People First

Let’s face it, the odds of someone providing a personal reference who would give a bad reference are pretty slim. This is where you need to become a sleuth and figure out ways to find out about the applicant. HR professionals are pretty savvy when it comes to checking references. You really want to know...

You don’t want to ask applicants how many children do you have? Are you married? What is your religion? Do you have a driver’s license? You want to ask questions that are job related? You would provide a scenario and then ask if they could perform that task. For example, if the job routinely requires...

There are many different types of employment applications. Your first step is to ensure the application is not asking questions that could get you in trouble. Second, you want to make sure you are gathering enough information to make a sound decision on whether you want to pursue the applicant. You don’t want to waste...

With unemployment being so low and the fact that it is an employee market, we find it even tougher to find good, qualified employees. How can we attract qualified applicants? By having well thought-out and well written employment ads. It starts with a current, accurate job description. You also want the ad to reflect your...

You may be wondering if you should have an official performance review system. My answer is always, even if you do have a system, performance discussions should be on-going and documented. Employees should know where they stand at any given time and should there be any issues, there will be no surprises. With any system,...

I am frequently asked how to know if I am hiring the right person. First of all, let me say if you have this issue, I bet your unemployment rates are high as well. I say this because in most states, terminating someone for the inability to meet the job requirements is a chargeable claim....

I believe this is the number one problem with organizations. Communication is key. It prevents rumors. Good communication lets employees know what’s expected of them and what they can expect from employers. When employees know what is going on, they are more apt to support management and do what it takes to keep things going....

Unemployment is federally mandated, but state administered. What does that mean? Each state’s unemployment is handled differently. It is important for employers to know their state’s rules and how unemployment works. If an employer is opening their business up into a new state, they must register with that state and follow their guidelines. Rates also...

There are no laws that require employers to pay severance pay when an employee is terminated. However, it is critical that if an employer does have a severance policy, it should be documented. If a policy exists, it should be administered uniformly.  If not administered uniformly, the employer could be liable for discrimination. For example,...

My first response is always, document, document, document. It is so important to document any issues involving employees so that should any of the issues escalate to termination, you have the proof you would need to defend your actions. I’ve gotten so many calls regarding the need to terminate an individual but they are in...