Recruiting: Illinois

Federal law and guidance on this subject should be reviewed together with this section.

Authors: Stuart R. Buttrick and Tareen Zafrullah, Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP

Summary

• Employers and job seekers may take advantage of hiring and recruitment resources provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. See Methods and Sources.
• A job application is a critical part of the recruiting process that may be used to obtain information about an individual's experience and expertise for a particular position. See Job Applications.
• Illinois antidiscrimination laws prohibit more types of discrimination than federal law, including discrimination based on marital status, unfavorable military discharge status and homelessness. See Illinois Antidiscrimination Laws.
• Although advertising and social media may be extremely helpful during the recruitment process, employers should take care not to demonstrate preference for, or take into account, protected characteristics when making hiring decisions. See Advertising and Social Media.
• Illinois employers may establish a preference policy in hiring military veterans or their relatives. See Veterans Preference Policies.
• Employers need to comply with Illinois child labor laws when recruiting minors, including provisions that regulate the hours and time of year a minor may work. See Recruiting Underage Workers.
• Employers need to correctly classify new hires as employees or independent contractors to comply with several Illinois employment laws, including minimum wage laws and unemployment insurance laws. See Independent Contractors.
• Localities including Aurora and Chicago have requirements pertaining to recruiting. See Local Requirements.