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HR professionals know the tips and tricks to keep from making bad hires. There’s never any certainty, but smart professionals armed with strong interviewing skills and solid job descriptions stand a better than good chance of weeding out bad hires on the front end. But what does the savvy HR pro do about “bad quits” […]
by John T. Neighbours In 2000, John Sweeney, then-president of the AFL-CIO, declared that unions were going to “organize, organize, organize.” A few years later, a group of unions led by the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and its president, Andy Stern, split off from the AFL-CIO to form an organization called “Change to Win,” […]
HR professionals devote a lot of energy to fostering efficiency, productivity, and employee engagement. But is the effort from HR a waste if office design makes it difficult or impossible for employees to concentrate? Sometimes offices designed with collaboration in mind—large open spaces with few sound-and-sight-killing walls—also invite distraction. So the question becomes how can […]
by Steve Jones Many federal employment laws can apply to the hiring process. Even if you are a small business that may not fall under the rules because of a limited number of employees, it’s always recommended that you follow legally compliant policies from the start. When hiring an employee, you should consider both your […]
Over the past few years, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has aggressively challenged the use of credit reports and criminal history checks in hiring decisions, alleging that use of the information results in a discriminatory impact on candidates in protected groups. In 2012, the commission successfully negotiated a $3.13 million prelawsuit settlement of a […]
by Ann Kontner Even though it isn’t a state or federal law requirement, many employers have an employee handbook or at least a few written company policies. Exactly where do those policies come from? The answer to that question is easy—the HR department. But where does HR get the policies that govern the company? The […]
Depending on your vantage point, exit interviews can be an effective way to get information that will improve the workplace, or they’re a waste of time that some employees resent. The idea behind exit interviews is to help employers understand why employees leave so that the employer can make improvements to reduce turnover and boost […]
by Reggie Gay Electronic cigarette companies like to say that users of their products can “Smoke anywhere!” According to the recent Businessweek article “E-Cigarettes Want Your Attention Now (Before the FDA Steps In),” electronic cigarettes are “expected to top $1 billion in annual sales in the next few years.” As the industry grows exponentially, employers […]
Think the cool kids’ lunch table is confined to high school cafeterias and that grownups in the workplace don’t resort to such cliquish behavior? Think again. A survey from CareerBuilder shows that close to half of the workers polled (43 percent) reported the presence of cliques in their workplaces. What’s more concerning is that a […]
by Scott Agthe By now, most Texans are familiar with the embarrassment of the Travis County district attorney, who was recently jailed for drunk driving. For you non-Texans, here is a synopsis: Rosemary Lehmberg, one of the highest-ranking law enforcement officials in Texas, was arrested one Friday night last April. A 911 call reported her […]