Hiring

Twice as many employers will hire, not fire this year

01/15/2014

Employers are more likely to add permanent staff this year than to reduce staffing. But more than half plan to stand pat.

2 steps to a lawsuit-proof hiring process: Online applications and blind screening

01/10/2014

One way to ensure “blind” hiring is to make sure your online application process doesn’t ask for any protected-class information. Then perform your initial screening without actually interviewing candidates. That way, only interviewed applicants can sue over not being hired.

10 steps to take now to manage veterans and disabled workers

01/08/2014

Federal contractors will soon have new rules for managing veterans and disabled workers. Now is the time to prepare for the many changes that become effective March 24.

Bill banning credit checks on applicants introduced in Senate

01/06/2014

Sen. Elizabeth Warren has introduced a bill that would prohibit employers from requiring job applicants to disclose their credit histories. Ten states already prohibit the practice, but chances of a nationwide ban appear slim.

Criminal checks: Should you ‘ban the box’?

01/03/2014

Retail giant Target grabbed HR headlines recently when it announced it was removing from its job applications any questions about applicants’ criminal backgrounds. Reason: Minnesota (where Target is based) passed a law that forbids private employers in the state from asking criminal background check questions on job applications. Minnesota is one of 10 states and 50+ cities to change their laws in response to a grassroots campaign called “Ban the Box.”

ADA: Essential Functions

12/31/2013

HR Law 101: An employer needn’t hire a disabled person if he or she lacks the requisite skills, experience and education for the job in question. But if the deciding factor is the disability, you must prove that the condition interferes with what the ADA terms the “essential functions” of the job …

ADA: Reasonable Accommodation

12/30/2013

HR Law 101: Under the ADA, a “reasonable accommodation” enables a qualified individual with a disability to perform the job’s essential functions. But an accommodation is considered unreasonable when it causes the employer an undue hardship …

Interviewing: Close the sale with the right message

12/26/2013

Everyone who comes in contact with prospective job candidates, from receptionists to hiring managers, must think of themselves as salespeople at times. Here are tips to help achieve that goal.

How do California’s new immigration laws affect documenting eligibility to work?

12/24/2013

Q. I have heard that the state’s new immigration laws restrict how we handle documenting an applicant’s right to work. Can you tell me more?

Can we hire contractors and later–if they work out–convert them into employees?

12/23/2013

Q. We’re expanding our marketing efforts over the next few months. Because we don’t have much time to go through a rigorous recruitment effort, we are considering hiring a number of people on a contractor basis. If they work out, we’ll then consider hiring them as employees. Can we do that?