On NPR, Professor Minna Kotkin Discusses Job Candidate Screening in the #MeToo Era

Professor Minna Kotkin, an expert on issues of employment discrimination and sexual harassment, spoke with National Public Radio about more stringent hiring procedures companies are implementing in light of the #MeToo movement.

In a June 21 segment airing on NPR’s “Marketplace,” Kotkin explained the importance of proper candidate vetting and the challenges companies face in getting information from a candidate’s former employer. Sexual harassment in the workplace has long been an issue, but in the #MeToo era, companies have been paying more attention to candidate screening in an effort to avoid potential problems and liability.

“Any background search needs to sort rumor from reality,” said Kotkin. “The challenge is sometimes getting former employers to open up—they’re not in the habit of divulging much. They’re concerned about defamation, so generally most companies will only give dates of employment. So it requires the company that’s hiring to do some digging.”

Kotkin is the director of the Law School’s Employment Law Clinic and teaches New York Civil Practice. She has written and lectured extensively on issues of employment discrimination and clinical legal education.

Listen to the Marketplace segment here.