Yesterday’s Advisor covered Kurt Ronn’s tips for identifying potential discrimination in process. Today we’ll see his tips for evaluating execution and take a look at an audit program you can use to find such problems before the feds do.
Even the best process, if poorly executed, will yield questionable results, says Ronn, president and founder of HRworks, a national talent evaluation and recruitment firm. Again with thanks to our sister publication Affirmative Action Solutions, here are Ronn’s tips for evaluating execution of talent acquisition.
Economy Is Disrupting Execution
The current economic disruption of business is resulting in continuous restructurings of responsibility, says Ronn. Reductions in force cause loss of painstakingly acquired knowledge. In short, the upheaval often leaves unqualified or untrained people performing significant tasks, he adds. And that means significant risks.
So make sure that you evaluate not just what your systems mandate, but also how they are being implemented. Performing self-audits to measure the quality of your execution is your best approach.
Be prepared to train or retrain recruiters and hiring managers whenever your audit suggests there is even a hint that corners are being cut, or that lack of knowledge is leading to potentially expensive mistakes.
Remember, says Ronn, that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) will interview hiring managers and recruiters during their audit. They specifically want to determine how the de facto hiring practices compare to the documented practices.
Nobody is perfect, says Ronn, but you want everyone involved in hiring to be:
1) Knowledgeable about the process and practices, and
2) Following the appropriate guidelines and rules.
Sometimes refresher training itself is a good tool for measuring compliance, says Ronn. If participants are unfamiliar with systems or reveal that they are using unacceptable practices, you’ll find that out and be able to nip it in the bud.
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Don’t look at this as an opportunity to punish, Ronn says. It’s an opportunity to improve your execution.
Finally, in this complex time, stay focused. Pay attention to the rapidly changing compliance landscape, yes, but spend your time on the areas where you have the most risk—and that’s often at the front end of the hiring process.
Supervisors and managers have very full plates right now, so there’s always the temptation to circumvent policy in the name of productivity. That’s a dangerous situation. But how do you figure out whether supervisors and managers are following the rules?
Our editors recommend the "simple solution"—an HR audit. It’s the only surefire way to identify problems early and correct them before they turn into expensive lawsuits.
Experts recommend an annual audit, but maybe next week would be better? In either case, to do a good audit, you need audit checklists, and there’s good news: BLR’s editors have already written them—for all of the most difficult HR challenges you face.
Find problems before the feds do. HR Audit Checklists ensures that you have a chance to fix problems before government agents or employee’s attorneys get a chance. Try the program at no cost or risk.
Why Checklists?
Why are checklists so great? Because they’re completely impersonal, and they force you to jump through all the necessary hoops, one by one. They also ensure consistency in how operations are conducted. And that’s vital in HR, where it’s all too easy to land in court if you discriminate in how you treat one employee over another.
HR Audit Checklists compels thoroughness. As an example, it contains not one but three checklists relating to recordkeeping and digital information management. One lists 34 types of data and also covers confidentiality, emergency planning, efficiency, compliance with laws, and safety. You’d likely never think of all those possible trouble areas without a checklist, but with it, just scan down the list and instantly see where you might get tripped up.
In fact, housed in the HR Audit Checklists binder are dozens of extensive lists organized into reproducible packets, for easy distribution to line managers and supervisors. There’s a separate packet for each of the following areas:
- Staffing and training (incorporating Equal Employment Opportunity in recruiting and hiring, including immigration issues)
- HR administration (including communications, handbook content, and recordkeeping)
- Health and safety (including OSHA responsibilities)
- Benefits and leave (including health cost containment, COBRA, FMLA, workers’ compensation, and several areas of leave)
- Compensation (payroll and the Fair Labor Standards Act)
- Performance and termination (appraisals, discipline, and termination)
HR Audit Checklists is available to HR Daily Advisor readers for a no-cost, no-risk evaluation in your office for up to 30 days. Visit HR Audit Checklists and we’ll be happy to arrange it.
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