Given the fact that available technology has changed the hiring process (with the advent of web-conferences, virtual interviews, etc), certain new challenges are posed of the HR team. A primary concern in this scenario is the ability to gauge the literacy and skill levels of the candidates across the Internet. A recent survey had revealed that nearly forty percent of international job applicants lack essential literacy skills, let alone more specialized professional skills. Even more difficult to learn are the following two parameters that are required of all employees:
1. Their level of commitment to the hiring organization before being recruited for job assignments,
2. Ensuring that these employees remain loyal to the organization once they return home from their overseas work tenure (Stibbe, 2004).
Hence, properly designed hiring procedures can increase management’s understanding of expatriate commitment and effective career counselling will communicate future planned responsibilities to these expatriates.
In the United Kingdom, discrimination laws applying to employment procedures cover reference checking as well. It is imperative that persons conducting interviews with former employers or other individuals refrain from “questions addressing race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disabilities, and other protected categories. Reference decisions are to be based on objective job related facts”. (Peterson, et.al, 1996) Some appropriate questions during the interview that would not violate the rights of the candidate are:
1. Explain the job duties/tasks that were part of your previous work experience.
2. Describe your strengths as observed in the performance of duties.
3. What do you think are your strengths and weaknesses and how do you think they will affect your performance.
4. Describe what job specific skills that you’ve mastered.
5. How will you describe your general approach and attitude to work?
6. How good are your interpersonal skills that will help you operate in a team environment?
These questions not only help the interviewer in assessing the suitability of the foreign candidate to the employment position under contention, but also they don’t invite unnecessary lawsuits from offended candidates.
It is the duty of the employer to investigate the foreign candidate’s background, especially when the position hired for requires trust and integrity of the employee. Usually, the scope of the investigation prior to hiring …
“…should correlate to the degree of opportunity the prospective employee would have to do harm to third persons. A minimum investigation consisting of the completion of an application and a personal interview may be satisfactory for a clerical position, but a full background inquiry including an application, criminal record check, and reference checking would be necessary for a safety or security position. Also, cases such as these are significant in establishing a nexus between liability, actual or constructive knowledge, and the totality of the circumstances surrounding the hiring”. (Honeycutt & Kurtzman, 1996)