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MANAGEMENT
HESE DAYS,
in-house recruiting has never been easier. It
used to be that an employer’s only good option was to use
expensive professional recruiters who could access their pro-
prietary lists of candidates. Now, qualified candidates are a
keystroke away. That said, simply having access to these
resources does not mean that businesses are improving their success
in finding A-level candidates. What they are realizing is that sourcing
top talent is still quite labor intensive and making the wrong hire is
still far too easy to do.
38 •
PPB
• DECEMBER 2014
GROW
IT’S EASY TO MAKE THE WRONG HIRE. FOLLOW THESE 10
STEPS TO GET IT RIGHT.
BY CLAUDIA ST. JOHN, SPHR
HIRING FOR KEEPS
Q&A
WITH
CLAUDIA
ST. JOHN
Send your human resources-
related questions for Claudia
St. John to
ppb@ppai.org.Select questions will be
answered in future issues.
Q.
I strongly dislike smoking.
Can I refuse to hire someone
just because they smoke?
Smoking is not a protected
activity and smokers are not con-
sidered a protected class. So,
yes, you could in theory refuse
to hire smokers. That said, we
caution our clients against deny-
ing employment for non-work
related reasons, particularly if
doing so means you will be less
likely to hire someone who is
protected by the Equal
Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC). In addition,
there are many states and loca-
tions that prohibit employers
from banning smokers from
employment (see the American
Lung Association’s Tobacco
Policy Project for a list of states).
Instead, we recommend our
clients maintain a strong
smoke-free workplace policy and
Continued On Next Page
Following these tangible steps can vastly
improve your chances of success:
1.Be clear about the position.
Before
you post a position, take the time up front
to understand the position for which you
are recruiting, including all responsibili-
ties and tasks associated with the job.
More often than not, our clients discover
that the top task they are focusing on in
their hiring efforts is not the one that
takes the most time. If you are clearer
about the requirements of the position,
you will have a much better chance of
attracting candidates who are best suited
for the job.
2.Research your job board options.
There are dozens and dozens of job
boards out there. Take some time to
research the best place to post your posi-
tion. Before you spend money on the big
boards such as Monster.com or
CareerBuilder.com, consider a more tar-
geted approach. Ask industry colleagues
where they have found success. For sales
and professional positions, LinkedIn can
be a gold mine, and often there are
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