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There continues to be a small uptick in the hiring. The effects of the Great Recession continue to dampen the economy but employers are now beginning to hire in greater numbers. December 2011 saw an increase in the number of online postings for positions (93,800 more postings than in November 2011, as reported by the Conference Board). While the increase is certainly a robust increase it must be tempered with the knowledge that November postings were down signficantly (down 76,000) as were October (down 14,000). It seems that the wild gyrations of the stock market gaining several hundred points one day and losing those gains the next, are paralleled in the employment market. There would be greater cause for celebration were there a consistent increase in job postings. One should also bear in mind that as large as the increase in job postings was for December, there are 9.4 million more unemployed than there are advertised positions. It would take 10 more months of identical increases in openings to erase those job losses. With the holiday season behind us, the seasonal employment that goes with it is likely to worsen the job prospects as employers let go the seasonal workers. Still, a gain is a gain and we'll take all we can get as we work toward a more stable and stronger economy.
Social media sites have garnered a great deal of attention in the last several years. You know it's a popular thing when they make a movie about it. So it's no surprise that many of us have accounts on more than one social media site. For some people, posting status updates quite regularly is a normal part of life. You want to tell your friends how you're doing and what's going on in your life. That's what the sites are for. Keeping all this in mind, has it ever occurred to you that what you post may be keeping you from getting those jobs you're applying for? Think about those pictures of you partying it up last weekend with your friends. They didn't exactly catch you at your best, did they? Well, you're only human. You have the right to live it up now and then, especially if it's not on company time and doesn't affect your work, right? The real question is, should what you post on social websites be used against you in applying for a job? Two Senators from Minnesota see some real issues with this. Senators Blumenthal and Franken of Minnesota have recently sent a letter to a company who harvests such social media data to help companies get a better, more personal look at just who is applying to work at their company. While the company claims it is looking for content that displays "racially insensitive, sexually explicit, or demonstrates clearly illegal activity," the Senators feel that there is a possibility the information harvested may not be accurate and could pose harm to individuals seeking employment, not to mention violate your privacy. You can read the press release about it, along with the full text of the letter, here. While it is not certain exactly where this will go, it does bear mentioning that one should be mindful what they post. Companies are watching what job applicants are posting online as just one method of pre-screening. That may not be a big deal for someone who already has a job and is quite comfortable where they are. But, layoffs and corporate down-sizing can happen all too suddenly. Think about your next employer when you post. Would you want them looking at your social profile?
When hiring, we may wonder if there are essential characteristics of an ideal employee. The answer is yes, although perhaps our concern should be more the cost if we hire a not-so-perfect candidate.Hiring decisions may be made solely due to resumes or degrees earned, but a more common approach nowadays is a well-rounded approach; an in-depth employment screening process. Not only are resumes and diplomas considered, but also background checks and even behavioral assessments. All of these key ingredients can help in our analysis of seeking employees with particular characteristics that will help us in our specific business. The people we hire can either build up our company or help us lose our business. We need to know what we’re looking for as this is a huge responsibility.It’s true we want to motivate our employees, but honestly aren’t the best employees those who are self-motivated and don’t require us to constantly cheer them on? Pre-screening will help us to pre-select and then training to motivate isn’t do or die. So let’s examine some general characteristics of ideal employees.Visualize opportunity and change. We all know those people who see difficulty in every situation and then there are others who grasp on and only see opportunity for change and improving a situation.Responsible and results oriented. They’re always willingly accountable and focused on what needs to be accomplished. These employees admit their mistakes and fix them. They work independently, following directions and getting along with others.Motivated and optimistic. They’re always improving themselves and encouraging those around them. These candidates have a proactive attitude, having the initiative to go after their goals. They smile and only complain when necessary to make positive improvements. This ultimately promotes themselves and the company when they please the customers and improve the business. It shows self-confidence and a keen willingness to work.Honest and ethical. Basically putting in an honest days work, doing the best for the team and not slacking. So don’t work too slowly or get to work late and leave early. Don’t steal materials or time from the company. A good example of what not to do was demonstrated in a recent story in the Los Angeles Times. The Olive View - UCLA Medical Center staff is under investigation for accepting gifts from nursing home employees whose goal was to have Medi-Cal and Medicare patients referred to their services. This certainly can’t reflect well on the Olive-View - UCLA Medical Center. Read the story here.So with all these character traits in mind, what’s the cost if we hire the wrong guy? The greatest cost could be your company’s reputation but also the time, mistakes, and then having to train their eventual replacement. So hire the right person at the beginning, not the end.
