Virgin feeling blue as older applicants win discrimination case
An Australian budget airline set up by Sir Richard Branson has been found guilty of discriminating against older women when recruiting flight attendants. Eight women, aged 36 to 56, successfully sued Virgin Blue, claiming that the interview process was like a “cattle yard”. Virgin Blue denied discrimination. The airline is likely to appeal.
Rapid recruitment benefits
Companies with superior recruitment practices outperform those with less effective programmes, according to a study of 150 large US firms. The report by consulting firm Watson Wyatt says organisations that fill jobs quickly, hire first-choice candidates and use employee referrals provide a better return on investment. The survey says that companies filling positions within two weeks provide total return to shareholders of 59%, compared with 11% of companies taking at least seven weeks.
Overseas views a world apart
Companies and employees differ widely in their views towards overseas assignments. Research by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Cranfield School of Management found organisations focus too much on the financial package on the way out to assignment, while individuals place more emphasis on the financial package on return from assignment when they are looking to ‘cash in’ on their experience and expect recognition for achievements and newly acquired skills.
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HR’s worldwide influence
Good communication and interaction between HR departments across the globe will enable multinational corporations to share knowledge and help achieve best practice, a new report by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development concludes. International HR Networks in Multinational Companies uses case studies to examine HR networking in multinational corporations.
