Top 8 HR Daily Advisor Articles 2012: E-pinion Edition

Ever Been Arrested or Convicted? … Is It Discriminatory to Ask? EEOC has released guidance on the use of arrest and conviction records in screening job candidates. Many employers do subject job candidates to criminal background checks to combat theft and fraud, and to avoid workplace violence. But the EEOC sees the possibility of discrimination.

Here’s to the Crazy Ones “I’ve been reading Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs,” says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. “Jobs was a polarizing figure, revered by many and hated by others. But regardless of how anyone might feel about him, there’s no denying the man was a creative genius.”

Don’t Be An %#*hole! “A colleague recently suggested I read the book, The No Asshole Rule: Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn’t,” says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. “Maybe I should have asked what his motives were in suggesting that I read this particular book. I didn’t. Some things you just don’t want to know!”

Star Performer Benefited Most from Being Fired In the book Bear Bryant On Leadership: Life Lessons from a Six-Time National Championship Coach, one of the legendary football coach’s former players says, “The best thing Coach Bryant did for me was kick me off the team.”

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Bell Curve, or Everyone’s Excellent? Recently, we had an interesting discussion in our weekly executive meeting, says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald. We were talking about how annual performance evaluations went this year. One colleague suggested that our evaluation system can actually hurt morale.

Penn State and Paterno: Loyalty Unchecked Leads to Headaches and Heartache Legendary college football coach Joe Paterno died recently after a battle with lung cancer. But by many accounts, some people who knew him well say the 85-year-old died of a broken heart. “I think Joe Paterno’s career at Penn State University is worth closer examination because there are lessons for employers and employees alike,” says business and leadership blogger Dan Oswald.

Apps Can Be Surprisingly Inexpensive ADA Accommodations Accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act—sounds expensive, but maybe an inexpensive app for an iPhone or other device can do the trick. Here are some suggestions from the Job Accommodation network (JAN).

Managing Bosses, Be They Remarkable, Toxic or Perilous Job satisfaction begins and ends with the boss, says executive coach Dr. Karol Wasylyshyn, author of Behind the Executive Door: Unexpected Lessons for Managing Your Boss and Your Career. To make the boss/you relationship work, first determine whether you have a Remarkable, Toxic or Perilous boss.