it does not require that applicants view this video. 

10 Other means that TSA uses to convey job expectations to applicants include participation in 

job fairs and career events, hosting information sessions, and providing airport-specific 

information in TSO job announcements. 

It cost taxpayers

approximately $16

million to hire and 

train the 1,906 TSOs 

who left. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Another example of an available method of communicating job expectations to 

applicants is airports may choose to conduct an optional conversation prior to 

scheduling the Airport Assessment or prior to check-in on the day of the 

Airport Assessment. According to HC’s TSO Local Hiring Process Manual, these 

conversations are not required. These optional conversations can provide a 

realistic overview of the TSO position and airport-specific facts, such as open 

positions at the airport, shifts available, parking fees, hiring process 

timeframes, required training, and working conditions. 

TSA Did Not Focus on TSOs’ Career Development 

According to Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) Standards for Internal 

Control in the Federal Government, operational success partly depends on 

providing the workforce with the right incentives and responsibilities. During 

fieldwork, we noted that TSA did not consistently focus on career development 

opportunities for TSOs to promote interest and long-term loyalty to the agency. 

At 6 of the 12 airports we visited, TSA airport officials agreed that lack of career 

advancement affects TSO attrition (see appendix D for a list of several best 

practices in this area, including temporary promotions and the opportunity to 

take roles outside of screening operations to enhance career development). TSA 

officials at one airport explained that they develop professional growth 

opportunities locally without help from headquarters. 

To encourage commitment to and advancement in one’s career, TSA submitted 

a TSO Career Progression Model to the Secretary’s office for review in April 

2018 and implemented it in August 2018. It shows the milestones associated 

with a TSO’s career advancement, as well as the required training for each 

level. TSA officials stated that the model gives TSOs reasonable and achievable 

milestones for career advancement. The model links TSO pay and career 

progression within the agency. 

Staff Shortages and Low Pay Exacerbate Retention Challenges 

TSA officials reported staff shortages exist because not enough applicants are 

in the hiring pipeline and airport personnel have difficulty competing with local 

economic conditions. TSA officials from one airport we visited expressed 

concerns about staffing according to the airport’s Resource Allocation Plan.11 In 

the second quarter of FY 2018, the airport was staffed at 87 percent. An official 

at the same airport said that even though TSA offers overtime shifts to fill 

scheduling gaps resulting from staff shortages, it has difficulty filling those 

overtime shifts. According to an April 2018 congressional testimony by the 

11 Security Operations provides a Resource Allocation Plan to each airport based upon data, 

such as passenger volume and targeted wait times. This plan estimates the number of full-time 

equivalents necessary to meet these demands. 

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OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

National President for the American Federation of Government Employees,12 

TSA’s failure to adequately staff checkpoint and baggage screening areas leads 

to overworked officers and less security for the flying public. In our opinion, 

excessive use of overtime, which could be mitigated by competitive salaries and 

adequate staffing levels, could also result in lower job satisfaction and morale, 

and therefore higher turnover. 

As shown in table 1, exit surveys cite pay as one of the most common reasons 

employees leave TSA. According to a 2014 TSA memo, at that time, front-line 

TSOs were the lowest paid operational personnel in TSA’s workforce. TSO pay 

is limited to the TSA pay bands allotted for the position. In addition, officials 

from two hard-to-hire airports said TSOs often leave to find job opportunities 

that offer the same or higher pay. When comparing the most recent Census 

Bureau data for cities in which these two hard-to-hire airports are located, TSA 

pays TSOs as much as 31 percent below the per capita income amount. For 

example, at one airport, officials indicated that a local retail store offered 

comparable salaries to TSOs. Additionally, one TSA official reported that a 

sandwich shop chain offered a higher salary than an entry-level TSO. 

Without competitive pay rates, TSA officials asserted they cannot successfully 

compete in the job market. TSA addresses this issue by improving monetary 

recognition for TSOs under its compensation authority. For example, in 

February 2018, HC approved retention incentives for two hard-to-hire airports. 

