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Hiring

The safe way to reject unsuccessful applicants

12/11/2015
Saying “thanks but no thanks” to unsuccessful job applicants may not be high on your hiring list of priorities, but how you handle rejections can mean the difference between applicants leaving with a positive impression of your organization and those whose feelings are hurt … and who might decide to sue.

10 hottest jobs for 2016

12/08/2015
If you plan to hire nurses, software developers or marketing managers next year, prepare to up your advertising budget. Those positions top the hot jobs list compiled by employment research firm Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.

Enough is enough: How many interviews are too many?

12/08/2015
Some employers schedule multiple interviews due mostly to tradition and habit, which can waste managers’ time, alienate top candidates and unnecessarily lengthen the hiring process. Use the following guidelines to create a strategy for conducting multiple interviews and determining how many are too many.

Get real info from candidates’ previous bosses

12/08/2015
Contacting an applicant’s former employers is an essential step in the hiring process. Trouble is, most supervisors have been trained to provide only the bare minimum, such as dates of employment, job title and salary. Try for more than those bland generalities. Asking the following questions can get applicants’ former bosses to open up.

Are there any occasions when it would be appropriate to ask about applicant’s religion?

12/01/2015
Q. When, if ever, can our company legally ask an applicant about his or her religious affiliation?

Dauphin County bans the box

12/01/2015
Dauphin County has announced plans to join the ranks of municipalities that will no longer ask applicants about their criminal histories on job applications.

Résumé reveals disability? How to respond

11/16/2015
Don’t allow hiring managers to quickly sort résumés from disabled applicants into the “No” pile. It’s an increasingly popular practice, a new study shows, but decidedly unlawful.

How much background check info can we divulge?

11/13/2015
Q. We terminated an employee’s employment because of a recent conviction. A state agency has asked for details about the reason for the termination. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, what can we share with the agency regarding details on background checks?

Essential job skills list is a lawsuit shield

11/13/2015

Here’s a tip that can help you streamline the hiring process if you reasonably believe you will have a large number of applicants. Instead of listing preferred qualifications, include a longer list of required ones. That way, you should be able to whittle down the applicant list to those candidates closest to your ideal candidates.

New rules ‘ban the box’ on federal applications

11/03/2015
On Nov. 2, President Obama unveiled a new executive order that will prevent federal agencies from asking job candidates about their criminal backgrounds until later in the hiring process.