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Hiring

Hiring ‘gut decisions’ are dangerous; back them with clear, objective criteria

07/31/2012

Most managers want to choose the best candidate for the job. But assessing what constitutes “best” can often feel a bit subjective. That’s OK. Just make sure you can point to objective factors that back up your choice, e.g., experience, education or even the most recent performance evaluation.

May we ever ask about applicant’s religion?

07/27/2012
Q. When, if ever, can our company legally ask an applicant about his or her religious affiliation?

How should we craft a policy allowing us to refuse to consider unsolicited résumés?

07/27/2012
Q. Our company doesn’t want to consider applicants who send in unsolicited résumés. We are trying to come up with a legally sound definition for “applicant” so we can write an official policy. Any suggestions?

How long should we keep applications?

07/20/2012
Q. We are swamped with applications, most from people who don’t meet our basic requirements. We typically toss out applications that clearly aren’t from qualified applicants. Should we keep copies?

What’s the timetable for reverifying I-9s?

07/13/2012
Q. When should we reverify employees’ work eligibility on the Form I-9 they signed when they were hired?

When can we insist on a substance-abuse test?

07/13/2012

Q. A couple of weeks ago, an employee came into work smelling like alcohol. His supervisor later reported that day that the employee “acted drunk” in a staff meeting. Yesterday, one of the same employee’s co-workers indicated that the employee came back from lunch “smelling like marijuana.” Can these reports justify requiring the employee to undergo a drug or alcohol test?

Subjective hiring criteria are fine–if you can cite a sound business reason

07/13/2012

When you have several good applicants for a job opening, picking the best-qualified candidate isn’t easy. While you should be as objective as possible, the final decision can have a subjective element. Just make sure you document a good business reason to back up your choice.

One innocent interview question that could land you in court

07/12/2012

Do you ask applicants what year they graduated from high school or college (or otherwise finished their education)? Does your application re­­quest that information? Watch out!

Avoid ‘talented terrors’: Hire for attitude

07/06/2012
Figuring out if applicants have the technical skills to perform a job is relatively easy. What’s more difficult is finding out whether a person has the personal characteristics to become successful and be someone co-workers wouldn’t go nuts working alongside.

Manhattan school can’t dance away from age-bias claim

07/05/2012
Marymount Manhattan College’s refusal to hire a 64-year-old choreography instructor for a tenure-track position has left the New York City liberal arts school tap dancing around age discrimination charges.