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Interviewing

Is there a legal way to ask if candidates will be able to work weekends and after hours?

11/27/2013
Q. We are currently interviewing for an event coordinator position, which would require the person to frequently work well beyond the usual 9-to-5 workweek. Is there a way we can ask about personal situations and make it clear that missing these events because of family obligations would not be tolerated?

2 tactics to prevent needless litigation: Online applications and blind screening

11/27/2013
One way to ensure “blind” hiring is to create an online application process that doesn’t ask for protected-class information. Then perform initial screening without actually interviewing candidates.

10 weird questions your colleagues actually asked

11/20/2013

The career site Glassdoor.com does more than list available jobs. It also lets job-seekers submit questions they have been asked during hiring interviews. Behold 10 of the weirdest questions posed in 2013:

Must we interview men for our receptionist job?

11/19/2013
Q. We advertised for a front-desk receptionist opening and got 44 applications. Three were from men, all qualified. We’ve always had a female in that job and would like to keep it that way. We plan to interview five finalists. Must we include one of the men to avoid sex discrimination charges?

Words of HR wisdom: 21 great hiring tips from your peers

11/08/2013
As part of our celebration of HR Professionals Week (Oct. 7-11), The HR Specialist asked readers to share their best words of hiring wisdom from their own experiences. Here are 21 tips from your peers.

EEOC: Longview Popeye’s violated ADA

10/31/2013
The EEOC is suing a Popeye’s Chicken and Biscuits franchisee, alleging it illegally refused to hire an HIV-positive man for a job at a Longview restaurant. In its complaint, the EEOC claims Famous Chicken of Shreveport violated the ADA when it refused to hire the well-qualified applicant because of his condition.

Salary negotiations: When to talk money, and how to base the initial offer

10/16/2013

“How much does this job pay?” Some candidates come right out and ask. In other cases, employers will raise the issue first. A new CareerBuilder survey finds that only 11% of employers include wage or salary information in their job listings. About half (48%) discuss salary during initial conversations or during the first job interview.

Interviewers should take notes; HR should collect them

10/11/2013

It’s impossible for everyone to re­­member exactly what happened during an interview held several years earlier. But that’s what an interview panel may be asked to do if a candidate sues. The best approach: ask the panelists to take notes.

Interview performance can be the hiring tiebreaker

10/02/2013
When several qualified candidates are in the running for a job, you can use interview performance as the deciding factor. Just make sure interviewers note their specific reasons why one applicant seemed better than the others.

For small business (or large), 11 steps to hiring right

10/02/2013
Jeb Breithaupt, who owns a home building and remodeling company, says, “It takes me longer to hire someone for my staff than it does to design one of my custom homes. The philosophy behind my 11-step hiring process: Make the applicant work to get the job. Yes, that takes time. But my success rate is 90%. When I’ve failed to follow it, I’ve regretted it every time.”