DirectEmployers Blog
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What HR Compliance Requirements Apply to Federal Contractors?
Key Takeaways Federal contractors with contracts of $200,000 or more are covered by VEVRAA, and $20,000 or more by Section 503—both of which remain fully enforceable despite the January 2025 rescission of Executive Order 11246. Contractors with 50 or more employees...
When Hiring Algorithms Go Unmanaged: What the Stanford Algorithmic Hiring Study Means for HR Compliance
Key Takeaways A Stanford study of 3.4 million real job applicants found that more than 25% of applications from Black candidates and nearly 15% from Asian candidates were directed to positions that produced adverse impact under Title VII standards. That risk was not...
What Is a CBO? How Federal Contractors Can Turn Community Partnerships Into Talent Pipelines
Key Takeaways Community-based organizations (CBOs) are nonprofit workforce development partners that connect federal contractors to skilled, job-ready candidates from underrepresented communities—including protected veterans, individuals with disabilities, and more....
DEAMcon26 Day 3 Recap: Pay Equity, ChatGPT, Free Sourcing Tools, and a Closing That Left Nobody Comfortable Staying Still
Key Takeaways The final day of DEAMcon26 delivered a high-density roadmap for navigating the intersection of talent acquisition, AI, and federal compliance. Key highlights included Brian Fink’s demonstration of free Google Custom Search Engines to bypass expensive...
Leadership Shift at the OFCCP: Kenneth J. Wolfe Named Director
Key Takeaways The transition from Ashley Romanias to Kenneth J. Wolfe signals a significant moment of change for the OFCCP, marking the agency’s third director in just over a year. As a long-time public servant with over 23 years of experience at HHS and a current...
DEAMcon26 Day 2 Recap: The Stakes Got Higher, the Conversations Got Sharper
Key Takeaways DEAMcon26 Day 2 shifted from high-level vision to ground-level reality, delivering a stark warning on the rise of AI-enhanced candidate fraud and the legal dangers of "deliberate ignorance" in EEO compliance. Key takeaways highlighted the "AI sandwich"...
DEAMcon26 Day 1 Recap: 25 Years, One Room, and a Regulatory Landscape That Isn’t Waiting for Anyone
Key Takeaways Day 1 of DEAMcon26 kicked off DirectEmployers' 25th-anniversary celebration by navigating a high-stakes regulatory transition, highlighting a pivot from traditional OFCCP oversight to DOJ-led enforcement under the False Claims Act—underscored by the...
The Hiring System Isn’t Broken. It’s Outdated.
Key Takeaways The traditional hiring model is no longer broken—it is outdated. While employers struggle to fill roles, the core issue is not a lack of talent, but the reliance on legacy signals like degrees and job titles that fail to capture modern, non-linear skill...
DE Talk Unplugged: Reworking Recruitment: AI, a Frozen Job Market & the Human Edge
The recruitment landscape is shifting beneath our feet. While headlines point to low unemployment, those on the front lines of talent acquisition report that they are navigating a frozen job market where traditional tactics are no longer enough. In the latest episode...
Welcome PJ Rossi: DirectEmployers’ Newest Compliance Consultant!
Navigating the ever-evolving landscape of OFCCP compliance and EEO regulations requires a steady hand and a wealth of experience. Earlier this year we announced a partnership with Alicia Wallace, and now we are equally thrilled to announce that PJ Rossi has joined the...