Additionally, as stated previously, TSA implemented the TSO Career 

Progression in August 2018. As it develops, the TSO Career Progression 

initiative is intended to provide a clearly defined career path with pay increases 

tied to enhanced skills and training for TSOs. 

TSA Needs to Enhance the TSO Applicant Evaluation Process 

According to GAO’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, 

management should recruit competent staff to achieve agency objectives. 

However, TSA has not pursued all options for fully evaluating applicants to 

ensure it hires qualified staff. For example, competency tests evaluate only 

English proficiency and object recognition, and do not consider compatibility 

factors such as personality, motivation, and attitude that are critical for job 

performance. Structured interview questions also do not assess applicants’ 

ability to perform actual TSO duties. TSA may be making uninformed TSO 

hiring decisions given inadequate applicant documentation and a lack of formal 

12 Statement by J. David Cox, Sr., National President of the American Federation of 

Government Employees, American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial 

Organizations, before the Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security of the 

Committee on Homeland Security, Examining the President’s FY 2019 Budget Request for the 

Transportation Security Administration, April 12, 2018. 

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guidance on the applicant ranking process. As a result, TSA airport officials 

may not be identifying and hiring the most highly qualified individuals for TSO 

positions. 

Competency Tests and Structured Interview Questions Do Not Fully 

Assess TSO Applicants 

To hire more qualified applicants, TSA could enhance the current competency 

tests. During the CBT and interview, TSA assesses competencies, such as oral 

communication, attention to detail, conflict management, critical thinking, 

flexibility, integrity, honesty, teamwork, and situational awareness. Examples 

of potential enhancements include personality tests and practice tests given at 

colleges to determine whether students are a fit for TSO positions. 

In April 2018, TSA officials completed research on the potential effectiveness of 

assessing job compatibility during the hiring process. TSA officials said the job 

compatibility assessment is a pre-employment suitability screening that 

focuses on personality-related, motivational, and attitudinal competencies that 

are critical for job performance. TSA officials said their goal for this initiative 

was to develop and implement a valid assessment to strengthen the TSO 

applicant pool by identifying applicants least and most likely to be a good fit for 

the position. HC will complete this initiative and incorporate the assessment 

into the hiring process as part of the CBT. 

Additionally, TSA could enhance structured interviews to better evaluate an 

applicant’s ability to perform TSO tasks. As part of the Airport Assessment, 

TSA scores applicants on a structured interview consisting of seven 

competencies validated as critical for the position, including flexibility, 

teamwork, and oral communication. According to TSA personnel at one airport, 

the interview portion limits their ability to disqualify applicants. TSA personnel 

at another airport stated the interview questions do not assess the ability to 

perform actual TSO duties. 

Inadequate Documentation May Lead to Uninformed Hiring Decisions 

Without adequate documentation supporting newly hired TSOs and formal 

guidance on the process to rank applicants, TSA may be making uninformed 

TSO hiring decisions. Airports could not provide documentation showing 

applicants passed all steps in the hiring process. Additionally, TSA lacks formal 

criteria and clear guidance describing the Certification List13 ranking process. 

13 The Certification List is a list of eligible applicants used to select individuals for employment. 

TSA selecting officials at the airports make job offers to applicants in the order in which they 

appear on the Certification Lists ranking from best qualified, highly qualified, and qualified. 

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We tested whether 30 applicants from a universe of 4,665 Ready Pool 

applicants as of September 30, 2017, had passed each hiring step. Because the 

airports could not provide complete files, there was no conclusive evidence 

whether three of these applicants14 had passed each hiring step. One airport 

admittedly destroyed files for two applicants 1 year after the applicants 

completed the Airport Assessment, even though TSA’s records retention policy 

requires TSA airport personnel to retain these documents for 2 years after the 

Airport Assessment. Another airport could not locate one applicant’s complete 

file at the time of the audit. Without these documents, TSA cannot validate 

whether these applicants met the qualifications to be in the Ready Pool. 

