Recruitment Solutions

(Article) “How AI Is Transforming HR With More Sophisticated, Less Biased Recruiting”

EmploycoUSA

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, was recently quoted in an article for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s digital publication CO:

How AI Is Transforming HR With More Sophisticated, Less Biased Recruiting“Artificial intelligence is driven by algorithms — sets of rules based in part on historical data that computers use to guide decisions. For example, if history shows that employees possessing specific traits have proven successful in a given job role, AI algorithms rank highly applicants with those same attributes.

While AI automates mundane tasks, it’s the greater power of AI that gives HR pause. Employers know they are prohibited from asking applicants about marital status and religion, but if AI teases out that information indirectly, without consent, companies run the risk of violating discrimination laws.

“There are still a lot of bugs. One bug is discrimination. There are examples where women and older applicants have been weeded out,” said Rob Wilson, president, Employco USA, an HR outsourcer.”

Follow the link to read more:

CO by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

The Myth of the Summer Job: Why This American Tradition is Disappearing

EmploycoUSA

Employment expert explains why most teens won’t be working the hot-dog stand this summer

Summer JobsA Pew study recently revealed that the number of teens with summer jobs has been on a steady decline for the last 2 decades. While almost half of American teenagers used to spend their summers scooping ice cream, slinging burgers, or working at the mall, now only around one-third of teens will spend their summer months employed.

“It’s not just that teens don’t necessarily want to find summer employment, but that the employment opportunities themselves have changed,” says Rob Wilson, employment expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm. “There are less entry-level jobs available for these unskilled workers, and with new robotic technology at fast-food restaurants and fast-casual chains, these young would-be workers are being automated out of employment.”

Wilson also points to disappearing American malls.

“When so-called ‘anchor’ stores such as Sears or JCPenney close down, it becomes very problematic for the mall as a whole,” explains Wilson of Employco USA. “Filling that retail space is very difficult, and with giants like Sears experiencing a major decline, that means that many malls across the country are going to be left with huge vacancies. This puts all the stores within the mall at major risk, from your kiosks to your pretzel stands to your small clothing stores.”

Continue reading →

How A.I. is Revolutionizing the Hiring Process

EmploycoUSA

Employment trend expert explains how robots are the new recruiters

RobotThe interview process is always nerve-wracking for job hunters, but now instead of facing a hiring manager, applicants might find themselves dealing with artificial intelligence agents before finally meeting a real person from their desired firm.

“Artificial intelligence has been a hot-button topic when it comes to how robots could replace minimum wage workers in fast-food environments and beyond,” says employment trends expert Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment solutions firm. “But there is another piece to this puzzle, which is the way in which companies are now using A.I. to simplify and streamline their recruiting and hiring process. For example, beauty giant L’oreal uses chatbot Mya to interview applicants in the first stage of sorting through candidates.”

Meanwhile, JPMorgan Chase & Co. is using technology from New York City-based tech startup Pymetrics in which job applicants are tested with fast-paced decision-making games in order to see if they have a chance to earn a spot at the investment firm.

However, some critics say that these artificial intelligence measures could pose legal concerns in the future.

“Just last year it was discovered that Amazon’s latest A.I. hiring bot was discriminatory against women,” says Wilson. “And others say that these measures such as the Pymetrics hiring games will be discriminatory against those with learning differences or those who are older and have less technological skill.”

Continue reading →

House Votes to ‘Ban the Box’: Gov. Agencies Can No Longer Inquire about Criminal History on Job Applications

EmploycoUSA

Human resources expert explains the impact of the Fair Chance Act on employers outside the gov. realm 

Job ApplicationLast week the House Oversight and Reform Committee passed a bill which would effectively “ban the box” that would keep federal agencies and contractors from asking potential employees’ about their past criminal history, until after these applicants had been offered a conditional employment offer.

Known as the “Fair Chance Act,” the measure is meant to help previously incarcerated individuals increase their ability to rebuild their life post-conviction.

But what does this mean for employers?

“Currently, this legislation only prohibits federal agencies from including a criminal history box on their application and from asking these questions in interviews before a conditional job offer is made,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and human resources expert. “However, ten states (and the District of Columbia) have ban-the-box laws that apply to private employers— including California, Illinois, Hawaii, and New Jersey, and other companies such as Target have banned the box across state lines at all of their locations.”

Wilson says this number will likely continue to grow, but he explains that banning the box doesn’t mean that employers have no rights when it comes to establishing a person’s character and mental health.

Continue reading →

‘Entitled’ Millennials May Have the Right Idea

EmploycoUSA

Employment expert explains how younger workers are demanding more from bosses – and getting it

MillennialsMillennials often get criticized for having an ‘entitled’ attitude, and this appears to hold true in the workplace as well. Recent reports reflect that younger workers do appear to demand more than their older counterparts.

“Previous generations used to be happy to have a steady paycheck and a gold watch upon retirement,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA. “But younger workers don’t approach employment the same way. Research shows that Millennials change jobs more frequently than previous generations, and they also have a lower opinion of corporations. In other words, they don’t want to commit years at companies which they see as purely self-interested.”

Wilson says that employers would be wise not to give up hope when it comes to engaging and retaining younger workers.

