Photos for Recruiting?

asld

We are just getting ready to conduct a massive recruiting process for a new operation. The management has requested that a polaroid be taken of each applicant and attached to their application to help them remember who each of them are. Does anyone know of any laws prohibiting this practice and/or give any advice about the amount of obvious risk this could possibly create?

Margaret Morford

I wouldn't do it. It wouldn't take much for a lawyer to make a case that you were using the pictures to weed out people of different ethics groups or to weed out people of one gender or the other. Tell your managers to take good notes on each applicant's qualifications and behavior/performance in the interview. That's the only good criteria to use to remember someone you are thinking of hiring...not what they looked like.

Margaret Morford
theHRedge
615-371-8200
[email]mmorford@mleesmith.com[/email]
[url]http://www.thehredge.net[/url]

Paul in Cannon Beach

I agree.. not a good idea.

[email]paulknoch@hotmail.com[/email]

Dianna

We do Polaroids here, but only AFTER the person has been hired. We put them on a new hire board with their name and department underneath so everyone can get to know names and faces.

sonny

Agree with the others.. just not a good idea. Our police dept. did this for years and finally got them to stop. It was innocent enough..really just wanted to try and put a face with a name but Margaret's response was right on. Tell them to find another way. They will.

HS

Give the managers an "interview evaluation form" to fill out after they've met with each applicant. Have them rate on a scale of 1 to 10 how they meet different skills / education requirements that you have. Put tangibles (like PC skills, education) and intangibles (presentation, personality for the job) on the form. Also have each manager have a list of questions to ask all applicants for each position...make them depth probing questions related to the skills, etc. This way it's fair, ethical and easier to determine who has the right skills for the job...who'd be the "good match" based on the description of the job requirements.

Hope this helps, we've found it has especially when doing a mass hiring.

Dianna

I actually have an applicant screening form that we use for anyone who might be interested - just let me know your e-mail address. It has places for three people BESIDES Human Resources to screen and put their comments.