This past Wednesday, April 21st, USA Swimming announced their new seven-point plan which was brought about by the unchecked sexual misconduct within the coaching environment. The hope is that now athletes can report abuse in a simpler manner, clearer rules will also be set for proper conduct, and more thorough background checks will be conducted within the employment screening process.The implementing of this plan all began when one brave 15-year-old San Jose swimmer confided with her pastor of the abuse she’d endured over a 10 month period at the hands of her swim coach. Julia went from outgoing to withdrawn, counting the days until college, but then she thought of the possibility of other future victims and that’s when Julia spoke up. She’d been molested over 150 times both at her school and at out-of-town swim meets. This was the start of the disentanglement of over three decades of sex abuse by 61 year-old Andrew King. King had jumped from one swim team to another, narrowly avoiding the law but always leaving behind fear and doubt. The courage of Julia initiated a strong case against King and put him in jail for 40 years. Julia and her parents are seeking damages and also alleging carelessness in hiring Andrew King. They’re suing not only King, but also San Jose Aquatics, Pacific Swimming, and USA Swimming. In the past 10 years, 36 coaches of USA Swimming have been banned from the sport for life due to sexual abuse allegations. A plan should have been put into place long ago (Read the full story here).What is this 7 point plan proposed by USA Swimming?Develop and disseminate comprehensive guidelines addressing acceptable coach behavior.Enhance the system for reporting sexual abuse to USA Swimming and law enforcement.Review USA Swimming’s Code of Conduct, as well as those of other top youth organizations.Review USA Swimming’s current background screening program and determine if enhancements can be made.Produce stronger communications to member clubs, which are responsible for hiring and employing coaches, regarding pre-employment screening, and the responsibility associated with hiring club employees.Evaluate the process for sharing coaching history records with member clubs and other youth organizations.Educate athletes, parents, coaches and club leaders on this important issue.Go to UsaSwimming.org to read the full article.This is a sad example of how child protection safeguards failed due to lack of enforcement and clarity. As business owners and managers, there’s a lesson here for us also. It’s vitally important that we use all the safety measures before we hire anyone and then maintain a system of accountability. How nice it would be to live in a world where everyone was honest and abuse of any kind was nonexistent. But we don’t, so our safeguards must be a thorough employment screening process prior to hire and then perhaps even a revamp on our rules and code of ethics and finally a method where inappropriate behavior or abuse can be easily reported.