TSA has no formally documented criteria or clear guidance describing the 

process it uses to rank applicants. When there is a hiring need, airports use 

the TSO Cert Tool system to generate Certification Lists from applicants in the 

Ready Pool. This system uses a numeric score for each applicant derived from 

the Screener Object Recognition Test portion of the CBT and airport interview 

to rank applicants into qualified categories on a Certification List. In response 

to our request for documented criteria against which TSA programmed the 

categories in the system, TSA provided an email chain from 2011 showing 

score ranges for the qualified categories. TSA did not provide evidence 

explaining the reasoning behind the scoring ranges informally stated in the email. Without this evidence, we could not verify whether TSA programmed its 

TSO Cert Tool correctly. As a result, TSA airport personnel may not be 

contacting and extending job offers to the most qualified applicants. 

TSO Training Lacked Standardization and Visibility 

According to GAO’s Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government, 

training should develop employee knowledge, skills, and abilities to meet 

changing organizational needs. TSA had not standardized the training airports 

provide to new TSOs and did not require TSO BTP attendance immediately 

following TSO onboarding. Additionally, Training and Development does not 

give all airport training managers the waivers they need for complete visibility 

into the TSO BTP curriculum and authorization to train new-hires locally. 

Improving training efforts would better position the agency with a stronger 

workforce. 

Lack of Standardization in Training Prior to TSO BTP Attendance 

Until July 2018, TSA had not standardized the approach for training new TSOs 

prior to attending the TSO BTP. At 6 of the 12 airports we visited, TSA officials 

said that before new TSOs attend the TSO BTP, they train them in screening 

14 These applicants completed Airport Assessments at two airports. 

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positions, such as Travel Document Checker and Divestiture Officer. However, 

TSA officials at another airport said they do not train new TSOs in these 

positions before BTP attendance. This occurred because TSA had not 

standardized how airports should use the time from a TSO’s start date to the 

date the TSO attends BTP. Security Operations allowed airports flexibility in 

the timeline for TSO BTP attendance, and some airports delayed sending new 

TSOs to BTP rather than immediately following onboarding. This flexibility 

allowed TSA airport personnel to observe new-hires and assess whether they 

could fulfill all TSO duties. As some TSOs may have waited an extended period 

of time to go to BTP, there was concern TSA may have underused these TSOs. 

Beginning in July 2018, new TSOs attend standardized training delivered at 

the airport. TSOs attend BTP at the TSA Academy after successfully completing 

this standardized training. 

Incomplete Visibility into TSO BTP Curriculum 

Training and Development personnel do not give all airport training personnel 

complete visibility into the current TSO BTP curriculum. At least 5 of the 12 

airports visited were not able to access the TSO BTP curriculum and use it as a 

basis for training new-hires. Without complete knowledge of updated 

curriculum content, airport training managers cannot enhance TSO skills and 

performance levels with appropriate local training efforts. 

Conclusion 

TSOs are critical to airline passenger safety and the security of the aviation 

transportation system. The Aviation and Transportation Security Act charges 

TSA with developing standards for retaining, hiring, and training security 

screening personnel at all U.S. airports. Passengers rely on TSOs to screen 

other passengers and baggage properly at more than 400 airports nationwide. 

In FY 2017, TSA hired more than 9,600 TSOs and spent approximately $75 

million to recruit, hire, and train them. Improving retention, hiring, and 

training of TSOs would save costs and provide a more stable, mature, and 

qualified workforce to better secure the Nation’s aviation 

transportation system. 

Recommendations 

Recommendation 1: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, continue to coordinate efforts with Security Operations to implement 

actions that facilitate improvements in the hiring process to ensure applicants 

are informed of the Transportation Security Officer duties and that TSA 

continues to hire qualified applicants. At a minimum, TSA should: 

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a.	 require an applicant affirm whether he/she has reviewed the 

Transportation Security Officer Realistic Job Preview video and 

understands duties include interacting with passengers, passenger patdowns, shift work, weekend work, and holidays. If the applicant has not, 

ensure the applicant reviews the video as part of the application process; 

and 

b. finalize the implementation of the agency’s job compatibility assessment 

tool for use during the hiring process. 

