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Hiring

5 ways to keep mandatory overtime from boiling over

06/01/2005

Like most organizations, your organization probably needs to squeeze more productivity out of fewer employees these days. That may mean requiring some hourly employees to work overtime, even if they don’t want to. But, if handled incorrectly, mandatory overtime can smother morale, create management-employee tensions and spark legal disputes … 

Hiring, ADA

06/01/2005
When you or your hiring managers need to fill an open slot fast, it may be tempting to skip steps in the application process. But don’t do it; follow the proper …

You can obtain blanket consent for employee credit reports at any time

06/01/2005
Before you seek consumer credit or background reports on applicants, you must obtain their written consent and give them a clearly written disclosure form.
But what about when you investigate …

Tighten your record-disposal policy, starting this month

06/01/2005
Issue: Beginning June 1, a new federal law requires you to properly dispose of personally identifiable background-check data.
Risk: One mistake can result in actual damages, up to a $2,500 …

Use managers to conduct some (Not all) reference checks

06/01/2005
Issue: HR typically handles reference checking at large firms. Smaller firms and those with strong management let managers do it.
Benefit/risk: Farming out reference checks to supervisors will lighten your …

Quiz applicants on basic skills; don’t wait for a national test

06/01/2005
You’ll soon have access to a new nationally recognized test that can help you gauge entry-level applicants’ job readiness. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spearheading development of the Equipped for …

Google your way to recruiting ‘passive’ job-seekers

06/01/2005
Issue: Forty-four percent of employees are “passive” job-seekers, meaning they might accept a job offer but aren’t actively seeking one.
Benefit: Knowing how to manipulate the Internet to find such …

Don’t shy away from personality tests, but know the risks

06/01/2005
Issue: Personality tests are the first line of hiring defense at many organizations. Nearly 30 percent of employers use such tests.
Risk: A poorly designed test can open you up …

Dropped your drug testing? You’re not alone

06/01/2005
Workplace drug testing’s popularity has gradually fallen since peaking in 1996, when 81 percent of employers surveyed by the American Management Association (AMA) said they tested. By 2004, that percentage had …

Base bilingual hiring decisions on language skill, not ethnicity

05/01/2005
Like many employers, you may have legitimate business reasons for hiring bilingual employees. Federal anti-discrimination laws allow you to target bilingual employees, as long as you use their language skills, not …