Hiring

Audit hiring patterns to spot hidden age bias

02/22/2012

When employers choose the youngest candidate for a job, older candidates may suspect age bias played a role. That could mean a lawsuit is looming. If a disappointed applicant sues, it won’t help the employer that the overall candidate pool included many older applicants. What matters is who was selected.

AT&T focuses on Hispanic diversity

02/20/2012

As part of its diversity effort, AT&T has beefed up its efforts to include Hispanic employees at all levels of its business. Its program includes building a diverse workforce—Hispanics account for 12% of AT&T employees.

Are there incentives for hiring vets?

02/15/2012

Q. We are aware of the increasing number of veterans who are returning to the workforce and applying for positions. We are interested in hiring veterans and would like to know if there are any incentives for hiring them.

Michigan firm recruits its own employees

02/15/2012

Once Plante Moran recruits a talented new hire, it keeps recruiting the same person throughout the employee’s tenure with the firm. One of the country’s largest certified public accounting and business advisory firms, Plante Moran boasts a turnover rate of less than 13%, among the lowest in the industry.

Bill would limit using credit histories in hiring

02/13/2012

Florida State Sen. Gary Siplin has introduced a bill that would limit an employer’s use of an applicant’s credit history as a hiring criterion unless it “is shown to be directly related to the position sought by the applicant.”

Bullet-proof your promotion process: Tell everyone to forward notes and documents to HR

02/13/2012

When it comes to promotions, courts want employers to be honest and fair. Otherwise, they won’t interfere—unless the employer has no records to back up its promotion decisions or show how its decision-making process worked.

Can Native Americans refuse to provide an SSN?

02/09/2012

Q. A new hire is refusing to provide his Social Security number because he does not want taxes withheld from his paycheck. He argues that since he is Native American, the U.S. government is not entitled to tax him. Is he required to provide this information? Can we withdraw our employment offer if he continues to refuse?

Let ’em know: Post all promotion opportunities

02/03/2012

Here’s an easy fix for a potentially big problem: Post all promotion openings. If you do, only employees who actually apply can take you to court. That can save thousands in legal fees and lost productivity. It also signals to employees that you value them and encourage equal opportunity.

The ‘surge home’: Welcome service members back to work

01/31/2012

U.S. combat operations in Iraq ended in December, and the Department of Defense is gradually drawing down forces in Afghanistan. As you rehire employees returning from military service, make sure you follow USERRA guidelines. How to comply:

Court: New promotion test lists aren’t discriminatory