Recommendation 2: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, revise the exit survey process to: 

a.	 ensure airports offer local exit interviews; 

b. record results in a centralized system; 

c.	 provide relevant stakeholders access to the results for analysis and 

process improvements; and 

d. address areas identified in the exit survey results that would help retain 

a skilled and knowledgeable Transportation Security Officer workforce. 

Recommendation 3: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, continue to review and develop recruitment and retention strategies for 

reducing attrition: 

a.	 at smaller airports; and 

b. among part-time Transportation Security Officers. 

Recommendation 4: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, meet established timelines to implement the first phase of Career 

Progression for newly appointed entry-level Transportation Security Officers. 

Recommendation 5: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, examine increases in pay based upon skill level for Transportation 

Security Officers that could help attract and retain a strong workforce. 

Recommendation 6: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, compile a local hiring update message to remind airports to follow TSA 

records retention policies for Airport Assessment documentation. 

Recommendation 7: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Human 

Capital, formally document system functional requirements, such as the rating 

process criteria, for quality assurance purposes to ensure proper system logic 

in how applicants are ranked on the Certification Lists. 

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Recommendation 8: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Training 

and Development, coordinate with Security Operations to enforce the pre-Basic 

Training Program requirements. 

Recommendation 9: We recommend the Assistant Administrator, Training 

and Development, provide all airports access to the Basic Training Program 

curriculum in its entirety. 

Management Comments and OIG Analysis 

TSA concurred with all of our recommendations and is taking steps or has 

implemented actions to address them. Appendix B contains TSA’s management 

comments in their entirety. We also received technical comments to the draft 

report and revised the report as appropriate. We consider recommendations 1, 

2, 5, 7, and 9 resolved and open. Recommendations 4, 6, and 8 are closed. 

Recommendation 3 remains unresolved and open because we did not agree 

with TSA’s proposed corrective action plan. A summary of TSA’s responses and 

our analysis follows. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 1: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. TSA explained its efforts to make every TSO applicant aware 

of the realities of the TSO position and ensure the agency conveys job 

expectations to TSO applicants. These efforts include participating in job fairs 

and career events, hosting in-person and virtual information sessions, 

attaching an airport-specific fact sheet to every TSO Job Opportunity 

Announcement posted on the Federal Government's official employment site, 

USAJobs, and creating and sharing the TSO Realistic Job Preview video that is 

communicated throughout the hiring process and accessible through various 

avenues. TSA will mandate that personnel scheduling the Airport Assessment 

review an airport's hours of operations, typical shifts and days off, and typical 

duties of the position. Additionally, TSA will modify the Airport Assessment 

scheduling script to advise that each applicant is required to watch the TSO 

Realistic Job Preview video prior to attending the assessment. TSA expects 

these actions to begin by March 31, 2019. Additionally, TSA plans to include a 

compatibility assessment tool in the TSO hiring process, which the Office of 

Personnel Management will validate. The estimated completion date to pilot 

and fully deploy the compatibility assessment tool is September 30, 2019. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA has taken steps to satisfy the intent of 

this recommendation. We consider this recommendation resolved, but it will 

remain open until TSA provides documentation to support that all planned 

corrective actions are completed. 

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TSA Comments to Recommendation 2: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. In fall 2018, the Workforce Assessments Branch released a 

new Workforce Surveys iShare site, which includes a page dedicated to the 

National Exit Survey. All TSA employees have access to this page and are able 

to view information about the survey, TSA-wide results for FY 2018, and 

instructions for running custom reports within the HCAccess Tool. Employees 

seeking to address survey results can also use the iShare site to access action 

planning tools and best practices. As needed, the Workforce Assessments 

Branch will engage with airports to facilitate local action planning focus 

groups. Additionally, the Human Capital Risk Management and Accountability 

Branch will include this item in random evaluations. The estimated completion 

date is September 30, 2019. 

