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Hiring

Look beyond cliches and puffery to find resume truths

04/07/2010

As unemployment continues to hover near 10%, the temptation to stretch the truth on a résumé is becoming harder for desperate job-seekers to resist. That’s why experts say job applicants are doing more “creative writing” on their résumés these days. And hiring managers need to be more vigilant. Some tips:

The hidden HR hurdles of health care reform

04/06/2010
It’s no wonder that some provisions of the recently enacted health care reform law flew under the media radar. After all, it’s more than 2,000 pages long. But HR pros need to know about new requirements concerning reporting of employer-provided health benefits, breastfeeding at work and background checks for health care workers.

Stop frivolous claims with solid hiring, promotion processes consistently applied

04/02/2010

Smart employers have well-developed and organized hiring and promotion processes. Not only do they have them, they follow them carefully. That’s critical because when people don’t get jobs they want, they often suspect discrimination. And then they sue, whether they have a good case or not.

E-Verify: E is for error 54% of the time, study says

04/02/2010

E-Verify, the online tool employers can use to check the work-authorization status of new hires, wrongly clears illegal workers about 54% of the time, according to a study commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security. “Many unauthorized workers obtain employment by committing identity fraud that cannot be detected by E-Verify,” said the report by research firm Westat.

H-1B visa applications can be filed starting April 1

03/29/2010
U.S. employers that want to hire workers using an H-1B visa would be wise to file their applications on or around April 1, the first day the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will be accepting applications. H-1B visas are popular among employers that want to hire foreign workers for “professional” or “specialty” positions requiring at least a bachelor’s degree.

Independent contractor alert: Feds on the lookout for misclassification

03/26/2010

Companies that use freelancers, consultants, per diems, long-term temps and other contingent workers are under assault. The federal government is poised to take a leading role in cracking down on employers it suspects of misclassifying employees as independent contractors. The feds aren’t alone …

Hiring bias alert: Beware smoking-gun e-mails

03/26/2010
Remind everyone involved in the hiring process: It’s much better to pick up the phone to discuss a candidate than it is to send an e-mail. E-mails can be recovered (and used as evidence in court); phone calls cannot.

Newark software firm must pay $1.9 million for H-1B violations

03/26/2010

Newark-based PERI Software Solutions has been cited for underpaying foreign computer analysts who came to the United States under the government’s H-1B visa program. According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division, that violated the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Hiring? The legal risk of falling for great interview skills

03/23/2010

Does your selection process rely heavily on how applicants handle themselves during job interviews? If so, be aware that courts are often suspicious of such inherently subjective decision-making. That’s why it’s best to document how objective qualifications counted for more than the fleeting impression of an interview. (For another perspective on hiring, see “The top 15 oddball interview questions” below.)

Take advantage of tax breaks offered in new HIRE Act

03/23/2010
With the unemployment rate still holding stubbornly near 10%, Congress this month approved a new $18 billion bill that offers tax breaks to employers who add certain new employees to the payroll. President Obama signed it on March 18.