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Hiring

No policies, no job descriptions, no training: A case study in how not to hire & promote

06/15/2010

Sometimes, the best lessons are learned from the worst examples. That’s often the case with HR management. When employers make big mistakes and have to pay for them in court, other employers with good practices—that maybe need just a little tweaking—can discover what not to do. Here’s a good example.

Remind hiring managers: What you wear during interview may invite discrimination lawsuit

06/14/2010

Have you reminded managers and supervisors that they should keep their dress professional when conducting interviews? If not, do so. Attire that’s too casual—especially if it features a potentially offensive logo or design—can easily lead to a discrimination lawsuit.

Just one applicant? You’re not required to hire

06/14/2010
It’s perfectly legal for an employer to decline to hire or promote someone even if he’s the only applicant. In fact, it may very well be a good business decision to wait under those circumstances.

Supreme Court rules on Chicago hiring test

06/14/2010
In a case coming out of Illinois, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that each time an employer uses the results of a test to select candidates for promotion creates a new opportunity for employees to challenge that test. That means if a test was invalid, its continued use may spur litigation long after the test was actually administered.

High Court: Bias clock resets with each hiring decision

06/10/2010
In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court in May ruled that the lawsuit clock resets each time an employer uses apparently biased job-qualification tests to make hiring decisions. The court said the timing of Title VII lawsuits doesn’t depend on when the test was administered, but on when the employer uses the test results, even if that’s years later.

General Mills recognized as tops for multicultural women

06/10/2010
Golden Valley-based General Mills has been dubbed one of the top five employers in the nation for multicultural women by Working Mother magazine.

Hiring from the competition, how much should we ask about any noncompete agreements?

06/09/2010
Q. We are considering hiring an employee away from one of our competitors. Should we ask whether she is subject to a noncompete agreement, or is it better for us to move forward not knowing the answer?

Keep hiring as objective as possible — and beware loose criteria that could let in bias

06/09/2010

At some point, an unsuccessful job candidate may challenge your decision not to hire him. Then you will have to justify your selection process. The more objective criteria you use, the more likely a court will agree not to second-guess your decision. But if you add subjective elements to the process, you may end up being charged with discrimination.

Is our policy on criminal records legal?

06/09/2010
Q. We currently have a policy against the hiring of anyone with a felony conviction. Can you shed some light on whether this policy is legal?

Avoid bad hires and bad lawsuits by testing for job skills before hiring

06/09/2010

It happens all the time: A manager decides to take a chance by hiring a marginally qualified applicant. Then, days later, it becomes clear she can’t do the job. The employer has little choice but to terminate. But then the fired employee feels she has little choice but to sue for some form of discrimination. The best way to avoid those lawsuits: Don’t count on “gut feeling” or interview skills. Run the applicant through job-specific tests.