LegalPitfallsoftheHiringProcess

SeanO’Donnell- MBA,SPHRSeniorHRAdvisorG&APartners

AgeDiscrimination

• TwoElectriciansDeniedJobsBecauseTheyWereDeemedtoBe'TooOld’– 4/2013

• ALBUQUERQUE,N.M.- WesternEnergyServicesofDurango,Inc.(WESODI)hasagreedtopay$90,000 andfurnishotherrelieftosettleanagediscriminationlawsuitfiledbytheU.S.EqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission(EEOC)…

• …twojourneymenlinemenelectricians,DennisThomas(thenage61)andEricCamron(thenage72),werereferredforWESODIjobopeningsinnorthernNewMexicobytheIBEWlocalunioninAlbuquerque,butthecompanyrejectedthereferralsbecauseofthemen'sages.

• Ineachinstance,afterthereferralswererefused,twomenintheirmid-twentieswereawardedthejobs. CamronandThomas,aswellasthelocalunion'sdispatcher,allegedthatWESODI'slinesuperintendentstatedthathewasrejectingthereferralsbecauseoftheirages.

NegligentHiring

• Reaganetalv.DunawayTimberCompanyetalNov.2011• Ajuryin anArkansasFederalCourtrecentlyawarded$7millionindamages tothefamilyofanArkansastruckdriverkilledina2008accidentinawrongfuldeathlawsuitbroughtagainstatimbercompanyanditstruckdriverwhocausedtheaccident.

• Inthecase,agroupoflawyersservingascounselforthefamilyarguedthatthetimbercompanyhadnegligentlyhired thetruckdriverwhocausedtheaccidentwithoutconductingabasicbackgroundsearchthatwouldhavequicklyrevealedahistoryofunsafedrivingthatincludedhavinghislicenserevokedtwice.Thedrivernevershouldhavebeenpermittedtodriveatractortrailer,thelawyersforthefamilyargued.

CriminalRecordDiscrimination• TransportationCompanyAgreestoMaintainRevisedPolicyConsistentWith

RecentEEOCPolicyGuidelines;Some14,000EmployeesAffectedNationwide• LOSANGELES- J.B.HuntTransport,Inc.,oneofthelargesttransportation

companies inNorthAmerica,hasagreedtosettle aracediscriminationchargefiledbytheU.S.EqualEmploymentOpportunityCommission(EEOC)…

• …overclaimsthatanAfrican-AmericanjobcandidatewasdeniedatruckdriverpositionataJ.B.HuntfacilityinSanBernardino,Calif.,in2009basedonacriminalconvictionrecord,whichtheEEOCcontendswasunrelatedtothedutiesofthejob.

• Thefederalagencyalsoreviewedthecompany'sbroaderpolicywithrespecttothehiringofjobapplicantswithconvictionrecords. Blanketprohibitions arenotinaccordancewiththeagency's policyguidance onthesubject,whichwasreissuedonApril25,2010.

• Aspartofthefive-yearconciliationagreement,J.B.Huntagreedtoreview,reviseifnecessary,andprovideadditionaltrainingconcerningitshiringandselectionpoliciesandpracticestocomplywiththeEEOC'sguidance. TheEEOCwillmonitorcompliancewiththeconciliationagreement. TheallegedvictimalsoenteredintoaprivatesettlementagreementwithJ.B.Hunt.

ImmigrationCompliance• UnitedStatesv.Nebeker,Inc.d/b/aAire Serv ofNorthernUtah– Fine$22,627

• Nebeker,locatedinLayton,Utah,employssevenemployees.AfterreceivingaNoticeofInspectioninSeptember2010andprovidingtheI-9formsforthelastthreeyears,ICEissuedaNoticeofSuspectDocumentsinformingNebeker thatthreeemployeesappearedunauthorizedforemployment. (ThoseemployeeswereterminatedaftertheywereunabletosupplyNebeker withappropriateemploymentauthorization.)