TSA indicated that ahead of releasing the new website, survey results point of 

contacts were solicited from all airports and offices. These contacts have access 

to a controlled access folder containing results for engagement surveys (e.g., 

Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, Employee Engagement Survey) for their 

specific worksite, along with their worksite's FY 20l7–18 exit survey 

reports. Human Capital (HC) posted exit survey reports for all Category X and I 

airports, as well as Headquarters and Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal 

Service. The survey tool does not produce reports when fewer than five 

responses are registered, which limits the reports’ availability for smaller offices 

and airports. This is done to preserve the anonymity of exiting employees. To 

ensure airports offer local exit interviews, Human Capital will partner with 

Security Operations to disseminate a broadcast message to airport leadership 

reminding them of this requirement. The estimated completion date is April 30, 

2019. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA has taken steps to satisfy the intent of 

this recommendation. We consider this recommendation resolved, but it will 

remain open until TSA provides documentation to support that all planned 

corrective actions are completed. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 3: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. TSA anticipates that implementation of TSO Career 

Progression, announced in August 2018, will assist with retention of officers, 

including those who are part-time or stationed at smaller airport duty 

locations. Additionally, TSA uses retention incentives to augment TSO pay at 

duty stations with retention and recruitment challenges, particularly for 

markets in which there are competitive employment opportunities, low 

unemployment, and high cost-of-living. During the recruitment process, TSA 

also markets the benefits of Federal employment to prospective applicants and 

promotes TSO positions as an entry point to a Federal career. To maximize 

distribution of this message and in an effort to attract and hire qualified 

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candidates for agency positions, HC has implemented additional recruitment 

strategies and approaches, such as sponsored social media and programmatic 

digital advertising. Through the assistance of Public Affairs, TSA has also 

enhanced its social media presence for recruitment on sites such as Linkedin, 

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. TSA outlined these actions in support of its 

request to close this recommendation. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: We recognize that TSO Career Progression, 

implemented in August 2018, and retention incentives may assist with 

retention of officers, including those who are part-time or located at smaller 

airports. However, actions described during the recruitment process do not 

specifically address the intent of the recommendation. This recommendation 

will remain unresolved and open until TSA provides additional details and 

documentation outlining strategies to retain TSOs at smaller airports and 

among part-time TSOs. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 4: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. TSA implemented the first phase of TSO Career Progression 

on August 5, 2018 for TSOs hired on or after that date. Through a phased 

approach, TSA improved training for new officers to learn basic skills at home 

airports and the TSA Academy. The first phase of TSO Career Progression also 

included, subject to funding, a quarterly on-the-job coaching incentive for 

certain TSOs selected as coaches. TSA outlined these actions in support of its 

request to close this recommendation. TSA also provided its career progression 

policy for entry-level TSOs hired on or after August 5, 2018. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA provided evidence that the agency 

implemented corrective actions to satisfy the intent of this recommendation. 

We consider the recommendation closed. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 5: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. TSA explained that TSO Career Progression, implemented in 

August 2018, is a strategic and comprehensive approach establishing a clearly 

defined and transparent career path for employees, with pay increases tied to 

enhanced skills and training for the TSA front line workforce. Furthermore, 

TSA recently completed an officer compensation analysis, the results of which 

TSA will use to consider changes to the existing TSO pay structure. The 

estimated completion date is June 30, 2019. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA has taken steps to satisfy the intent of 

this recommendation. We consider this recommendation resolved, but it will 

remain open until TSA provides documentation to support that all planned 

corrective actions are completed. 

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TSA Comments to Recommendation 6: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation and implemented corrective actions. On October 2, 2018, HC 

sent out a local hiring update message to airport hiring points of contact 

reminding them of the TSA records retention policy regarding Airport 

Assessment documentation. TSA provided a copy of this field message in 

support of its request to close this recommendation. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA demonstrated how the agency has 

implemented corrective actions to satisfy the intent of the recommendation, 

and we consider the recommendation closed. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 7: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation. Moving forward, HC will ensure TSA creates a comprehensive 

