Yesterday, we looked at best practices relating to your job application procedures. Today: What you should—and shouldn’t—do when interviewing candidates.
For the interview itself, the face-to-face meeting remains a crucial part of the process. Talking with an applicant in person allows an employer the opportunity to assess the applicant’s personality, skills, and suitability for the position.
During the interview, an employer should do two things:
1. Gather the relevant information for making the hiring decisions.
2. Document valid reasons for selecting or rejecting applicants.
The key is to avoid exposing the company to liability. The following interview tips should assist the employer in this pursuit:
1. Ask only job-related questions—not questions that request any information concerning protected categories, such as marital status, national origin, or date of graduation from high school.
2. Avoid statements that undermine at-will status. Train the interviewers to never make any promises about the length of future employment.
Avoid buzz words such as “secure,” “permanent,” “long-term opportunity,” or “looking for someone who will grow with the company through the years.” These buzz words may expose the company to a claim of implied contract of employment for a certain period of time.
Recordkeeping for California employers—get the complete desk reference now, fully updated for 2014. Learn more.
3. Write down the interviewee’s responses to the questions asked. Ensure interview notes are legible, don’t use discriminatory language, and make sure the notes are not open to misinterpretation from sloppy drafting or odd use of abbreviations.
Computerized forms can be good for these purposes because they provide a central location for interview notes in a legible form that HR can easily access and monitor.
4. Request specific, objective examples of the applicant’s best work, as well as mistakes he or she has made on the job.
5. Ask why the applicant left (or is leaving) previous employment.
HR Management & Compliance Report The Complete Guide to HR Recordkeeping in California
An Indispensable Resource for Everyone Who Does Business in California!
Recordkeeping is a crucial part of your HR responsibilities. It’s also one of the tasks that raise the most hair-pulling questions, concerns, and hassles—especially in California, where you face a complex web of state-specific requirements piled on top of everything the federal government already requires of you.
Plus, if you accidentally get any part of your recordkeeping duties wrong—even with the best of intentions—you can open up your company to a devastating lawsuit or government audit. It’s not an area where you can just cross your fingers and hope for the best.
Our just-updated HR Management & Compliance Report The Complete Guide to HR Recordkeeping in California covers everything you need to know, from soup to nuts. Best of all, it’s designed specifically for employers in California.
You’ll learn everything you need to know about what to hang onto, and for how long, under both California and federal law … which records can be stored electronically … how to ensure the security of your records … tips for proper records disposal … what to do if you find yourself facing a records subpoena … how to avoid common recordkeeping mistakes … and much, much more!
The report includes chapters on:
- Personnel and Payroll Records
- Safety Records and Workers’ Comp Documents
- Family and Medical Leave Records
- HR-Related Tax Records
- Pension Plans and Health Insurance Benefits
- Polygraph Exams
- Rights of California Employees to Access Records
- Effective Methods for Compiling and Managing HR Records
- Electronic Records
- Penalties and Consequences for Failing to Comply with
- Recordkeeping Requirements
- 8 Rules for Securing Records
- Avoiding Common Recordkeeping Mistakes
- 8 Steps to Properly Respond to a Subpoena
- Preparing and Reviewing Records for Litigation
We’ve also included 7 easy reference charts throughout the report, so you can quickly find the answers you’re looking for at a glance. It’s California HR recordkeeping made easy.
Best of all, we’ll send you a brand-new edition each year so you always have the most up-to-date information available. Don’t delay—order today and get the recordkeeping monkey off your back once and for all.
Download your copy of Questions to Ask in an Interview: Interview Questions for Employers today!
“The key is to avoid exposing the company to liability.” I think a lot of managers/supervisors don’t even know this. I interviewed people for years when I was a manager, and never was I warned about the potential for liability or topics/questions to avoid.