Etiquette. Isn’t that something our mothers taught us when we were young? And something we may now be trying to instill into our children. But etiquette goes far beyond the kitchen table. As adults it branches out to all areas of our lives from social etiquette to driving etiquette and even to work etiquette. Those that lack work etiquette in an extreme way are generally labeled as disrespectful employees, although lack of work etiquette may be mere minor infractions such as a cell phone ringing obnoxiously during a meeting or a distracted employee whose eyes are averting elsewhere when we’re sharing information. Many times etiquette starts with the boss, encouraging cohesiveness and a general respect among him/herself and the employees. The employees will then be more prone to treat others around them similarly. Our attitude can have a profound affect on those around us, whether for good or bad. I always like to go back to the driving example. When someone cuts us off, we’re angry, and sometimes we then cut someone else off to get back ahead. We may think it’s about pecking order, but that’s exactly the mindset we must escape to run a unified business with respectful employees. We can move up, but not in a pecking type way, and not by being oblivious to those around us and their needs.What can we do as employers to increase our odds of having a respectful work environment? We need to do our homework and it begins with the first step of employment screening. Interviews, background checks, behavioral assessments -- all part of the employment screening process -- can give us much information on how a potential candidate may view himself and others. His actions both during the interview process and in the past can show signs of etiquette and respect or disrespect to those around him. But then again, when potential workers are looking for a job, they tend to put their best foot forward. So it’s crucial even after we’ve supposedly hired the most polite people around to follow up with etiquette rules in our work environment. And it’s really not about a formal setting, serving tea and crumpets in the lunch room at exactly high noon, but rather having good manners. Good manners in the work environment -- and in fact anywhere in life -- is putting oneself in other people’s shoes, gaining insight on the other’s perspective. Here’s a list of some minor bad manner office traits.Hallway Meetings. Everyone is on a schedule so unless it’s a break or scheduled meeting, don’t chit-chat with co-workers for a prolonged period unless you know they have time to spare. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard friends complain of co-workers who’ve interrupted their train of thought countless times during the day.Pungent Smelling Food. There are some things that can be offensive to the nose. Take note when eating your tuna sandwich in an enclosed area.Gadgets and Texting. There’s nothing wrong with these things but it’s all in the context. Many people find texting and emailing rude when they’re conducting a meeting. And text talk is for friends off the job. Text-shorthand isn’t for the boss.Small infractions such as these can cause resentments among the employees that can linger and affect the bottom line: The Business. According to Christine Pearson, the coauthor of The Cost of Bad Behavior, 48% of badly treated employees have deliberately reduced their work productivity and 12% have quit due to ill-mannered behavior of those around them. These surveys conducted by Pearson and her colleagues also found that the bottom line cost to employers was around $50,000 per employee for offensiveness at work.Take a look at this youtube video demonstrating some bad behavior at work. It provides the motivation to teach some etiquette training at work (Watch the video now).
As a hiring manager, you have a two-fold purpose: Hire good employees and retain them. So the first step would be to hire correctly. How is this done and what are your goals as an employer? Employment screening is all part of the process. A work history on your candidates is not just a desire, but necessary. Is the candidate's work history stable? And have they retained a job for at least a year? If not, why? You want employees with integrity that measure up to your standards. References can be checked. Behavioral and Psychological assessments can be conducted at this point along with background checks. These are all essential elements in the hiring process.Once the hiring is complete, it's only just begun. We all want employees with motivation who are responsible for their actions -- a bit like parenting. And like a family, it's only as successful and happy as each member. It's a team effort. So what can we do as employers to have employees that are naturally motivated and responsible?Have a Respectful Environment. As children we learned that to be respected we must be respectful. So we must show integrity and set the example, treating all employees equally. What we don't respect will leave us -- whether it's a spouse, business partner or employee.Give Clear Instructions. Employees will then know exactly what's expected of them -- their responsibilities and the policies of the business.Performance Evaluations.This provides feedback to the employees so they can have clear goals of where they need to improve while also appreciating their skills that they've developed thus far. Even train and teach your employees so they are continually learning and growing. This can be done through classes, books, and training videos. Once again, employees will feel respected as resources are invested in them.Rewarding and Disciplining. It's critical that employees are rewarded with positive remarks, bonuses or raises or all of the above. Don’t delay. Recognition can be an integral part in fueling motivation. And of course, the other end is disciplining. Disciplining must be consistent with specific guidelines. This holds the employees accountable for their actions, both good and bad. Praise your employees for all eyes to see, but correct them behind closed doors. This goes back to point number one: Respect.All of these points demonstrate to the employees that they are important to the team and when we feel important, we're motivated which keeps us at our jobs.A nice example of this can be found when Charles W. Gehring joined LifeCare Alliance in 2001. He was in a tough spot, facing a company with financial deficit, a decrease in profits and an organization not too keen on change. Valuing employees and thus employee retention was one key thing he improved upon. Read the story, Making Changes, here.