Systems Functional Requirements Document for any new systems. These 

documents will capture all requirements and log the history regarding system 

changes. TSA will update the document to include rating process criteria in the 

TSO Cert Tool. The estimated completion date is September 30, 2019. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA has taken steps to satisfy the intent of 

this recommendation. We consider this recommendation resolved, but it will 

remain open until TSA provides documentation to support that all planned 

corrective actions are completed. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 8: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation and implemented corrective actions. As of August 2018, 

Training and Development had standardized the training TSOs receive locally 

prior to attending a second phase of training at the TSA Academy. Prior to 

attending the TSA Academy, airports complete an Academy-ready checklist, 

which the airport maintains. This checklist consists of one element of the new 

hire file that justifies the five percent pay increase. The checklists are also a 

Management Control Objective Program technique to ensure training 

completion. All TSOs hired on or after August 5, 2018 receive the same 

standardized local training. Additionally, Training and Development provides 

Security Operations field Training Managers, Training Specialists, and Security 

Training Instructors access to all elements of the TSO standardized local 

training curriculum. TSA provided documentation to the OIG in support of its 

request to close this recommendation. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA provided sufficient evidence to support 

how the agency implemented corrective actions responsive to this 

recommendation, and we consider the recommendation closed. 

TSA Comments to Recommendation 9: TSA concurred with the 

recommendation and implemented corrective actions. As of September 2018, 

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TSA reported that staff at airports have full access to the TSO training 

curriculum in its entirety. 

OIG Analysis of TSA Comments: TSA has taken steps to satisfy the intent of 

this recommendation. We consider this recommendation resolved, but it will 

remain open until TSA provides sufficient evidence and documentation to 

support that all planned corrective actions are completed. 

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Appendix A 

Objective, Scope, and Methodology 

The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General was 

established by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (Public Law 107−296) by 

amendment to the Inspector General Act of 1978. 

We conducted this audit to determine the extent to which TSA retains, hires, 

and trains its TSOs to accomplish its screening mission. The scope of our audit 

focused on FYs 2016–17. To achieve our objective, we reviewed: 

 legislation, strategic plans, policies, procedures, and guidance related to 

retaining, hiring, and training TSOs; 

 HC contracts for recruiting and hiring; 

 results of the 2016 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, TSA's 2015 and 

2017 Employee Engagement Survey, as well as FYs 2012–17 exit 

surveys, and HC briefing documents on the survey results; 

 retention studies; 

 budget information; 

 prior OIG and GAO audit reports; 

 Congressional testimony; 

 media articles; and 

 TSO workforce and attrition data, which include hires and separations, 

length of service of active and separated TSOs, and attrition rates. 

We interviewed TSA Headquarters officials in Human Capital (multiple 

divisions and branches within the HC, including Recruitment and Hiring, the 

HR Solutions Center, Human Capital and Policy Management, and Workforce 

Assessment), Training and Development, Security Operations, LE/FAMS, 

Finance and Administration, and Requirements and Capabilities Analysis. To 

determine the hiring, training, and retention procedures handled in the field, 

we also interviewed TSA officials at 12 airports — Ronald Reagan Washington 

National, George Bush Intercontinental, Philadelphia International, William P. 

Hobby, Logan International, Louis Armstrong International, ManchesterBoston Regional, Austin-Bergstrom International, O'Hare International, 

General Mitchell International, Indianapolis International, and Seattle-Tacoma 

International. 

We selected a statistical sample of 355 applicants from a universe of 4,665 

Ready Pool applicants for all airports as of September 30, 2017. We selected 

the first 30 applicants from the statistical sample to ensure each applicant 

passed all required steps in the hiring process. Specifically, we verified the 

following: 

 Each applicant met the minimum qualification requirements for the CBT 

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based on application responses (Graduated high school, U.S. Citizen, 

Selective Service Registration, and No Prior Criminal Convictions). 

 CBT scores were accurately transferred to the Integrated Hiring System 

and determine whether they were accurately scored and each applicant 

passed the test. 

 Citizenship verification worksheets were properly completed for each 

applicant. 

