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Hiring

Georgia Crime Information Center an invaluable tool for employers

09/01/2007

Q. I’ve heard that the state of Georgia can help me make sure my employees are honest, law-abiding citizens. In conducting background checks on applicants, what sort of information is available from the Georgia Crime Information Center (GCIC)? …

Vista may not release data on those who employ day laborers

09/01/2007

Recently, a Superior Court for San Diego County issued a temporary restraining order to stop the city of Vista from releasing the personal information of employers registered to employ contingent workers. The decision came after Vista passed an ordinance requiring registration of anyone who hired day laborers from “uncontrolled locations” …

Receive public funds? Better not hire illegal workers

09/01/2007

In June, Gov. Rick Perry signed a bill that requires Texas businesses receiving taxpayer-subsidized, job-creation grants and tax abatements to certify that they will not knowingly employ undocumented workers …

Warn supervisors: Don’t comment needlessly on race

09/01/2007

The selection process is over, and the newly promoted employee has begun work. Now is not the time for those involved in the hiring process to pontificate on racial balance in the workplace. That’s especially true if the applicants were all qualified for the position and a member of a majority class was selected over minority candidates …

Pool parties entice nurses onto job

09/01/2007

When Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta wanted to create a central staffing pool of nurses last fall, it launched the “100 Nurses in 100 Days” recruitment drive. It was unheard of to hire that many nurses in such a short period of time, says Megan Graham, director of recruiting. To attract enough nurses, the hospital had to get creative with its recruitment efforts …

Want a team player? Ask applicants these 5 questions

09/01/2007

Uncover teamwork talents (or the lack thereof) by asking: (1) What is your relationship with your supervisor and your peers? (2) What would your current supervisor or peers say about you? …

‘Blind’ applications help defend against frivolous lawsuits

09/01/2007

If the people reviewing employment applications don’t know the race of the candidates, they can’t discriminate for or against any particular applicant. That’s why you should consider using a “blind” application process …

Train interviewers to not comment on employees’ promotion chances

09/01/2007

Unless they clearly understand they must treat all job candidates with the utmost respect and stick to job-related questions, supervisors inexperienced in HR matters can turn a simple hiring or promotion into a lawsuit …

Do you destroy hiring documents? Track process anyway

09/01/2007

Nothing generates paper like the hiring process, especially if it involves multiple interviews and committee meetings. What do you do with all that paper? If you destroy it, be prepared to show you do so routinely. Otherwise, a jury or judge may view the destruction as evidence you have something to hide …

How to draft a legal drug testing policy

09/01/2007

Q. I recently read a report that said drug use among employees actually went up in the past decade. We’re considering starting to do drug tests. What should our policy say? —L.U. …