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MRSC Insight Blog

Posts for Recruitment and Hiring

New Legislation Expands Washington’s Anti-Discrimination Law

June 11, 2020 by Sarah Doar
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , New Legislation and Regulations

This blog post reviews new laws, passed during the 2020 legislative session, that expand the state's anti-discrimination law to prohibit racial discrimination on the basis of hair and discrimination on the basis of citizenship status.

New Workplace Protections for Washington Public Employees

July 22, 2019 by Sarah Doar
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , New Legislation and Regulations

With recent changes in statutes and caselaw, now is a good time for Washington State public employers to review their personnel policies and ensure that they are up to date.

Nothing but a Number: Age-Based Employment Discrimination After <em>Mount Lemmon</em>

Nothing but a Number: Age-Based Employment Discrimination After Mount Lemmon

January 3, 2019 by Sarah Doar
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , Termination

Examining age discrimination laws that apply to local governments in Washington, following the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Mount Lemmon which held that all local governments, including those with less than 20 employees, are subject to the federal Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA).

New Limits on Use of Criminal Background Checks During the Hiring Process

May 1, 2018 by Summit Law Group
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor , New Legislation and Regulations

Under the new Washington Fair Chance Act, an employer may only ask about a person’s arrest or conviction history once the employer has made the initial determination that the applicant is qualified.

Interview Tips

August 30, 2017 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring

Employee hiring involves some of the most important decisions a manager will make. HR Consultant Marci Wright looks at ways employers can develop and implement effective interview questions and techniques.

Hiring the Right Person: The Art of the Reference Check

September 3, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

Reference checks are essential in any hiring process and should almost always be done. 30-year HR veteran Marci Wright offers some tips and tricks for getting them most out of your reference checks.

Hiring the Right Person: The Interview

July 10, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

Tips and strategies for making your interview process a success.

Hiring the Right Person: Screening Your Applicant Pool

April 29, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

You are a busy manager trying to fill a vacant position. You've advertised the job and received applications. How should you screen the applicants?

Confirmation of Mayoral Appointments (and Terminations) by City or Town Council – Is that OK?

March 25, 2015 by Pat Mason
Category: Classification , Recruitment and Hiring

In mayor-council cities and towns, the mayor is generally in charge of the hiring and firing of all appointed officers and employees. But can the city or town council require that the council confirm mayoral appointments before they become effective? This blog post explores the answer.

Hiring the Right Person: Getting The Job “On the Street”

March 18, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

You are ready to actively begin your recruitment process. Here are a series of questions to help you focus the recruitment.

Hiring the Right Person: Getting Started

February 17, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

Vacancies often occur with little notice and at a bad time. As busy as you are, you lack time and energy to devote to an unexpected, time-consuming recruitment and selection process. You need to refill this job as soon as possible. But, as busy as you are, a wise manager will spend a little time thinking about the vacant position and the process requirements before rushing to hire a new employee.

Hiring the Right Person: An Overview

January 16, 2015 by Marci Wright
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

For most managers, the most important decisions you make are hiring decisions. Unfortunately many managers make a common mistake in their approach to hiring that results in making a poor choice.

Nepotism: Bringing the Family to Work

October 30, 2014 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Recruitment and Hiring

Can the parks director hire his brother as a lifeguard at the municipal pool? Is it all right for the county treasurer to hire her spouse as an administrative assistant? The answer to each of these questions requires a review of the practice of nepotism, as well as conflict of interest law.

Use of Social Networking in Employment Decisions

July 5, 2013 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Recruitment and Hiring

Legislation has been enacted that will prohibit an employer's ability to require that job applicants and current employees provide social media passwords or other account information as a condition of employment or continued employment. The legislation, chapter 330, Laws of 2013, goes into effect July 28, 2013.
Here is an excerpt from the Final Bill Report for the legislation:

Criminal Background Checks in Hiring: EEOC Provides Updated Title VII Guidance

August 1, 2012 by Peter Altman
Category: Recruitment and Hiring , HR Advisor

Criminal background checks provide valuable information to employers when screening job applicants and are required for certain positions in Washington, including positions where employees have unsupervised contact with children and vulnerable adults. Properly implemented criminal record screening policies help employers ensure a safe and productive workforce while reducing the risk of liability...

Roles of the Mayor/Manager and the City or Town Council 101: Hiring

May 24, 2012 by Paul Sullivan
Category: Recruitment and Hiring

A city or town government does not run on its own; it requires employees to perform the work the public expects and depends on. How and by whom are its employees hired? While the easy answer is that it’s the city or town’s chief executive officer - either the mayor or the city or town manager - who makes the hiring decision, in reality, the answer is more complicated than that. ...