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Oracle Tips by Burleson |
Screen
Job Applicants
Selecting employees for hire in the first place
who have values and good educational and work experiences will benefit
the employer throughout the term of employment. Bringing employees
onboard who have good character, are honest, treat others with
respect, respect authority, and abide by policies and procedures will
reduce the number of incidents that lead to employment termination.
In addition, it follows that the prevalence of
wrongful discharge lawsuits against the employer would also be
lessened. It is common for legal action to be taken against the
employer for negligent hiring following an incident of workplace
violence. The lawsuit would specifically attempt to prove that the
employer failed to properly screen applicants, which resulted in an
individual being hired that is judged to have had a history of violent
and criminal acts.
Most company inquiries to previous employers about
applicants are performed using the telephone, even though a large
number of employers will not respond by that method. It might be
useful to make such requests by mail as a follow-up to any phone
conversations that do not provide the requested information. The
employer should, in any case, go through the effort of thoroughly
performing background checks on all job applicants under consideration
for employment including:
Verifying educational degrees and grades, prior
(and possibly current) employment, and certifications earned.
Obtain character and business references.
References that are too brief and without specifics may be hiding
something or it may be that the company has a very restrictive policy
concerning the information they can provide in response to reference
inquiries. Many companies do this to protect themselves from lawsuits.
One of the best methods for getting a real-life and accurate
assessment of an individual is to ask former or current colleagues of
the applicant for their opinion of the individual. Employers should be
networked with IT professionals in the area who can be drawn upon for
such information. The information that they will provide is absolutely
invaluable in making a hiring decision.
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Request that copies of certification documents
be sent to the employer.
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For entry-level IT positions, request that
school transcripts be sent directly to the employer.
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Contact former employers to ensure the applicant
was indeed under their employment and held the positions claimed for
the periods of time indicated on his or her resume.
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Be wary of several short employment stints by
the applicant or gaps in employment with previous employers, even if
they were previously employed as a contractor.
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Allow the applicant adequate time to speak for
themselves during job interviews, and require more than one
interview with a combination of management and peers.
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Minimize the number of questions with yes and no
answers to allow the applicant to expose their knowledge.
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Organize the questioning by stating a situation
of interest, asking for the actions taken by the applicant, and
learning the results obtained.
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Inquire as to whether the applicant has had any
criminal convictions.
The above book excerpt is from:
You're Fired!
Firing Computer Professionals
The IT
manager Guide for Terminating "With Cause"
ISBN 0-9744486-4-8
Robert Papaj
http://www.rampant-books.com/book_2005_1_firing.htm |