• ICEalsoissuedanNIFchargingNebeker with12violationsoftheImmigrationReformandControlAct,includingdeficienciesinSections1and2,acceptanceofaninvalidListCdocument;backdatingI-9forms,andfailuretoretainI-9formsforsevenformeremployees. ICEsoughtpenaltiesof$22,627($1,028.50perviolation)butdidnotexplainhowitreachedthefineassessment.

LegalPitfalls

• Discrimination• Negligenthiring• Compliance

TheSolution

• Developahiringprocessthatis:• Consistent• Objective• Job-related• Well-documented

• Traineveryoneinvolved:• Onthehiringprocess• Onrelatedbackgroundknowledge

• Usetheprocessconsistently

HiringProcessOverview

• Jobdescription• Jobposting/applications• Applicationscreening• Interviews• Referencechecks• Contingentoffer• Onboarding• Drugtest• Backgroundcheck• I-9/E-Verify

JobDescription

• Usedfor:• Settingpayrange(andbudget),• Hiringprocess,• Managingperformance

• HelpsyouinADA,discriminationandequalpaysuits

• Useatemplate

JobPosting/Applications

• Publicposting• Detersomeapplicants,attractothers• Helpswithdiscriminationissues

• Applicationform• Easiertocompareapplicants• Nomissinginformation• Askcrucialquestions• Providedisclaimers

ApplicationScreening

• Compareapplicationstojobdescriptionforminimumqualifications

• Screenbyconsistent,job-relatedcriteria• Don’tcheckGoogle/Socialmedia(yet)• Considerusingapre-employmentscreeningtest:• Personality• Skills

• Keepallapplicationsfor3years

Interviews

• Havetwoormoreinterviewerspresent,and/or:• Domultiplerounds:phone,supervisor,second-levelsupervisor

• Preparequestionsaheadoftime• Asksamecoresetofquestionstoeachapplicant• Avoidquestionsaboutprotectedclasses

• Holdinanaccessiblelocation(ADA)• Whenscheduling,bepreparedtomakeaccommodationsasneeded(ADA)

LegallyProtectedClasses

• Race• Color• Nationalorigin• Sex/Orientation• Pregnancy

• Disability• Religion• Age(40+)• Geneticinformation• Veterans/Military

ReferenceChecks

• Forfinalist(s)• Providedreferencesarebiased– checkanyway• Contactformeremployers• Contactcurrentemployer(onlywithwrittenpermission)

• UseaReferenceCheckForm• Isitworththetime?

ContingentOffer

• Eitherwaituntilallthetestsareback,ormaketheoffercontingentonpassing:• Drugtest• Backgroundcheck• Employmenteligibility(I-9)

• Useanofferletter• Havethecandidatesignit• Retaininemployeefile

Onboarding

• Onorbeforethefirstdayofworkthecandidateshould:• Sign:

• Drugtestform• Criminalcheckform• I-9(section1)

• Receive/signEmployeeHandbook

DrugTest

• Initiateattimeofonboarding• Especiallyforsafety-sensitivepositions

• Authorizationform• Controlwhoseestheresults– keepconfidential

• Positivetestorrefusaltotest,groundsforrescindingoffer

BackgroundCheck

• Initiateattimeofonboarding• Google/socialmediacheck(nopasswords)• Criminalcheck:basic+county

• Creditcheckonlyforfinancialpositions• DMVcheckonlyifdrivingforjob

• Signedauthorizationanddisclosureform• Assessresultsoncase-by-casebasis• Adverseactionprocedure

• SendPre-NoticeAdverseActionLetter,copyofreport,FCRArights

• Ifnotsatisfiedin8businessdays,sendAdverseActionNotice

AssessingaCriminalRecord• Factorstoconsider:

• Thenatureandgravityoftheoffense• Thefactsorcircumstancessurroundingtheoffense• Thetimethathaspassedsincetheoffenseand/orcompletionofthesentence

• Thenatureofthejobheldorsought• Thenumberofoffensesforwhichtheindividualwasconvicted

• Ageatthetimeofconviction,orreleasefromprison• Theindividual’semploymenthistorybeforeandaftertheoffenseincludingthelengthandconsistencyofemployment

