Use of Big Data in Recruiting, Screening Could Spell Big Problems for Employers
By Andrew Crawford, Marketing –
Though many are letting big data guide their screening and hiring procedures, government agencies are now threatening legal action against companies who use it for these purposes.
Many companies use “big data” for a number of different things. For example, Amazon uses it to predict future purchases and determine where to put each advertisement for its users.
Wikipedia defines big data as “an all-encompassing term for any collection of data sets so large and complex that it becomes difficult to process using traditional data processing applications.” Sources of big data include the various social media platforms. While useful in many ways, the government is taking a stand against the use of big data in hiring procedures.
Legal Problems
Recently, the FCC and EEOC have been cracking down on the many uses of big data, stating that they might violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act and the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act.
Officials cite two big problems with using big data to predict future success in the workplace. First, employment-screening tactics using big data might have a disparate impact on members of a protected class. And second, employers who look at social media in the screening process might put themselves “in a vulnerable position” because social media offers “a plethora of information about protected statuses.”
An Alternative
A new way has surfaced to prepare employers to hire new applicants. EyeDetect™ is a lie detection technology that has the potential to change the way we hire, keep or fire employees in countries where such technology is allowed. It is an inexpensive, non-intrusive, easy-to-administer lie detection test. EyeDetect scans the subtle movements of the eye while examinees are asked true/false questions by a computer. This eliminates the subjective malfunctions of the standard polygraph test.
EyeDetect can be used in the pre-employment screening process as a way for employers to verify previous employment experience, past criminal activity, and better ascertain the value of the applicant to their company.
