Eliminating gender, racial and ethnically-based discrimination in the workplace is a key priority for the OFCCP. All federal contractors are required to implement certain processes while recruiting new employees to ensure they are making good faith efforts with outreach to racial minorities, individuals with disabilities, individuals of all genders, and veterans. Documentation is key to proving that these efforts are being made and can save contractors time and money in case of an audit. While weeding through the compliance requirements can make contractors want to pull their hair out, there are several things that they can do to make the documentation process easier.
Document from Day 1
Make a strong effort to document everything from the day that the first job is posted. Record where the job posting was listed, any referrals that come from employees, and be sure to send each candidate through the same online application so the process is fair and consistent for each applicant. Make sure that jobs are listed on job boards that are accessible to a diverse group of people. If they are not, either switch job boards or add additional job boards to continue the candidate search with integrity.
Be sure to offer every applicant a voluntary survey that documents race, ethnicity, veteran and disability status. The results of this survey will help employers know which outreach efforts work and which ones don’t. Results can also help companies to benchmark and make adjustments to improve the diversity in their applicant pools.
Disposition Fairly
Obviously as the hiring process moves along, the number of qualified applicants decreases as interviews, background checks and drug tests are performed. Disposition is a natural part of the hiring process, but it is important to document why the applicants were dispositioned. Did they lack appropriate experience? Did they fail a background check? Did they voluntarily withdraw from consideration? Be sure to document dispositions and stages of the hiring process and give an explicit reason for their dispositioning.
Consider Automation
Automating the hiring process with an Applicant Tracking System (ATS) could help companies in the event of an audit because an ATS can offer a detailed applicant log that can be provided at a moment’s notice. Make sure the ATS can record and provide survey responses, complete batching functions and allows hiring managers to record every step of their hiring process.
Arcoro offers an innovative Applicant Tracking System that allows hiring managers to track each step of their candidate search with ease, saving them time and their company money. Contact the Arcoro team today to learn more or to schedule a demo.
