Public Trust Recruiting for Federal Contractors
Moderate and High Risk Public Trust candidates for civilian agency contracts, sourced by recruiters who know which agency's determination your candidate actually holds.
Public Trust at a glance
- Investigation form: SF-85P (Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions)
- Risk levels: Moderate Risk and High Risk
- Typical agencies: IRS, CMS and HHS, VA, DHS, SSA, USCIS
- Portability: Agency-specific; a determination at one agency may not carry over to another
What a Public Trust Position Is
A Public Trust position is a federal or contractor role that needs a suitability determination rather than a security clearance, because the person will handle sensitive but unclassified information such as tax, health or benefits data. Positions are designated Moderate Risk or High Risk, and the background investigation is filed on the SF-85P.
| Public Trust quick facts | |
|---|---|
| Investigation form | SF-85P (Questionnaire for Public Trust Positions) |
| Risk levels | Moderate Risk and High Risk |
| Typical agencies | IRS, CMS and HHS, VA, DHS, SSA, USCIS |
| Portability | Agency-specific; a determination at one agency may not carry over to another |
| Common roles | Help desk, claims and case processing, data analysts, developers, call centers |
Why Public Trust Hiring Trips Contractors Up
Public Trust looks easier than a clearance, and that is the trap. Determinations are made agency by agency, so a candidate cleared for CMS work may need a new investigation for an IRS task order. If your staffing plan assumes otherwise, your start date slips while the paperwork restarts.
We ask the questions that matter before you make an offer: which agency granted the determination, at what risk level, how recently, and whether the candidate is still in a covered position.
Volume Hiring Without Losing Quality
Public Trust contracts often need a lot of people at once: a claims-processing ramp-up, a new call center, a help desk transition. We run those as a pipeline with weekly batches of screened candidates, so your onboarding team and the agency's security office are never flooded or idle.
If the contract is still in the proposal stage, our proposal writers can make sure the staffing plan you submit matches what the labor market can actually deliver.
How We Handle Public Trust Searches
Map the requirement
Agency, risk level, location and any agency-specific suitability rules from the PWS.
Screen for history
Prior determinations, agency, date and gaps, before any résumé reaches you.
Deliver in batches
Shortlists sized to your onboarding capacity, not one big dump.
Support onboarding
Help with SF-85P packages and follow-up so start dates hold.
Cleared recruitment by clearance level
Part of our cleared recruitment & staffing service, run by the same team that covers every stage of the contract.
Public Trust FAQs
Is Public Trust a security clearance?
Does a Public Trust from one agency transfer to another?
What is the difference between Moderate and High Risk Public Trust?
Can you staff a large Public Trust ramp-up?
Tell Us Who You Need to Hire
A senior consultant will reply within one business day. Prefer to talk now? Book a 30-minute call.