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Hiring

13 applicants you don’t want to hire (plus 7 tips for decoding resumes)

09/21/2010

Desperate times mean job-seekers are resorting to desperate measures to make their résumés stand out in a crowd. Alas, many of those strategies backfire. Witness these résumé bloopers recently uncovered in a nationwide survey of hiring managers. Then check out our sure-fire advice for smoking out résumé untruths and exaggerations.

Received just one application for the job? You’re not required to hire that person

09/21/2010
If you’re hiring for a position with very specific requirements, you may get a limited number of applicants, maybe even just one. Are you obligated to offer the position to someone from such a limited applicant pool? A recent court decision clarifies this crucial recruiting strategy question.

What are the rules on applicant credit checks?

09/16/2010
Q. Our company would like to review applicants’ credit information when we make hiring decisions. Can we do this?

New laws for a new year: Illinois employers face new credit check, wage payment requirements

09/16/2010

The Illinois General Assembly has been busy, passing legislation that HR professionals need to know about. Specifically: the Employee Credit Privacy Act, which prohibits many Illinois employers from basing hiring, promotion and other employment decisions on the credit histories of employees and job applicants, and the Wage Payment and Collection Act, which protects employees who have not been paid all their wages.

States putting new limits on background checks

09/14/2010
Illinois last month passed a law that prohibits employers (in most cases) from using a person’s personal credit history to fire, refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate against the person. Several other states are considering similar bills.

‘Résumé mining’ services can save time, money

09/10/2010

If you’re truly looking for the best candidates, they’re sometimes the ones busy in their cubicles, while their résumés are sitting in cyber space. Low-cost “résumé mining” services can save HR time and money by searching online résumé databases for candidates that match specific qualifications. Here’s how résumé mining services work:

Can we make this hire? Confidentiality agreement doesn’t include a noncompete

09/08/2010
Q. We want to hire an applicant, but received a letter from his employer stating that working for us would violate a confidentiality agreement he signed with that employer. Since he doesn’t have a noncompete agreement, can we hire him?

Can we legally a hire a foreign national?

09/08/2010
Q. Our software company is considering hiring a Canadian citizen for a computer systems analyst position. Does the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) allow us to hire this individual?

Will we run into legal trouble if we commit to hiring only ‘careful’ workers?

09/08/2010
Q. Several recent hires have suffered work-related injuries shortly after starting to work for us. As a result, our workers’ compensation premiums have soared. Our CEO, in an effort to avoid this problem, has directed managers to hire only “careful” workers in the future. Is this legal?

First Transit sued over criminal background checks

09/03/2010
Cincinnati-based First Transit faces charges that its policy barring all applicants who have a felony conviction disparately impacts minorities and therefore violates the Civil Rights Act.