BU354 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Td Canada Trust, Specific Performance, Canadian Civil Liberties Association
Chapter 6 – HR
Step 6: Verification of References
- To find out if an applicant is a good or reliable worker employment specialists use
references
oPersonal references: those that attest to the applicants sound character
Usually provided by friends and family and not commonly used because
of their bias
oEmployment References: discuss the employees past work performance and job
relevant behaviours provided by past employers
Former supervisors or teachers may not be completely candid, especially
with negative information and many managers do not seek the right
information while checking references.
Because many employers fear the possible legal action a past employee
may take if positive references aren’t given, there is a lack of candour
Phone inquiries are more timely, of a lower cost and have the
advantage of directness – if one is hesitant or stutters, it can be a
sign
Reference letters have an extreme lack of candour because of
potential legal action and the desire to get rid of an employee
- Strategies on getting the truth out of references:
oUse the phone
oSeek information of job-related behaviour, e.g. tardiness and absenteeism
oAsk direct questions, e.g. “Would you rehire this employee now?”
oCombine references with other predictors, e.g. interviews
oUse credible sources only, e.g supervisors
oNote frequency of job changes
oWatch out for phrased with hidden meanings
e.g deeply committed to family and friends may mean puts them first.
- More recently background checks are done as some applicants exaggerate their skills
and experience.
oThis may be expensive
- Another emerging trend is to use social media to learn more about their interest and
behaviours.
- Whatever approach is used, employers need to be made aware of their legal obligations
when collecting and using employee information and abide by them
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oE.g. The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act applies to
the collection, use, retention and disclosure of an employees personal
information.
Step 7: Contingent Assessments
- A contingent assessment occur when a candidate has been selected and will receive a
job offer if the pass the assessment.
oE.g. drivers tests, medical evaluations, drug tests, etc.
-Medical Evaluation: health checklist that asks the applicant to indicate health and
accident information and is sometimes paired with a physical evaluation.
- It could:
oEntitle the employer to lower health insurance rates
oBy required by provincial or local health officials, e.g. food handling & diseases
oBe useful to evaluate whether the applicant can handle to physical or mental
stress of a job
- Medical examinations are usually conducted only if the job requires a clearly
determined level of health, even here, an applicant can only be rejected if reasonable
accommodations can not be made for them.
oThis is costly, and could lead to claims of discrimination
- The following guidelines for medical examinations should be met:
oThe employer should notify applicants of the testing requirements before the
offer is made
oThere should be an objective and justification for the test
oMedical testing should be done by qualified professionals
oAll health assessment information should be between the physician and not in
the HR file
- Drug tests:
oExecutives at TD Canada Trust argues that drug users are more likely to associate
themselves with criminal elements and are therefore more susceptible to
criminal influence, and thus they are advocating the use of drug tests.
oThe Canadian Civil Liberties Association called for a ban of employee drug tests
and there is no evidence that drug tests are totally reliable indictors of safe
performance, and that they only show that the employee has used a particular
drug in the past.
oDrug dependence is considered to be a disability, and no Canadian is able to be
discriminated against on the basis of disability
Therefore an employer must delicately balance the individual rights of
the employee against the risk of liability and lack of safety at the
workplace.
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oThe Canadian Human Rights Commission has decreed that the following is
permissible:
When an individual discloses an existing or recent history of drug or
alcohol abuse
Where a pre-employment medical exam provides the physician with
reasonable cause to believe an individual may be abusing drugs
Drivers for commercial truck and bus companies
oEmployers can not automatically withdraw an offer of employment from
candidates who fail drug test without offering accommodation without offering
accommodation. Accomodation must be given unless it alters the nature or
viability of the enterprise or if there are serious health or safety concerns to the
workers or members of the public.
Step 8: Hiring Decision
- The final hiring decision marks the end of the selection process
Tradeoffs Among Competitors
- There are alternative approaches to combine the scores of different predictors, but if
only one is used, e.g. an interview, the best interview gets the job.
Subjective Approach
- Subjective approach: aka clinical approach.
oAn approach where the decision maker looks at the scores received by the
various applicants on predictors, subjectively evaluates all of the information and
comes to an overall judgement
oRealistically, the decision maker just picks based off of looking at it and saying
what aspects he feels are more important, therefore two decision makers could
have differing opinions
Multiple Cut-Off Approach
- Multiple Cut- Off Approach: an approach where scores are set for each predictor and
each applicant is evaluated on a pass-fail basis. Applicants are essentially rejected if
their predictor score falls below a minimum.
oOne down fall is that an organization might reject a qualified candidate
Compensatory Approach
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find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
To find out if an applicant is a good or reliable worker employment specialists use references: personal references: those that attest to the applicants sound character. Usually provided by friends and family and not commonly used because of their bias: employment references: discuss the employees past work performance and job relevant behaviours provided by past employers. Former supervisors or teachers may not be completely candid, especially with negative information and many managers do not seek the right information while checking references. Because many employers fear the possible legal action a past employee may take if positive references aren"t given, there is a lack of candour. Phone inquiries are more timely, of a lower cost and have the advantage of directness if one is hesitant or stutters, it can be a sign. Reference letters have an extreme lack of candour because of potential legal action and the desire to get rid of an employee.