 Each applicant received the required rating for the core competencies 

during the structured interview portion of the Airport Assessment. 

 Medical contractors performed the applicant medical review, and the 

Airport Assessor system records matched the supporting medical review. 

 Personnel Security Section completed the applicant’s pre-hire 

background investigation prior to being placed in the Ready Pool. We did 

not validate data provided to source documents. We considered this step 

in the hiring process low risk as we did not find issues with the 

background data reviewed. 

To ensure the contractor is placing applicants in their correct ranking based on 

the applicant’s Screener Object Recognition Test and Structured Interview 

results, we tested 30 Certification Lists. Specifically, we selected a statistical 

sample of 372 from a universe of 11,816 Certification Lists issued during 

FYs2016–17. We tested the first 30 Certification Lists from the statistical 

sample, which included 355 applicants. We verified each applicant was 

included in the appropriate rating category — Priority Employment Program, 

best qualified veterans, best qualified, highly qualified veterans, highly 

qualified, qualified veterans, and qualified. We selected an additional 39 

Certification Lists and verified applicants included on the lists were pulled from 

the Ready Pool. 

To confirm new-hire TSOs are completing the required training, we selected a 

statistical sample of 375 new-hires with an enter-on-duty date of January 1, 

2016, through September 30, 2017, from a universe of 16,577. We selected the 

first 30 applicants from the statistical sample. We verified whether the newhires completed their required basic and OJT training. Additionally, we 

determined whether TSA has a process to update training courses based on 

TSO performance during internal and external covert testing. We did not audit 

the curriculum content for each of TSA’s training courses; instead, we focused 

on the training process for new TSOs and the delivery schedule. 

We verified the reliability of the data systems used during the audit, including 

the Integrated Data Warehouse, the Airport Assessor system, the TSO Cert 

Tool, and the Online Learning Center. Specifically, we observed walkthroughs 

of the systems and determined the controls in place by reviewing system guides 

and manuals and interviewing database administrators. Additionally, we traced 

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records provided by TSA from the Airport Assessor, TSO Cert Tool, and the 

Online Learning Center to report queries and source documents. We believe the 

data from the Airport Assessor, TSO Cert Tool, and Online Learning Center to 

be sufficiently reliable to support our audit conclusions. We were not able to 

validate the data provided for TSO hires and separations, number of full-time 

or part-time TSOs, and the entry-on-duty and separation dates from the 

Integrated Data Warehouse. We did not validate the costs related to hiring and 

training new-hire TSOs in FY 2017. 

We conducted this performance audit between September 2017 and November 

2018 pursuant to the Inspector General Act of 1978, as amended, and 

according to generally accepted government auditing standards. Those 

standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, 

appropriate evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and 

conclusions based upon our audit objectives. We believe that the evidence 

obtained provides a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based 

upon our audit objectives. 

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Appendix B 

TSA Comments to the Draft Report 

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Appendix C TSO Hiring Process Source: OIG analysis of HC hiring policies, procedures, and processes www.oig.dhs.gov 31 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Appendix D 

Airports’ Best Practices, Based on Visits 

Category 

Best Practice 

Hiring

Training

Retention 

X Allow TSOs to apply for collateral duties and temporary 

supervisory upgrades. 

X Create a local action plan based on results of employee 

engagement surveys. 

X Allow supervisors to take on roles outside of operations to 

empower employees and build trust and confidence with TSOs. 

X Increase employee communication in various ways such as: 

- Employee Newsletters 

- Town Hall Meetings 

- Lead and Supervisory TSO Meetings 

- Daily Morning Meetings 

- Providing a "Year in Review" 

X Empower Supervisory TSOs to be people managers, allowing 

airport administration staff flexibility to perform other duties. 

X Conduct face-to-face exit interviews to determine the root cause 

of employees' departures and maintain a database of responses. 

X Provide a snapshot of data for senior management highlighting 

the level of performance for TSOs. 

X Recognize accomplishments, such as high Threat Image 

Projection detection scores and covert detection. 

