Hiring & Interviewing

Can I ask candidate about child care issues?

March 13, 2013
Q. The job opening I’m interviewing candidates for requires some occasional overnight travel. Can I ask female job applicants if that would create child care problems at home?  — M.M., Vermont

Hiring People with Disabilities

March 1, 2013
Are you looking for a new source of talent? By recruiting and accommodating disabled individuals, you gain a diverse workforce and an infusion of enthusiastic new employees with abilities waiting to  be tapped. 

The Hiring Quandary

February 1, 2013
At one point, every manager struggles with a decision of whether to hire internally or externally. To put the issue into perspective, here’s a look at the pros and cons of hiring internally and externally.

Deciding not to hire, note specific reasons why

January 11, 2013
You never know which unsuccessful job applicant will sue. That’s why it is crucial to internally document why you rejected a candidate. Bonus: You can also use the information for an informal internal audit to make sure a hiring manager isn’t inadvertently discriminating.

A step-by-step guide to legally safe hiring practices

November 27, 2012
Hiring is one of the most difficult and legally dangerous tasks for supervisors. Just a few ill-timed words in a want ad or interview can trigger a legal complaint. Here are the key liability hot spots to watch out for in the hiring process:

How to Find the Perfect Fit

November 1, 2012
While a cookie-cutter approach to résumé evaluation offers guidelines for spotting positive qualities and red flags, con­sider the individualities that you, the company and other team members contribute to the role you are hiring. It can mean the difference between a great addition to the department and one who flees quickly. Here are four questions you should ask yourself:

Library of Skill-Based Interview Questions

April 12, 2012
In addition to giving job-specific tests, the best way to tell if applicants carry the skills to perform specific tasks is to ask very direct questions about how they’ve used each skill in the past. Here are nearly 200 sample interview questions that hiring managers can use to spot the presence of important “soft” skills …

In hot economy, onboarding takes on vital role

September 6, 2011
Employees have options these days, and they’re more willing to leave a job that doesn’t seem like a perfect fit—even if it’s during the first few months. That means your onboarding process is more important than ever.

Recruit a customer? Why not?

August 15, 2011

All new hires are excited to have a new job, but some are genuinely thrilled to be working at your organization. Finding these individuals isn’t as hard as you might think. All it takes is viewing your customers in a new light.

The threat of smart people

March 1, 2011
You seek input from colleagues before picking which job candidates to hire or which workers to promote. It’s admirable that you solicit their insights and impressions. There’s just one problem: Their input may not necessarily reflect a dispassionate or accurate analysis.