WHEN YOU INTERVIEW FUTURE EMPLOYEES - DO YOU USE FULL DOC, LITE DOC OR NO DOC ?
Unlike the no doc loan; when dealing with the hiring process, one must document, document and then document some more! Knowing what to document and when is important. This article will shed light on that subject.
Good documentation begins with a good job description. Knowing ahead of time the essentials and non-essential functions of the job enable the hiring manager to better determine what type of skills are mandatory.
Weighing or prioritizing job duties to determine which are essential also assists in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. An employer, under the ADA, must consider only the essential functions for the job when determining whether the individual can perform the job with or without reasonable accommodations. It is important to update the job description periodically and include the date of last revision.
As simple as this sounds, every applicant should be required to complete an application form.
The application not only is a screening tool but is an effective legal hiring tool. Too many mortgage companies, especially those without an official H.R. department, use the resume to form the basis of the hire. The purpose of the resume is to assist an employer in finding the person best suited to the job description. Both tools are valuable but come from different directions. Questions on the application should be job related. Some jobs, such as sales representative, may require a valid drivers license while other jobs in the same company do not require a drivers license at all. The employment application that is generic to the entire company should not ask the question, “Do you have a valid driver’s license?” However, a separate statement for the candidates seeking outside sales positions that states, “I understand if I am hired I will show (employer) that I have a valid drivers license and acceptable insurance coverage” can save enormous amounts of time later.
Applications can also reflect the employer’s hiring parameters with statements such as:
- A statement that the applicant will be “at will” and can be terminated at any time.
- An equal opportunity statement that the company does not discriminate on the basis of any protected classification.
- A misrepresentation provision that all information on the form is true, no material information has been withheld, and, if any answers are found to be false or misleading, the application will be rejected or it will be grounds for immediate termination.
- Statement authorizing background investigation, including reference checks, with a provision releasing the employer and any third party from potential liability arising out of the investigations.
At the interview there is even more paper documentation. Successful interviews always have notes. When the interviewer hands the applicant a blank note pad and a pen for their interview notations it sets the pace showing the employer’s openness and sense of fair play. The interviewer should be mindful that the interviewer’s notes are to be job related, lawful and useful. Employers who provide a list of interview questions to their managers keep a consistency in the company’s overall hiring process and have a more meaningful hiring decision.
Employee Handbooks are the company’s written rules of the road. If someone in a new country doesn’t understand the way drivers are to behave on the roadways they could crash and burn. The same is true of the new employees at companies they are unfamiliar with. A written policy manual or employee handbook is essential to guide the employees in expected work related behavior. It also states the company’s scheduled vacation and holiday rules and establishes the procedure employees should take if they feel they are discriminated against or feel sexually harassed.
In total, the more the hiring process is relieved of guesswork by soundly written forms and guidelines the stronger the relationship will be with the employer and the employee. Even as mortgage banking propels toward the paperless loan, human resources will always be full doc.
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Client Tip ID: 2