“Yes, these workers are more prone to dissatisfaction and more apt to leave jobs that don’t make them happy, but research shows that when companies approach Millennials as individuals and try to appeal to them on their own level, they do so with great results.”

When Millennials are engaged by their employers, and companies make an effort to reach out to the younger generation in the workplace, they see a vast improvement in both agility and innovation.

Continue reading →

New Study Reveals the Costly Woes of On-Boarding New Staff

EmploycoUSA

Human resources expert reveals why so many companies struggle to keep new employees – and how to change that

Employee quitA new study found that over 20 percent of people quit their new positions within the first 6 weeks of joining a company. Furthermore, the new research from Robert Half found that 93 percent of new employees consider leaving their jobs before the end of their probationary period.

“The results found that 36 percent of people leave their jobs due to issues with ‘onboarding,’” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employee engagement expert. “Yet many firms neglect to put much effort into acclimating their employees to their positions.”

Losing a new employee can be a financial hardship, thanks to the cost of recruiting and training employees, and it also creates a workplace that feels unstable and tense for existing employees.

“A revolving door of employees is a problem for a number of reasons,” says Wilson. “It increases the risk of fraud and other crimes, but it also makes employees feel as though newcomers aren’t going to stick around long…ergo they aren’t very welcoming or very thorough in their training, as they figure it’s a waste of time.”

Wilson also points to the fact that searching for employees is very time-consuming and leaves other important tasks unfinished. “A human resources team who is constantly focusing on finding new employees is doing so at the cost of caring for the needs of existing employees.”

So, what should companies do in order to ensure that their new employees stick around for the long haul?

Continue reading →

Improving Job Market Means Employees Have Options: Don’t Let Your Top Talent Get Poached

EmploycoUSA

Employment expert shares “The Three E’s” which will keep employees happy and hard-working

Leaving EmployeeAs the job market improves, so too does employers’ risk of losing employees. It is estimated that around 60 percent of employees are either actively or passively searching for a new job, or they are being approached by other companies who want to ‘poach’ them for their own team.

Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA and employment trends expert says, “Losing an employee is a serious financial blow. It will cost you about 6-9 months of salary to replace a salaried employee, and this does not even include the soft-dollar cost of lost knowledge. This includes technical and institutional knowledge as well as lost productivity as other employees have to pick up the missing employee’s slack, which can in turn cause lower morale, lower employee engagement and other financial concerns.”

Wilson says that employers would well to remember the three E’s (economics, employee engagement, and environment) when it comes to attracting and retaining top talent.

“From an economic standpoint, you need to think in terms not only of salary and health insurance, but also a total compensation package,” says Wilson. “There are many benefits which today’s employees are looking for, including whether you match a 401k, what is the value of the paid time off offered, along with medical, dental, vision and life insurance.”

Continue reading →

Survey: Employers Open to Hiring People with Criminal Backgrounds

EmploycoUSA

H.R. expert explains why the corporate opinion on criminal backgrounds is changing, and what it means for employers

Criminal Background CheckA recent survey of Illinois employers found that companies are more open to hiring those with a criminal past than ever before.

Additionally, many states are changing previous regulations which prevented convicted criminals from working in certain fields.

“In Illinois, for example, lawmakers have made 100 occupations newly available for those with a criminal background, such as jobs in real estate and accounting,” says Rob Wilson, President of Employco USA, a national employment-solutions firm. “With these legal stipulations out of the way, many employers are looking at such candidates in a new light.”

But, is it wise for employers to take such a risk?

“When it comes to criminal backgrounds, you really have to be judicious in considering what the offense was, how long ago the crime occurred, as well as what position you are hiring the candidate for,” says Wilson. “Clearly, hiring someone with a string of drug offenses to work in a pharmacy environment or veterinary clinic could be problematic, but alternately, a person in recovery could thrive in other positions such as customer service or data entry.”

Wilson says that there is no guarantees when hiring an employee, even those without a criminal background.

“It’s easy to assume that just because a person has a criminal background, they should be avoided or looked at suspiciously, but if the crimes were in the past and they have paid their debt to society, then it is possible to consider that these people may be excellent candidates for employment,” says Wilson. “Yet proceed with caution, we recommend all employers conduct a criminal background screen prior to hiring an employee – and, make sure you are well-versed in what the crime was and what that could mean for your company.”

For more on this topic, please contact Rob Wilson at rwilson@thewilsoncompanies.com.

New Study: Employees Won’t Commit to Companies Anymore…Unless They Offer Flexible Work Options

EmploycoUSA

Employment trends expert explains how to retain talent in a competitive market driven by agile employment demands 

FlexWorkAs the economy strengthens and jobs’ numbers improve, employees now have more options and bargaining power than in recent memory. However, a new Emerging Workforce® Study suggests that these new options are changing the way employees consider possible job opportunities, and in turn changing the way that employers attract and retain staff.

“The new research shows that the number of contingent workers has increased by 14 percent since 2017,” says Rob Wilson, employment trends expert and President of Employco USA, a national employment-solutions firm that is renowned for their impeccable service and forward-thinking practices. “Additionally, over 40 percent of employees say they will only work for a company which offers such freelance or work-from-home options.”

Known as “agile employment,” Wilson explains that employees are looking for more control over their work lives and they expect companies to adequately respect those needs and offer such opportunities.

Continue reading →