Job Descriptions:

How to Write Effective Job Descriptions
by Lisa S. Kumar-Misir (Hronline.com)
“A critical step in staffing any vacancy within an organization lies in the creation or revision of the written job description. Job descriptions are just as critical for existing positions that have no written job description associated with them. If your business strategy includes a needed position that has no job description written, then you would be wise to create one. I say written job description because unwritten job descriptions do not count. Many employers have said they have job descriptions but later reveal that the position exists within the heads of their managers and/or themselves.“
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Interviewing:

Kurt Einstein's 20 Most Revealing Interview Questions and Answers
“There are always more job candidates than there are jobs, so it's a lot easier to eliminate unsuitable candidates than to attempt to find the one perfect applicant. An interview is a kind of ritual duel, where the interviewer is continually thrusting and probing for information, hoping to draw blood, while the candidate is parrying, trying to stay alive. Every question is a potential trap, where saying either too much or too little can be fatal. Kurt Einstein's comments apply to the interviewer. Harvey Mackay's are advice for the interviewee. ”

Illegal Interview Questions (USA Today)
“Various federal, state, and local laws regulate the questions a prospective employer can ask you. An employer's questions — on the job application, in the interview, or during the testing process — must be related to the job for which you are applying. For the employer, the focus must be: "What do I need to know to decide whether or not this person can perform the functions of this job?"
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Background Checks:

Workforce: HR Tips & Trends

Background Checks Help You Hire the Right People
By Maureen Smith (CareerJournal.com)
“Hiring good employees is critical to the success of any organization. Studies have shown that organizations that gather in-depth information on candidates tend to hire better employees. By using reference checks and background investigations, employers can increase their candidate information and improve their hiring results. “
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Personality Assessment Tools:
In addition to checking references, personality assessment tests and tools might give a better idea on the fit of an employee to an organization. Here are some resources that are useful.

Fitability – Online assessment system helps employers evaluate candidates.

Hiresuccess – This service provides a comprehensive report with the type of personality which helps evaluate fit of candidate to a particular type of position.

Other assessment tools
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Skills Assessment Tools:

Brainbench - Provides a multitude of skills assessments tests for both hard and soft skills

Qwiz – Another online service that provides access to several tests.
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References:

Checking References: Hard to get .. But Worth it (Hrzone.com)
“Reference checking is an important part of the selection process and should be performed very carefully keeping in mind the needs of the organization. This article gives an overview of what HRZone thinks about reference checking and its legal pitfalls.”

Checking References (US Navy)
Useful Template with important questions
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Legal Links

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Federal Employment Law: