Workforce Solutions
Onboarding Cleared Employees: A Step-by-Step Process
In the commercial sector, onboarding means setting up payroll and pointing someone at the breakroom. In the cleared space, it's a regulated workflow that touches PERSEC, NISPOM, IT, and the program team. A misstep delays start dates, blocks access, and risks the Facility Clearance itself.
Phase 1: Pre-Hire Verification
Never trust a resume. The FSO must verify clearance level, investigation date, adverse information, and access vs. eligibility in DISS before extending an offer.
Offer letter must be explicitly contingent on successful verification, crossover, and maintenance of the required clearance.
Phase 2: The Crossover (Day 0)
FSO establishes the Owning relationship in DISS, signaling to DCSA that your CAGE is now responsible.
SF-312 NdA verified or signed. Access granted in DISS at the appropriate level.
Phase 3: Briefings and Training (Day 1)
Initial Security Briefing covers threat awareness, classification handling, reporting obligations (foreign contacts, travel, financial issues), and your facility's specific procedures.
Insider Threat training within 30 days, annually thereafter. Signed records of both briefings — DCSA will ask first.
Phase 4: Program-Specific Access
Visit Authorization Request (VAR) submitted in DISS for government or prime facility access. Don't submit the day before — VARs take days to weeks.
SCI or SAP read-ins handled by the customer's SSO with separate NdAs.
ISSO verifies cyber training and AUP/PUA signature before IT provisions accounts.
Phase 5: First 30 Days
DCAA timekeeping training delivered immediately. The employee must understand daily entry, charge codes, and timesheet fraud consequences.
Program manager runs structured 30/60/90-day integration with a buddy system and clear performance milestones.
Don't Forget Offboarding
Mirror image of onboarding: same-day IT revocation, GFE collection, security debrief, DISS update, badge return. A 24-hour delay in revoking access is your biggest insider threat exposure.
Want help putting this into practice?
Desra Secure handles cleared onboarding end-to-end — verification, crossover, briefings, and Day-1 billable readiness.
This guide is provided for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal, accounting, or compliance advice. Specific obligations depend on your contracts and your environment.