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Tighten your record-disposal policy, starting this month

06/01/2005
Issue: Beginning June 1, a new federal law requires you to properly dispose of personally identifiable background-check data.
Risk: One mistake can result in actual damages, up to a $2,500 …

Use managers to conduct some (Not all) reference checks

06/01/2005
Issue: HR typically handles reference checking at large firms. Smaller firms and those with strong management let managers do it.
Benefit/risk: Farming out reference checks to supervisors will lighten your …

Quiz applicants on basic skills; don’t wait for a national test

06/01/2005
You’ll soon have access to a new nationally recognized test that can help you gauge entry-level applicants’ job readiness. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is spearheading development of the Equipped for …

Google your way to recruiting ‘passive’ job-seekers

06/01/2005
Issue: Forty-four percent of employees are “passive” job-seekers, meaning they might accept a job offer but aren’t actively seeking one.
Benefit: Knowing how to manipulate the Internet to find such …

Don’t shy away from personality tests, but know the risks

06/01/2005
Issue: Personality tests are the first line of hiring defense at many organizations. Nearly 30 percent of employers use such tests.
Risk: A poorly designed test can open you up …

Dropped your drug testing? You’re not alone

06/01/2005
Workplace drug testing’s popularity has gradually fallen since peaking in 1996, when 81 percent of employers surveyed by the American Management Association (AMA) said they tested. By 2004, that percentage had …

Base bilingual hiring decisions on language skill, not ethnicity

05/01/2005
Like many employers, you may have legitimate business reasons for hiring bilingual employees. Federal anti-discrimination laws allow you to target bilingual employees, as long as you use their language skills, not …

Previous pregnancy troubles are no reason to refuse hiring, rehiring

05/01/2005
Remind your managers: Contrary to popular belief, female employees don’t need to be pregnant to earn legal protections under the federal Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA). Even nonpregnant employees can sue.
…

Gauge what a person confronts, not overcomes, to see if he’s ‘disabled’

05/01/2005
Before taking employment action against impaired employees, evaluate their abilities thoroughly. Your goal: Determine if they would qualify as “disabled” under the ADA, and therefore, earn accommodations. Compare the employee’s abilities …

Raise your skepticism level to smoke out resume lies

05/01/2005
HR professionals are well aware that many résumés and applications are full of exaggerations or flat-out lies. But while you review those documents with a healthy dose of skepticism, your newest …