The Hiring Process and Managing a Diverse Workforce

Recruitment methods in organizations are commonly categorized into two broad categories, including external and internal recruitment. Internal recruitment pertains to instances when an organization seeks to fill positions from the already existing workforce. External recruitment involves filling the available positions in an organization with applicants outside the organization (Dale, 2003). The recruitment methods are further categorized into three categories, including direct, indirect, and third-party methods. The direct method involves sending an organization’s representatives to training and educational centers to access potential candidates to fill desired positions. The representatives create contacts with the individuals seeking employment to identify the best candidates for the positions, such as individuals with excellent academic records. 

On the other hand, indirect methods involve advertising for available positions in professional journals, technical magazines, television and radio, and newspapers among others. Indirect recruitment methods are considered ideal when an organization lacks suitable individuals for promotion to higher positions when an organization wants to reach a vast audience of potential candidates, and when an organization is interested in filling a professional, scientific, or technical position (Dale, 2003). Finally, third-party methods involve establishing contact with potential job seekers through professional associations or bodies, management consultants, data banks, trade unions, employment agencies, and voluntary organizations among others. As the HR director at ABC Ltd., I will utilize diverse employment law requirements to create policies and methods that facilitate the achievement of a diverse workforce using the scenario of the position of an HR assistant. 

Recruitment Methods for the Position of an HR Assistant 

Recruitment methods comprise of the particular means of developing the practices of each of the stages in the recruitment process and life-cycle, starting from sourcing for candidates to making the hiring decision. An ideal recruitment policy includes practices and methods for every step of the recruitment process (Dale, 2003). This helps in optimizing each stage and improving cost efficiency. The recruitment process for HR assistant comprises three essential steps, including resume selection, testing, and interviewing. All the applicants for the position will be required to possess the necessary qualification for the position, where the criterion is based on both experience and education. The recruitment process starts with the advertisement for the position, selecting the resumes that meet the requirements for the position and interviewing the selected candidates. Applicants will be required to provide two referees who can confirm the authenticity of the information they have provided in their resume. The three recruitment methods that will be applied in hiring HR assistants at ABC Ltd include, advertising the position in newspapers, social media networks, and professional journals; contacting human resources management professional bodies and through recruitment agencies. 

Advertisements 

Advertisements are an indirect recruitment method that forms the most common method of external recruitment. Recruitment of HR assistants at ABC Ltd will involve advertising for the position on social media platforms, national newspapers, and recruitment fairs. The advertisements will incorporate such information as the job title, job description, the skills, experience, and qualifications for the position, location of the company, and how the application process, the applicants will be expected to submit their resume along with their job application letter. All the advertisements will bear the name of the organization as well as a statement indicating that ABC Ltd provides equal employment opportunities for all to eliminate discrimination by race, sex, religion, disabilities, or nationality among other factors. Applicants will be required to make their application through the company’s website. 

Advertisement help in avoiding discriminatory practices in the recruitment process since they allow qualified individuals from a vast audience to access equal employment opportunities (Edenborough, 2007). Unlike such measures as referrals, which lock out potential employees from accessing the opportunity, advertisement provides all the applicants with an equal chance of getting employment irrespective of their race, religion, region, or gender, provided one meets the desired characteristics for the job. Advertisements also help in avoiding discriminatory practices by eliminating unconscious bias. Recruiters often unconsciously show the preference for specific groups of people if they are involved in directly select individuals to hire. Therefore, by advertising the position to the public, unconscious bias, which also translates to discrimination, is minimized to a great extent. 

Recruitment Agencies 

Recruitment agencies will also be employed in addition to an advertisement to ensure that the company acquires the best talent. The agencies link organizations with potential candidates by providing details of individuals whose qualifications suit the given position. Using recruitment agencies helps in avoiding discrimination in many ways. First, the approach involves third parties, which indicates that the hiring team in the organization is not directly involved in identifying potential candidates, a factor that can contribute to bias (Edenborough, 2007). Secondly, recruitment agents understand their legal obligations concerning discriminatory hiring; hence, they are unlikely to accept unfair requests from employers since they can be held liable by law. Therefore, engaging hiring agents play a crucial role in ensuring fairness in the recruitment process. 

