Video Interviewing and The Discrimination Question

Video Interviewing and The Discrimination QuestionWhen it comes to video interviewing, the discrimination question often looms large in the minds of employers. Companies might be afraid to try out video interviewing due to discrimination concerns. The truth is, these companies would be missing out on a great new hiring tool for no reason. According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), video interviewing is 100 percent compliant with all regulations.The best way to protect against discrimination, after all, is to be informed and vigilant. Here are some common questions and answers about how to spot discrimination in the hiring process and the compliance of video interviewsWhat is Hiring Discrimination?Clearly, discrimination can occur at all levels of a workers career. In the hiring process, discrimination often takes the form of decreased opportunities for certain individuals. For instance, if a candidate isnt considered for the position because of their race or rel igious background, this would be a clear case of hiring discrimination. Another example of hiring discrimination occurs when candidates arent considered for a job due to a disability which would have no impact on job performance.Asking discriminatory questions is another huge problem during the hiring process. Employers want to steer away from questioning aspects of a candidate which have no impact on job performance, like gender or religion. Discrimination can seem tricky, but essentially it occurs when employers are looking at attributes besides skills, qualifications and fit to bar a candidate from moving forward in the process.How Compliant is a Video Interview?Heres the good news an angeschlossen video interview is 100 percent compliant with all EEOC regulations. This means online job interviews can be performed without worrying about opening up the company to litigation worries.Using online video shortens the hiring process and makes it faster and more efficient, but it doesnt up the odds of discrimination in any considerable way. In both 2004 and 2010 the EEOC supported the use of online video as a non-discriminatory tool in the hiring process. This makes a lot of sense if you think critically about the role of online video interviews. Video interviewing is just a component of the overall hiring process. Your webcam and video platform cannot make decisions for your company- discriminatory or otherwise. Technology doesnt have opinions or biases, which is why online video is only as good as the people using it.How Can We Guard Against Hiring Discrimination?First and foremost, stop blaming your technology. Video resumes, one way video interviews and live video interviews do not hold discriminatory points of view. Your webcam doesnt care who is sitting on the other side of the computer monitor. To truly safeguard your company against discrimination concerns, you must first release the idea that technology is in some way impacting discrimination during hirin g.Once youve stopped playing the blame game, its time to take a good look at the menschengerecht side of the equation. After all technology doesnt discriminate, people do. To fix the discrimination problem, you need to look at the human elements of your hiring process. Has your staff been trained properly to spot discrimination and avoid discriminatory policies? Training your staff in hiring best practices is one easy way to avoid discrimination and find the best candidates for the job.Another way to avoid discrimination in the hiring process is to use a standard set of evaluating criteria. This is a good idea, not just for avoiding discrimination, but also for making the lives of hiring managers easier.Before you open up your webcam, ask yourself exactly what youre looking for from an ideal candidate for the position. Write down the skills, personality attributes, and qualifications you want this superstar employee to have. Now you have a wish list of evaluation criteria on which t o judge potential candidates. This will help you take better notes on each candidate and will make it easier to compare your applicants to decide who will be the best fit for the position.Avoiding discrimination is supremely important for employees, candidates, and even for the future of your company. Discriminatory attitudes could rob your company of a great potential employee with top notch ideas to share. If your company adheres to hiring best practices and focuses on the human element instead of blaming technology, youll be well on your way to avoiding discrimination pitfalls.Video interviewing can be a powerful tool for finding great candidates, but its just a tool. Make sure to invest time and energy into the people wielding this tool for the best and most fair results.What do you think? What are some ways your company can avoid discrimination in the hiring process? Share in the comments

Harvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybody

Harvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybodyHarvard psychiatrist identifies 5 skills to help you get along with anybodyEmpathy is the ability tounderstand how another person feels. According to new Harvard research inThe Empathy Effect,its a trait that can be taught and developed. Build empathy and youll be a more effective entrepreneur and leader.Author Helen Riess is a Harvard psychiatrist who has developed empathy training based on her research inneurobiology. Although her studies are done onhealth careprofessionals, the empathy traits shes identified can be used to make stronger connections between you and your employees, customers, or peers in any field.Here are the sevenskills you need to develop E.M.P.A.T.H.Y.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreE - Eye contactIn Western societies we say that the eyes are the window to the soul. Many cultures hav e a version of the same phrase. Making eye contact is among the very first human experiences, writes Riess.Riess recommends that you hold meetings face-to-face as much as possible. Itll help you plattl up on nonverbal nuances that a persons voice doesnt convey. Also, when meeting people for the first time, maintain eye contact until you notice a persons eye color. That extra beat telegraphs the notion that you truly see them.M - Muscles for facial expressionOur brains are wired to automatically mimic facial expressions. When someone smiles at you, you alfruchtwein always smile back. Its an automatic response. But youre also wired to tell the difference between a fake smile - just turning up the lips - and the Duchenne smile, a genuine smile of happiness. Muscles in the face rarely lie. Pay attention.P - PostureSit up tall. It suggests happiness or confidence. As a doctor, Riess conveys respect and authority by sitting down with patients, turning her body toward them, leaning forwa rd, and sitting at eye level.A - AffectAffect is the scientific term for emotion. Pay attention to a persons emotional state - is she sad, irritated, confused, or elated? Theres little chance of communicating effectively if you dont understand where someone is at emotionally. Once again, millions of years of development have wired our brains to be remarkably accurate at assessing emotions. Trust your gut - it really does know something your brain doesnt.T - Tone of voiceI learned a new yep in Riesss book prosody. Linguists use prosody to refer to your vocal pace, rhythm,and pitch. According to Riess, prosody infuses a layer of emotion to the spoken word that goes above and beyond the singular meaning of each word. That is,howyou say something telegraphs a wealth of content.In medicine, Riess is teaching health care providers to match the volume and pace as if they were having a conversation with a friend during a difficult time. Soothing tones result in better patient conversations and outcomes.H - Hearing the whole personEmpathetic listening means paying attention to another person, identifying her emotions, and responding with compassion and without judgment, writes Riess. For example, dont speak when youre in the red zone. When emotions are running high in an argument, take a step back. Dont interrupt. Dont match the other persons emotion by raising yours to the red zone. Youll find that the conversation will de-escalate quickly if you follow these rules.Y - Your responseEmotions are contagious. You might not realize that your emotional state is rubbing off on others. Through shared neural networks, your feelings about others may transmit very important information about how they are experiencing what you say and do, according to Riess. If youre angry or unsure of yourself, or fearful, those emotions will leave an impression on others and impact the quality of your communication. Pay attention to how you feel because its a signal of how people around you w ill feel.The actorAlan Alda, who played one of the most empathetic characters in television history- M.A.S.H.s Hawkeye Pierce - wrote the forward toThe Empathy Effect. Alda says hes been on a quest to improve communication. After he met Riess, Alda says he realized what he was really searching for was empathy. His big takeaway- empathy can be taught. Empathy, Alda says, is the fundamental thing that helps us to thrive.Empathy might be your ticket to connection and, ultimately, success.This article originally appeared on Thrive Global.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people