Hiring begins well before we actually have an employee report to work: It starts in the pre-employment phase where we must take the opportunity to ask crucial questions to our potential candidates. This enables managers to determine whether the applicants have a good job-fit and are ethical and honest with their answers.These pre-employment screening questions can be separated into different categories: Previous employment history, drugs, mental health, alcohol and criminal background. What are examples of the types of questions to be asked?In all cases, regardless of which questions you ask, or how you phrase the questions; you will need to get independent source of information on these issues. It is unwise to accept the candidates' responses at face value as they may withhold, distort, or embellish their past.Previous Employment History -- Supplement with Employment VerificationWhat is your previous employer's name and address?What was your salary?What was your job title and what were your responsibilities?Why did you leave your previous job?Why is there a break in your employment history?Have you ever been fired or disciplined in previous jobs?Drugs -- Supplement with a Drug Test / Behavior SurveyIn this category, caution must be taken as to what questions you should and should not ask. For example, you wouldn't ask if the candidate is currently taking prescription drugs or if they've ever used illegal drugs beyond a relevant time period. Nor would you ask if the potential employee has ever been addicted or treated for drug abuse. But here are some examples of questions you can ask:If a drug test were positive: Are there any medications you're currently taking which would cause such a positive result.Are you currently using illegal drugs, or have you done so in the last two years?Have you ever been arrested or convicted for illegal drug abuse?Mental Health -- Supplement with Personality TestWith mental health, there are also certain questions you shouldn't ask such as, if they've ever been treated for mental health troubles or sought out treatment when overwhelmed with stress or even if they are currently looking for medical services. However here are examples of questions you can ask relating to stress:Has stress affected your efficiency at work?Has there ever been a time when you couldn't manage work-related stress?Alcohol -- Supplement with Drug Test / Behavior SurveyIf the job involves driving equipment or vehicles or operating machinery, you'll want to know about drunk driving convictions as it establishes a pattern of behavior. You should also ask about being at work while under the influence (drinking just before or during work hours) as this can have a significant impact on efficiency, productivity, judgement, reasoning, and safety.Criminal Background -- Supplement with Criminal History Report and Behavior SurveyThe main question here is whether they've ever been convicted of a crime which would be relevant or impactful to the position for which they are applying. For example, if hiring for a position where the candidate would be in contact with cash or physical goods (warehouse worker, delivery driver, stock clerk, retail clerk, etc.) knowing that they have a previous conviction for theft (particularly a recent conviction) would be highly relevant, but a citation for jaywalking would not. If the applicant had a history of sex crimes against children, that would be relevant for positions involving contact or association with children.All of these questions can provide insight as to what motivates the potential employee. Do they go beyond what's expected? Have they learned from past mistakes? These are crucial clues for an employer. Insights such as these can prevent many problems in the future for employers. Think through the questions you want to ask during the pre-screening phase. It takes a little more time initially but could pay off in time and money in the long run.
Embarassment is the word of the day for the US Citizenship and Immigration Service Division of the US Department of Homeland Security. According to news reports the USCIS has hired a known fraudster and fugitive from the law. The New Jersey Star-Ledger reports that Tahaya Buchanan, 39, formerly of Newark, NJ was arrested this past summer in July when a DeKalb county patrolman noticed an outstanding warrant for her arrest. Back in March 2005, Buchanan was the owner of a Range Rover vehicle. According to the report, Buchanan hid her vehicle in an Irvington, NJ (just west of Newark) garage owned by her Aunt. She then reported the vehicle as having been stolen and filed an insurance claim with her insuror. When her Aunt's garage caught fire the following month, the fire department came to put the fire out but the hidden Range Rover was discovered as a consequence of the blaze. Her insurance company launched a probe into her claim and eventually denied the claim and followed up with a criminal probe that resulted in a November 2007 indictment of second-degree insurance fraud. The following month a warrant for her arrest was issued when she failed to appear in court. On January 8, 2008 she was listed in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a criminal infomation clearinghouse utilized by law enforcement agencies across the country.Buchanan, believed to be an USCIS employee while in Newark, put in for a transfer to Georgia and received the requested transfer. No details are available on what officials as USCIS knew at the time or steps and protocols are involved in evaluating a transfer request.After Buchanan arrived at the USCIS Atlanta, she presumably obtained housing and established herself in the Atlanta area making no attempt to conceal her identity as there is no report of the use of any alias.It was not until July 2009 that her outstanding arrest warrant came to light, and this from an alert patrolman rather than from her employer, the US Goverment. Subsequent to her arrest, she spent a week in jail before she was release and USCIS officials yesterday claimed no previous knowledge of her fugitive past.It seems strangely ironic that her employer, a branch of the US Goverment that is closely associated with law enforcement would be so completely unaware of one of their own being a fugitive from the law. It's clearly an embarassment. "It’s amazing they couldn’t find her. Good Lord," said Kevin Kerns, the office chief of staff at USCIS where Buchanan still works as an analyst.Ana Santiago, a spokeswoman for the USCIS, said, "The USCIS is looking into this matter. USCIS has zero tolerance for any type of employee misconduct or criminal activity." Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Michael Morris said, "We found it surprising, alarming that an employee of the Department of Homeland Security is a fraudster, and we do not understand how she could have remained employed there with an open criminal warrant for her arrest remaining on the interstate system without being discovered."