Professional Associations 

ABC Ltd will contact human resources professional bodies to identify potential candidates for the job. Recruiting through professional associations helps in eliminating discrimination since the bodies comprise of highly qualified individuals from diverse backgrounds, religions, races, political affiliations, and gender among other factors. Therefore, hiring through the associations helps to avoid discrimination based on these factors (Edenborough, 2007). Secondly, recruiting through professional associations involves third parties, indicating that the hiring committee in the company is not in direct contact with the potential candidates, therefore eliminating incidences of bias. 

Methods of Accepting and Validating Applicant’s Attainment 

The selection criteria for the HR assistants include skills, experience, and ability to perform the task. When advertising for the position, an application submission deadline will be included, and only those candidates who will have met the deadline will be considered for shortlisting. Validating the attainment of the applicants will consist of evaluating the applicant's application with the selection criteria, where their ability, skills, and experience will be matched with the requirements of the job (Taylor, 2005). The ability of a candidate to perform the job will be evaluated using their experience and skills, which can be determined from their past academic transcripts and reviewing their past engagements with other companies. All the reasons for rejecting a given application must be adequately documented to allow the HR department to provide appropriate feedback to the applicants. Further, the HR department should utilize a proper electronic program in selecting the ideal candidates to eliminate discrimination or bias that can be based on stereotypes founded on such elements as race, religion, or sex among others. 

Maintaining the Records for all Applicants 

The HR department at ABC Ltd will employ a five-step procedure in maintaining all the records of the applicants in case a charge involving discrimination emerges. The procedure will include; 

Reviewing all applications to ascertain that none of the applications is rejected on unfair grounds 

Sorting all the denied claims according to the reason for rejection 

Recording all the applications and indicating the factors that could have contributed to the dismissal of a claim 

Filling all the documents used in the application process, including resumes, cover letters, as well as application decline notes 

Ensuring that all the HR databases are well maintained and up-to-date 

Background Checks 

A background check on employees plays a crucial role in reviewing their criminal records, credit background, and background on their credentials to determine their suitability for the position. Background checks are essential to ensuring that a company is protected from illegal activity as well as ensuring that the company is safe and secure from any potential harm that employees are likely to cause, for instance, fraud (Rosen, 2017). The HR assistant position requires trustworthy individuals; therefore, the recruitment process for the position will include three essential background checks to ensure the safety of the workplace and ensure that the workplace is protected from illegalities. The background checks will consist of criminal records check, credit background check, and credentials background check. 

Criminal Records Check 

All the applicants will be screened to establish whether they have engaged in illegal activities in the past or if they are active criminals. The HR department will liaise with the local police department to check for potential involvement of the applicants in criminal activities, since the police department maintains all records of criminal activity in a national and regional database, including such activities as fraud, sex offences, traffic offences, and terrorism among others (Rosen, 2017). The criminal records check will also involve the validation of each candidate’s social security number to ensure that the number is legitimate as well as all the details associated with the number, including address, date of birth, and variations and aliases. Validating the number is important since it shows the hiring team whether the applicant has used other aliases or lived in undisclosed locations, which could be an indication of involvement in criminal activity. Criminal background checks are vital in protecting the organization from such illegal activities as money laundering, sexual assault at the workplace, as well as advancement of terrorist activities among other crimes. Further, the checks are essential in protecting the organization from legal liability that may emanate from hiring known criminals who may have escaped the criminal justice system. 

Credentials Background Check 

A background check on an individual’s credentials involves verifying whether the information included in his or her credentials are true. The verification process will involve contacting all the referees included in the applicant's resume as well as the immediate past employer to determine the integrity of the employee (Nixon & Kerr, 2008). The academic transcripts will also be carefully examined to confirm that they are actual original documents from the learning institutions. A credentials background check is essential in ensuring that the company hires individuals with the desired level of knowledge, skills, experience, and competence since in the absence of the checks, undeserving individuals who provide fake information may be hired, leaving out honest and qualified individuals. 

Credit Background Checks 

A credit background check involves establishing a person's credit rating as well as creditworthiness. Given that the position of assistant HR is a senior position in the organization, good credit history is crucial to minimize the risk of involvement in such financial malpractices as a fraud. Highly indebted individuals or bankrupt individuals are likely to engage in the misappropriation of company funds, a factor that may increase the risk of the company collapsing or create a negative image or reputation for the company, thus affecting its market share negatively (Nixon & Kerr, 2008). Therefore, a credit background check on the company is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the company as well as ensuring its financial stability. 

