SharedHR Blog

According to a recent article in The Economist, software firms are using big data analytic tools to identify patterns in recruiting.  For some organizations, these data patterns are actually influencing new hire decisions. 

We all know that making a bad hiring decision can be costly.  Bringing in the wrong employee wastes a company’s resources and can frustrate co-workers.  Below are some common hiring mistakes and ways to avoid them.

How can it be so hard to find good people, especially when the US has an 8.2% unemployment rate? There should be droves of qualified applicants lining up for a position, right? Well, not really, and here’s why:

Social networks attract millions of users. Facebook now has over 900 million users, and LinkedIn has over 160 million users. Social networks provide a tool to engage the right candidates quickly and effectively, but like any tool, it’s only useful if used correctly. Here are some ways you can leverage social networking as an effective HR strategy for recruiting.

Litigation can be costly—not only in terms of money, but also in terms of headache and lost time. Every employee, past or present, could be the potential plaintiff in an employment lawsuit. Jennifer King, an HR analyst at Software Advice, wrote a great article on the benefits of HR software.  Below I’ve summed up three main points:

1) Protect Against Wage and Hour Claims – Oftentimes these lawsuits rely only on the employee’s records. It is much easier to defend a case when employer records are kept in a systematic and precise workforce management system. HRMS/HRIS software can better track employee scheduling and attendance, and helps show if employees are entitled to additional compensation or leave.

Some managers assume the preparation of the interviewing is the responsibility of the candidate or HR. False. Job interviews are ripe for potential mistakes and some naïve questions are the basis for discrimination lawsuits. There are key interviewing “do’s” and “don’ts” that every manager should know. Hiring Managers usually make mistakes in interviewing for two reasons:

Individuals involved in the hiring process sometimes ask about an applicant's family, outside interests, prior work habits, celebrated holidays or ethnic background. Such topics are not intuitively sensitive to managers, particularly those who have risen through the ranks without formal training. In other social settings, apart from hiring, these types of questions are good icebreakers or friendly conversation.

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Employers, particularly in high tech and engineering fields, have been acutely aware of the talent shortages in the U.S. throughout the recent economic decline. Similar talent shortages exist globally. While this talent shortage has been growing for the past 10 years, some of this problem was mitigated by the outstanding education system in the U.S. wherein students from China and India who came to the U.S. to study for advanced degrees often stayed on to accept positions in the U.S.

Employers of all industries and sizes routinely require applicants to have a minimum level of education and experience for job openings. A common requirement is a high school diploma to qualify for consideration. A recent letter from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) calls this practice into question.

On December 2, 2011, the EEOC posted to its website an “informal discussion letter” addressing the issue of individuals who are unable to earn a high school diploma because of learning disabilities, and as result, may be ineligible for jobs requiring a high school education.