X 

Host events and organizations for Employees, such as: 

- Bring Your Kid to Work Day 

- Employee Appreciation Day/Week 

- Veteran's Committee 

- Employee of the Month 

- Wellness Programs and "Challenges" 

X X Show a Realistic Job Preview video during the Airport Assessment 

to make applicants fully aware of TSO duties and responsibilities. 

X X 

Encourage airport management, such as the Assistant Federal 

Security Director for Mission Support, to meet with new-hires to 

discuss the importance of the TSA mission and remind them of 

active and current threats to the American public. 

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Category 

Best Practice 

Hiring

Training

Retention 

X X Show National Geographic videos on 9/11 to new-hires to 

emphasize the importance of the job. 

X X 

Discuss pay, schedules, hours, and other expectations during 

recruiting events to expose applicants to TSO duties and 

responsibilities. 

X X Celebrate all steps within the onboarding process, such as 

photographs in front of a flag after swearing in and pinning. 

X X 

Provide hard copies of airport fact sheets to TSO applicants 

during the Airport Assessment so they are fully aware of airport 

operations. 

X X Brief applicants about training requirements and screening 

operations. 

X X Maintain local guidance manuals on a shared site to explain local 

processes to employees. 

X X Keep new employees in the same Basic Training Program/New 

Hire Training Program class to promote camaraderie. 

X X Require new-hire TSOs to observe pat-downs prior to BTP/New 

Hire Training Program attendance. 

X X X Schedule monthly meetings for all offices in the airport to discuss 

any airport issues. 

X 

Host weekend hiring events to complete multiple aspects of the 

hiring process, including medical exam and Airport Assessments, 

in one day. 

X Offer full-time work hours to part-time employees during OJT to 

complete training faster. 

X Review training requirements weekly to ensure they are met and 

email reminders of outstanding training. 

X Institute coaching programs allowing a more experienced TSO to 

mentor a new-hire TSO. 

X Conduct monthly in-service training to meet requirements. 

X Develop spreadsheets to track new-hire training dates and ensure 

completion prior to BTP/New Hire Training Program attendance. 

Source: OIG interviews with 12 airports 

www.oig.dhs.gov 33 OIG-19-35 
 

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Appendix E 

Office of Audits Major Contributors to This Report 

Patrick O’Malley, Director 

Stephanie Brand, Audit Manager 

Kristine Odiña, Analyst-in-Charge 

T. Max Larson, Program Analyst 

Victor Leung, Senior Program Analyst 

Jeffrey Threet, Program Analyst 

Christine Meehan, Senior Auditor 

Kevin Dolloson, Communications Analyst 

Frank Lucas, Independent Referencer 

www.oig.dhs.gov 34 OIG-19-35 
OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERAL 

Department of Homeland Security 

Appendix F 

Report Distribution 

Department of Homeland Security 

Secretary 

Deputy Secretary 

Chief of Staff 

General Counsel 

Executive Secretary 

Director, GAO/OIG Liaison Office 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Policy 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Public Affairs 

Assistant Secretary for Office of Legislative Affairs 

Administrator, Transportation Security Administration 

Office of Management and Budget 

Chief, Homeland Security Branch 

DHS OIG Budget Examiner 

Congress 

Congressional Oversight and Appropriations Committees 

www.oig.dhs.gov 35 OIG-19-35 
Additional Information and Copies 

To view this and any of our other reports, please visit our website at: 

www.oig.dhs.gov. 

For further information or questions, please contact Office of Inspector General 

Public Affairs at: DHS-OIG.OfficePublicAffairs@oig.dhs.gov. 

Follow us on Twitter at: @dhsoig. 

OIG Hotline 

To report fraud, waste, or abuse, visit our website at www.oig.dhs.gov and click 

on the red "Hotline" tab. If you cannot access our website, call our hotline at 

(800) 323-8603, fax our hotline at (202) 254-4297, or write to us at: 

Department of Homeland Security 

Office of Inspector General, Mail Stop 0305 

Attention: Hotline 

245 Murray Drive, SW 

Washington, DC 20528-0305