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Hiring

Dallas firm beats EEOC in background check case

08/26/2013
Dallas-based trade show and convention management firm Freeman has beaten back an EEOC lawsuit that challenged the firm’s use of criminal background checks in hiring. The EEOC sued in 2009, claiming Free­­man’s criminal background checks had a disparate impact on blacks, Hispanics and men.

New Texas law limits employer hiring liability

08/26/2013
In an attempt to encourage em­­ployers to hire workers with criminal backgrounds, the Texas Legislature passed H.B. 1188 limiting employer exposure to negligent hiring lawsuits.

Candidate tanks during job interview? That’s a legitimate reason not to hire

08/26/2013
Interviews reveal applicants’ membership in protected classes like race, sex and obvious disability. As a result, courts sometimes look with suspicion on rejecting an applicant who was obviously qualified enough to earn an interview but who was rejected because of her interview performance.

California’s Miller introduces job training legislation

08/22/2013
Rep. George Miller, the ranking Demo­­crat on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, has introduced H.R. 2721, the Pathways Back to Work Act. The bill would help low-income, unemployed workers find jobs or train for new ones.

Brainteaser interview questions: Why Google now calls them useless

08/16/2013

One of the hallmarks of Google’s hiring strategy has been its famously quirky interview questions: How many piano tuners are there in the world? Why are manhole covers round? But Google has recently stopped asking such questions.

Walmart pledges to hire any honorably discharged vet

08/15/2013

Walmart has promised to hire any honorably discharged veteran for up to a year after he or she leaves active duty. Through its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment, the retail giant aims to hire more than 100,000 veterans over five years.

Do agencies use ‘fake applicants’ to test for bias?

08/14/2013
Q. When interviewing a candidate, I became suspicious the job-seeker was a “tester.”  Her answers seemed like she was fishing for a slip-up. Do agencies or groups still send out people to see whether employers are hiring legally?

Just how many plaintiffs can one suit have?

08/13/2013
What if you get a hiring decision wrong, choosing someone from one protected category over another slightly better-qualified minority applicant? Fortunately, that misstep won’t open the door for hordes of minority applicants to sue. Only the slightly better-qualified applicant will have a claim.

J.B. Hunt drops ban on hiring those with criminal records

08/07/2013
Transportation giant J.B. Hunt has agreed to revise its hiring policy that the EEOC claimed prohibited hiring anyone with a criminal record. The case began with a single black applicant who was denied a truck driving position because he had been convicted of a crime.

Texas’ new hiring law should help employers and convicts

08/07/2013
Gov. Rick Perry has signed legislation providing important protections for employers facing negligent hiring or supervision claims. The new law also makes it more attractive for ­employers to hire applicants with criminal records.