Making a Connection: Correlation Between Recruitment Efficiency and Organizational Growth

It’s time to prepare for growth. We’re clearly seeing an uptick in employment. In October 2014, 214,000 jobs were created and unemployment edged down to 5.8%, reported the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,¹ while 69% of recruiters expect competition to increase in 2015. ²

“Demand for workers is increasing and we’re seeing HR professionals pivot from talent engagement to talent acquisition,” states Ben Goldberg, President of Aurico Reports, Inc. “Candidate engagement is burgeoning and recruiters want an incredibly positive candidate experience as part of their arsenal, so they don’t potentially risk losing great talent to the competition.”

The talent acquisition function now sits at the nexus of talent management, technology, and organizational success. Recruiters who place the right people in the right roles at the right time have a tremendous impact on overall business performance. HR personnel are looking to revamp their existing recruitment workflows to meet business objectives, because they know there is a direct correlation between recruitment efficiency and organizational expansion.

From the Blooper Book

This month, we have several more additions to how candidates fill out those applications and résumé, which really makes us wonder, “What were they thinking?”

Achievements listed on resume:

Voted “Most Chivalrous” in class
7^th grade; GPA 34.0
”I received a plague for Salesperson of the Year”.

Experience listed on applications:

Bi-lingual in 3 languages
Saved my workplace from a bomb blast
Repaired bad roads and defective brides
Wrapping gifts at the hospital.

Have you been convicted of a crime in the past seven years, other than minor traffic violations?

Reminder on Adverse Action Procedures

We want to remind employers when taking adverse action in certain areas of the country, there are additional processes or procedures you should be aware of that are beyond what is required by the FCRA.

These areas are as follows: 

• Massachusetts
• Newark, New Jersey 
• San Francisco, California 
• Seattle, Washington

Here is a summary of what is required:

Massachusetts - The employer is required to provide the individual with the Company's Massachusetts Criminal Record Information Policy. 

E-Verify News

As of Jan. 1, 2015, employers will have access to E-Verify records that were created on or before Dec. 31, 2004.

The E-Verify electronic employment eligibility verification system will delete data more than 10 years old on an annual basis, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced.

For example, on Jan. 1, 2016, USCIS will dispose of records created on or prior to Dec. 31, 2005, and this process will continue in subsequent years.

The deletion is being conducted to comply with the National Archives and Records Administration’s retention and disposal schedule, to minimize security and privacy risks.

Recommendations:

Legal advisors are counseling employers that have been participating in the program since Dec. 31, 2004, to consider taking measures to archive their data.

USCIS has created a Historic Records Report that affected users can download and save for archival purposes, however, this report will only be available until Dec. 31, 2014, so users should download the report before then.

Recreational Marijuana Use Passes in Alaska, District of Columbia and Oregon

Recreational Marijuana has been approved during the recent elections for Alaska, District of Columbia and Oregon.  These states are added to Colorado and Washington that have approved recreational marijuana use in 2012.

The Oregon law takes effect on July 1, 2015, and. Alaska’s law will become effective 90 days after the election is certified, followed by a nine-month period to create implementing regulations.

Employment Provisions

The new laws in Alaska and the District of Columbia state explicitly that nothing in them is intended to require an employer to permit or accommodate the use, consumption, possession, transfer, display, transportation, sale or growing of marijuana in the workplace.  

Federal Trade Commission Issues Guide on Background Checks

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) recently released a guide, “Background Checks: Tips for Job Applicants and Employees,” that provides answers for questions people may have about background checks. It further expands upon the information provided in an earlier brochure the FTC released in March 2014, “Background Checks: What Job Applicants and Employees Should Know”. The FTC continues to show interest in the policies and authority of background checks. The guide lays out the steps involved in the background check process and specifies the rights of applicants and employees under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), along with providing information about anti-discrimination laws when employers perform background checks. A copy of the guide may be downloaded from: 

http://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/pdf-0044-background-checks.pdf

Dollar General Agrees to Settle FCRA Lawsuit for $4 Million

It’s finally happening. The long awaited conclusion to Marcum v. Dolgencorp Inc. [dba Dollar General], Case No. 3:12-cv-00108, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia, filed in February 2012 has been announced.

The original Dollar General class action lawsuit alleged the retail company, “willfully failed to comply with the pre-adverse action notification requirements of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) . . . prior to taking adverse employment action.” An amended background check class action lawsuit was filed in October 2012, adding that Dollar General “willfully failed to comply with the disclosure and authorization requirements in [the FCRA] prior to obtaining a consumer report for employment purposes.”