Employment reference checking and background screening should win recognition as the weakest of all corporate HR processes. A validity meta-analysis study conducted by Aamodt & Williams in 2005 found that the corrected validity coefficient for reference recommendations and actual job performance was a staggeringly low .29. Despite the facts, 96% of …

This article addresses five questions raised in response to Part 1 of this series published last week. It addresses the best ways to assess candidate performance pre-hire and when to use references. Question 1 — What are the most accurate indicators of past, current and future performance? Finding accurate real world predictors …

Quality of hire is always a subject of much debate.  Some argue that most of the measures in use actually measure the quality of the hiring process versus the quality of the actual hires made.  We agree that some of these  hire-quality measures are more process oriented, but one thing …

A common question raised these days by senior HR leaders and business journalists pertains to the reality of social media empowered recruiting.  By asking if it is “real,” I presume they want to know if it is a fad or something that will dominate recruiting in five years. My answer …

Include an executive summary — if you must push out a lot of information, keep in mind that like you, busy executives don’t have the time to read an entire report, so be sure to include an executive summary highlighting the problems or opportunities that your metrics point out. Continue …

The Top 20 Employee Referral Program Performance Degraders Loss of a program manager — losing or failing to replace a program manager charged with championing the program and keeping it active can lead to disastrous consequences even for a short period of time. Solution: a resource, hold them accountable, empower …

I have a suggestion for you . . . dedicate your summer to re-building your employee referral program. Now is an ideal time to invest in program design and rejuvenation, as in most cases, chaos surrounding the new year and year end is a fading memory and distant nightmare. It’s …

Do People-Management Factors Cause Failures? In recent years, numerous scandals and disasters have demonstrated the far-reaching impact of corporate policy, and more importantly corporate practice. While firms like Enron, Bear Stearns, and “systems” best practice icon Toyota had well-documented processes, policies, and procedures, they also all engaged in management practices …

Links to: Part One | Part Two “SHAREHOLDER ALIGNED” PERFORMANCE CULTURE PRINCIPLES GUIDING THE FUTURE OF HR Having looked at the purpose and the service delivery model for the HR function of the future, the next phase in redesigning HR from the shareholders perspective is to establish a set of …

Winner — Ernst & Young As one of the “big four,” Ernst & Young’s thirst for new talent to fill the ranks of its professional service workforce is unending. Despite noticeable economic impacts on their business, Ernst & Young invested as usual, hiring 2,700 new graduates from over 300 of …