• Rehabilitationefforts,e.g.,education/training• Employmentorcharacterreferencesandanyotherinformationregardingfitnessfortheparticularposition

I-9/E-Verify

• Initiateattimeofonboarding• Providelistofacceptabledocumentsandallowthemtochoose

• Documentreview/section2mustbedonewithin3businessdaysofstart• TriggersE-Verify

• E-VerifydonebyG&A• ChecksSSAandDHSrecords• TentativeNon-Confirmations

INTERVIEWQUESTIONS

InterviewStrategy

Ability

ManageabilityWillingness

Train

March2016Unemployment

USA5.0%Texas4.3%Utah3.5%

ReviewResumewithCandidate• Learnmoreaboutpreviouspositions

• Iftheapplicantwasadirector:• Howbigwasthecompany?• Howbigwasthedepartment?• Howmanydirectreports?• Budgetaryauthority?

• Askapplicanttoexplaingapsinemploymentandshorttimeinpositions

• Findthepastemployerthatismostsimilarorthepastjobthatismostliketheoneyouarefilling• Askwhatitwaslikeworkingthere• Didtheapplicantlikeit?• Didtheapplicantfeelsuccessfulthere?

BehavioralQuestions

• Pastperformancepredictingfutureresults• “Tellmeaboutatimewhenyou…”

• Listen(andaskfollow-upquestionstofind):• Situation – whathappened?Pressforaspecificexample.

• Action – whatdidtheydo?• Results – howdiditturnout?

• “We”didthisand“we”didthat…• “Towhatextentwereyoupersonallyinvolvedinthatdecision/project/situation?”

• “Whatwasyourpersonalcontributionto…?”

SituationalQuestions

• “Howwouldyoudealwith…?”• Notusuallyaspowerfulasbehavioralquestions

• Mayrevealapplicant’sthoughtprocess• Role-plays

WillingnessQuestions

• Whatinterestsyoumostaboutthisjob?• Whatinterestsyoumostaboutthecompany?• Whyareyoulookingforachangeinemploymentatthistime?

• Whydidyouleaveyourlastposition?• Caution:Itcouldbeforaprotectedreasonsuchasdisability,pregnancyetc.

• Whatmotivatesyou?• Howdokeepyourselfmotivatedwhiledoingrepetitivetasks?

• Howdoesthispositionfitintoyourcareergoals?

ManageabilityQuestions

• Tellmeaboutyourpreviousmanagers.Whowasyourfavoriteandwhy?

• Howdidapreviousmanagergetthebestoutofyou?

• Ifyoucouldgiveapreviousmanagersomefeedbackonsomethingtheydidnotdowell,whatwouldyoutellthem?

• Whatdoyouexpectfromamanager?• Haveyoueverhadtoworkonaprojectthatyoudidnothaveanyexperiencewith?Howdidyougoaboutit?

OtherQuestionTips

• Open-ended• “Areyoupunctual?”vs“Howisyourattendance?”

• Impliedfollow-up• “Whatwouldyourlastsupervisortellmeaboutyourattendance?”

• Values• “Whenisitokaytobelatetowork?”

• Silence– it’sokaysometimes• LouAdler’smostimportantquestion

• “Whatsingleprojectortaskwouldyouconsiderthemostsignificantaccomplishmentinyourcareersofar?”

ConducttheInterview

• Greetapplicants• Introduceyourself/otherinterviewers

• Breaktheice• Describetheworkplace• Giveanoverviewofthejob

• Showinterestintheapplicant

• Askquestionsandlistenactively

• Observeclosely• Askfortheirquestions• Explainnotificationprocedure

• Giveanexpectedstartdate

• Describethenextsteps• Thankcandidates• Escortthemout

BadHabits

• Answeringforthecandidate• Talkingtoomuch,notlisteningenough• Stereotyping• “Halo”effect• “Likeme”effect

InterviewNotes

• Notesshouldbefactual• Avoidopinionsorpersonalbiases• Includejob-relatedinformationonly• Keepnotesonfileforatleast2years

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