Ethical Issues in Hiring
Ethical Issues in Management: Hiring
Hiring is an everyday function of all businesses, when hiring, there are numerous policies and procedures that are required and must be followed. This will guide and address the directives that businesses should follow to meet the terms of the law and guarantee that the business is not showing prejudice against any group, but that the company hires the person most qualified without regard to race, religion, gender or creed. There are many moral and ethical issues faced each day by managers who are involved in the hiring process. Today’s hiring managers must always adhere to the laws that are written to protect the applicants. The manager must put all biases aside and hire the right person with the right qualities for the position. While this is not a difficult task, many make it difficult. If an applicant is in a protected group, such as that of a minority or an applicant over 50 and the individual is not hired, the individual could file a discrimination lawsuit against the business. It must be noted that the business did not reject the applicant due to race or age, but when these issues occur they can be costly to a company. Many businesses today test applicants prior to hiring the applicant. This can protect the business in the case of such a lawsuit. The business will bring the test results to the court and advise that the applicant who was hired was hired because he or she tested the highest. Many companies promote a drug free environment. To properly promote such an environment, many of today’s companies require pre-employment drug testing. When an employee comes to work and is under the influence, the company is at risk. To eliminate risk, these tests are mandatory. The Pre-Employment Drug Screening of America has stated, “In 1987, a national testing laboratory, SmithKline Beecham, found that 18.1 percent of all workers tested had positive results. By 1997 that figure was down to 5.4 percent”
Hiring is an everyday function of all businesses, when hiring, there are numerous policies and procedures that are required and must be followed. This will guide and address the directives that businesses should follow to meet the terms of the law and guarantee that the business is not showing prejudice against any group, but that the company hires the person most qualified without regard to race, religion, gender or creed. There are many moral and ethical issues faced each day by managers who are involved in the hiring process. Today’s hiring managers must always adhere to the laws that are written to protect the applicants. The manager must put all biases aside and hire the right person with the right qualities for the position. While this is not a difficult task, many make it difficult. If an applicant is in a protected group, such as that of a minority or an applicant over 50 and the individual is not hired, the individual could file a discrimination lawsuit against the business. It must be noted that the business did not reject the applicant due to race or age, but when these issues occur they can be costly to a company. Many businesses today test applicants prior to hiring the applicant. This can protect the business in the case of such a lawsuit. The business will bring the test results to the court and advise that the applicant who was hired was hired because he or she tested the highest. Many companies promote a drug free environment. To properly promote such an environment, many of today’s companies require pre-employment drug testing. When an employee comes to work and is under the influence, the company is at risk. To eliminate risk, these tests are mandatory. The Pre-Employment Drug Screening of America has stated, “In 1987, a national testing laboratory, SmithKline Beecham, found that 18.1 percent of all workers tested had positive results. By 1997 that figure was down to 5.4 percent”
References: Iowa Workforce Development. (2009). Tax Credits for Hiring Ex-Felons. www.doc.state.ia.us/documents/TaxCreditsExFelons.pdf Texas Workforce Website. (2009). Texas Job Hunter’s Guide. Pre-employment Testing http://www.twc.state.tx.us/news/tjhg/testing.html The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Website. (2002). Federal Laws Prohibiting Job Discrimination. www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html