Employment Tests 

Employment tests comprise of tests that aim at ascertaining the suitability of a candidate for a given position. Some of the most common employment tests in organizations include medical examinations, drug tests, polygraphs, intelligence and skills tests, psychological tests, fitness tests, and general tests among others (Taylor, 2005). In the selection of candidates for the position of HR assistant, intelligence and skills tests, drug and medical examination tests, and polygraphs will be administered. 

Intelligence and Skills Tests 

These tests are crucial in evaluating a candidate’s level of competence in executing the tasks under the position. The intelligence and skills tests will comprise of an analysis of the candidates’ credentials as well as an interview that will seek to establish the candidate’s level of knowledge and understanding of the position as well as its expectations. 

Polygraphs 

The position of an HR assistant is a position of trust. Therefore honest individuals are required to fill the position to eliminate the risks that may emerge from dishonest people occupying the position. Polygraphs will be utilized to ensure that the selected candidate is honest enough to execute the duties of the position. 

Drug and Medical Examination Tests 

Drug tests include tests that determine whether a potential candidate abuses drugs. Drugs are known to impair one's thinking and decision-making process. Therefore, the tests are crucial in ensuring that the selected candidate is mentally healthy since he or she would be required to make essential decisions concerning the organization's human resources requirements among other decisions (Rosen, 2017). On the other hand, medical examinations are vital in ensuring that the person that fills the position is healthy enough to execute his or her duties as per the requirements of the position. Further, a medical examination is essential to guide the organization on the necessary accommodations that may be made to enable the employee to work with the desired level of comfort. 

Policy for Hiring and Promotional Decisions 

Establishing strategies for promoting and hiring employees requires a careful analysis of some factors. The factors are crucial in the hiring process, and they are also applied in making promotion decisions. The key factors that will be considered in hiring and promoting HR assistants at ABC Ltd include the ability to communicate effectively, performance, experience, and personality. Decisions will be made with the consideration of the employment opportunity at hand. This indicates that when hiring people in the HR department, the factors outlined above must be recorded for future reference (Wilkinson, Johnstone, & Elgar 2016). The importance of maintaining such records is that when recruiting for leadership positions, such soft skills as the ability of a candidate to communicate effectively should be considered. The same principle should be applied when making considerations to promote people in the department. 

Some of the potential adverse impact and challenges of utilizing subjective criteria in the assessment of soft skills is that the requirements cannot be suitable for all the employees working in an organization that applied and were not selected. While some may consider it a favoritism issue, others could associate with racial bias whereas a candidate was honestly chosen for being a good match for the position. One way to mitigate the adverse impact is informing all the employees in the organization about the position and involve them in discussing the terms of the work and position, particularly those interested in the position. Moreover, it is crucial to encourage the employees to re-examine their resumes to determine if the resumes illustrate the skills required for the interview selection. 

Accommodations for Disabled and Special Religious Conditions 

Reasonable accommodations apply to hoe job tasks are executed as well as to the duties of the position. Accommodations aim at making the performance of duties at a given position more comfortable for the employee. Some of the accommodations that cater for the particular groups at the workplace include providing such personal assistants as interpreters in case of language barrier, readers for people with reading disabilities, restructuring work sites to allow for easy movement of individuals with wheelchairs or other walking disabilities, provision of flexible work sites or schedules, and the provision of accessible technology or other adaptive equipment at the workplace. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities are outlined under the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ( Krahn, Walker & Correa-De-Araujo, 2015) . ADA protects qualified persons with disabilities from discrimination at the workplace on the grounds of disability. 