There was a recent article published by a reporter at San Antonio, TX station that identifies the current cost of employee theft at $52 Billion.The cost of these thefts are ultimately born by all of us in the form of higher prices for the goods and services that we buy. The retailers and service providers will increase their prices to us in order to offset the losses they suffer from disreputable employees. This has been, and continues to be, a significant problem. The current difficult economic times seem to bring out the worst in the folks who are already susceptible to ethical lapses.At a time when customers are unwilling to accept higher prices, retailers and service providers are having their profit margins squeezed. A better approach is to make sure that employees that would steal from their employers do not get hired. This is best accomplished through a combination of background screening (reports criminal convictions) and behavioral testing (disclosures of recent past and propensity for future theft).
In the past, hiring people into our businesses was not such a complicated prospect. We'd see a need for a new employee, advertise, and then receive the applications. So far it's still similar to today. The difference is in the second phase. Years ago, we'd mull over our list of potentials, interview a select few or more, perhaps call some references and then call them in to join our work family. Our world today is more complicated and unfortunately not as safe. An interview and calls to a few references doesn’t cut it anymore, but rather the whole hiring process entails something more complex to match our increasingly multifaceted world. Pre-employment screening is crucial in the hiring process in today's world. At a minimum, we can screen out the criminals. So in corporate America, pre-employment screening has become a standard risk-management tool. As an employer, there are choices to be made. Do we want to do the screening ourselves or do we use third-party companies? For many companies, pre-employment screening seems like too much work and because of this, there's been a rising movement towards efficient third-party businesses whose main function is employee screening. With a fee, these third-party companies will screen our potential candidates for us, enabling us to have more information during the hiring process. The main benefit of a third-party specialist is efficiency. Many specialized companies can provide these services much more cost-effectively than the businesses hiring. Why? The employer wouldn't need to use staffer's time and resources for the screening, including software programs and training. Training which would also mean understanding state and federal laws when acquiring information and background records. And when considering the ramifications of hiring a bad employee, a screening firm's cost is minimal. So how do we go about finding the best screening specialist for our company? Choose a professional partner, not just the cheapest vendor although price is important. As when choosing any professional partner, use the same criteria. Are they reputable, reasonably priced, competent and ethical? Or any other criteria that is important to our company. View their website and contact references for further verification. Does the screening specialist have a full understanding of hiring and screening laws? Are they committed to only sharing the legal information? Are they compliant to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA). So are they a consumer reporting agency (CRA)? Or in other words, do they understand the FCRA with its appropriate state laws, including what's legal to report and how to respond to complaints. Are they members of the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (NAPBS)? If so, it's a demonstration of commitment to this industry's code of conduct -- a professional stamp of approval and a must if seeking a reputable company. What's the customer service like? Do you have someone specific working with your company or is it more generalized? Take into consideration your specific needs. Cost. Are you they putting their money where their mouth is? Do they have the knowledge and expertise that match the pricing. How are the staff trained? Is it clear how data is collected? Are there policies in place that protect confidentiality of background reports? When running a business, hiring is an obvious important component. If hiring competent employees is important to us, it should be equally essential to us to work with competent employee screeners.
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