It’s that alarming moment when the background check reveals that your top job candidate has a criminal record. In fact, there are five key steps that will help you determine whether or not your candidate should be disqualified and, at the same time, how you can stay compliant with state and federal screening laws. If your candidate has a criminal background, the first step is to educate yourself on the top legal issues that could land you in court. MORE

It’s been an exciting 4 years since we begun this amazing social learning adventure. Industrial & Organizational Psychologist and Director of Thought Leadership at Kilberry Leadership Advisors; and Chip Joyce, CEO and Co-founder of Allied Talent. Both are experts in the World of Work. Each shared their unique insights to our community about the troubling woes of mending employee and employer relations. That is how trust at work needs to develop too. MORE

Today, Morris, who is president of EmployeeScreenIQ of Cleveland, Ohio, reveals his tips for social media screening. Does your organization conduct online media searches as a means of screening candidates in the hiring process? According to EmployeeScreenIQ’s Survey, about 63% of organizations do not; about 30% do the searches internally; and about 7.5% The companies that do conduct such searches report searching the following sites: LinkedIn. MORE

With the end of the year drawing nigh, today’s post will be my last of 2014 (barring any hot-off-the-presses breaking news). Here’s what I read this week: Discrimination Santa Sued for Disability Discrimination Due to Reindeer Harassment — via Bolek Besser Glesius, LLC Ebola discrimination in your workplace, what the Department of Justice wants you to know. — via Eric Meyer’s The Employer Handbook Blog Do You Hear What I Hear? MORE

This week, our community was joined by: Jason Morris , Co-Founder, COO and President of EmployeeScreenIQ; and Nick Fishman , Co-Founder, EVP and CMO of EmployeeScreenIQ. They taught our community about the value in screening talent, but also how it is vital for every organization to perform it. The embedding of social media in our DNA has proven to provide constant change to old processes and adaption to new ones in the World of Work. MORE

“The vacant laugh. Dressed up in the mask of tragedy. Programmed for the guts and glands. That’s when I saw the photo — a full view of a man’s naked back severely cut open from multiple slashes of some kind of large knife. Before even knowing the context (and not really caring at first), I cringed and rolled my eyes. This one, though, was really offensive, although I didn’t point that out to my friend who shared it, nor did I comment on it at all. MORE

Part of what makes it amazing is that beginning in second grade the year’s second parent-teacher conferences is student led. The conference blew me away. I knew that Norah would be presenting her PowerPoint on Neptune, the culmination of weeks of research and hard work. I was not prepared, however, for the conference to be 100% student led. She demonstrated how she’s learned 3x2 multiplication. My kids go to an amazing school. MORE

A good question without a right answer; it’s a gray area both in the law and company policies, especially because many employers don’t even have a social media policy. However, there are pros and cons to utilizing social media and search engines in the hiring process, and hiring managers want to know— to snoop or not to snoop? First, let’s take a look at how many in HR say that they use social media in the hiring process. Take a look at these three key legal concerns. MORE

Employee appreciation needs to be a year-round effort, not a one-off to-do to check off your corporate calendar. Here are some thoughts, from the archives, to make employee appreciation part of your corporate culture. via The HR Capitalist, Kris Dunn In-House Counsel: Is Transgender Discrimination on Your Radar? — The DOL’s Model FMLA Forms Expired Just Days Ago. o your employees feel appreciated? Today is Employee Appreciation Day. MORE