On the other hand, individuals whose religious beliefs prohibit them from working on certain days or times of the day should be given alternative working hours so that they can meet their religious needs. Title VII of the constitution requires employers to effectively accommodate spiritual needs unless such accommodation would result in unnecessary hardship ( Gedicks & Van Tassell, 2014) . For individuals with the disability to be adequately accommodated, they must meet the qualifications outlined under the EEOC of the qualified disabilities ( Krahn, Walker & Correa-De-Araujo, 2015). The two principal reasons that may hinder accommodation for an individual on a wheelchair include feasibility and cost. This may occur when a facility needs reconstruction for wheelchair accessibility and the construction of an elevator, which may weaken old infrastructure and lead to safety problems. On the other hand, the two legal factors that may hinder accommodation for individuals with special religious needs are; an employer is not required to know about an employee's religious practices since it may lead to bias. Therefore, if the employee fails to inform the employer about the spiritual needs, the required accommodation cannot be provided. On the other hand, an employer may fail to provide religious accommodation if he or she can prove that such accommodation can cause unnecessary hardship. 

Organizations charged with the Violation of Affirmative Action 

In the first case, Ricci vs. DeStefano, the plaintiffs comprised of Hispanic and White employees who sued since their application tests were dismissed because enough individuals from other racial groups failed to pass the test ( Mitchell, 2013) . The court ruling was in favor of the plaintiffs. The second case, Crooks vs. National Oilwell Varco, LP, was a sexual harassment case, where the manager regularly abused the female employee both psychologically and verbally. The manager assaulted the employee by informing her that she was not suited for the Oil industry and she would never be promoted as she was a woman. The employer failed to respond accordingly as evidenced by one regional manager who laughed off the claims as a joke. Based on the above cases, preventing such occurrences in the future would be achieved through the action plan below. 

Development and communication of a policy on sexual harassment and affirmative action at the workplace. The policy will incorporate all the elements of the addressed issues and communicated throughout the organization 

All managers at all levels will be tasked with the duty of preventing harassment at the workplace. Managers will be expected to take proactive approaches and ensure that all cases of harassment are reported accordingly 

and provide some avenues through which violations of affirmative action can be reported. This would ensure that such claims are addressed on time and effectively, in addition to discouraging such breaches in the future. 

Work-Life Conflicts to Consider 

The three major work-life conflicts that an HR director should consider include harassments, disputes, and discrimination. Conflicts are prone to arise between individuals. Therefore, managers should be trained to listen to the views of the employees and handle challenging conversations (Taylor, 2005) . The organization should also implement policies to resolve and prevent such conflicts from arising, including developing a clear grievance, discipline, and dispute processes for managing conflicts. On the other hand, discrimination and harassment may be resolved through litigation, which is a court process used in settling disputes involving lawsuits. 

Conclusion 

The concept of diversity in the hiring and recruitment practices facing organizations, particularly in the technical industries. Diversity hiring is crucial in the modern business world since it aids in the attraction of best talents, increases profitability, and ensures a more engaged and motivated workforce. Hence, to achieve these objectives, implementing a diversity policy is crucial for all organization. Moreover, all organizations must create necessary accommodations to increase their accessibility by people with disabilities since it has become the law in most countries. 

References 

Dale, M. (2003).  A manager's guide to recruitment & selection . London Sterling, Va: Kogan Page. 

Edenborough, R. (2007).  Assessment methods in recruitment, selection & performance: a manager's guide to psychometric testing, interviews and assessment centers . London Sterling, VA: Kogan Page Ltd. 

Gedicks, F. M., & Van Tassell, R. G. (2014). RFRA Exemptions from the Contraception Mandate: An Unconstitutional Accommodation of Religion.  Harv. CR-CLL Rev. ,  49 , 343. 

Krahn, G. L., Walker, D. K., & Correa-De-Araujo, R. (2015). Persons with disabilities as an unrecognized health disparity population.  American journal of public health ,  105 (S2), S198-S206. 

Mitchell, C. E. (2013). An analysis of the US Supreme Court’s decision in Ricci v. DeStefano: The New Haven firefighter’s case.  Public Personnel Management ,  42 (1), 41-54. 

Nixon, W. & Kerr, K. (2008).  Background screening and investigations: managing hiring risk from the HR and security perspectives . Amsterdam Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann. 

Rosen, L. (2017).  The safe hiring manual: the complete guide to employment screening background checks for employers, recruiters, and job seekers . Tempe, AZ: Facts On Demand Press. 

Taylor, S. (2005).  People resourcing . London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. 

Wilkinson, A., & Johnstone, S. (Eds.). (2016).  Encyclopedia of human resource management . Edward Elgar Publishing.