When hiring new employees, it’s vital employers create and follow a standard protocol to protect their company and ensure a safe, smart hire every time. Employment screening doesn’t have to be a burden; with an employee screening checklist, you can ensure you’re following your procedures with every individual who represents your company and enforcing safety standards in your office. Consider the following procedures when creating your hiring process.
Background screening
Typically, background screening is conducted as part of the pre-employment process so employers can verify they are hiring a safe and reliable applicant who will abide by company policies. For certain safety-sensitive positions, this is a requirement, and the services that must be performed can vary depending on the government agency. Background screening laws can also vary by state. For example, the “Ban the Box” law is enforced by just 10 states and requires employers to remove the box that appears on job applications requesting you to add a checkmark if you’ve ever been convicted of a crime, incarcerated or sometimes even arrested.
Your background screening services should be customized to meet your industry needs with items such as criminal history checks (federal, state and county), civil searches (federal and county), Social Security number validity check, employment verification, education verification and more. For DOTregulated employers, it may also be important to screen for I-9 and e-verify checks, state driving records, motor vehicle records, DOT testing history and more. Additionally, when making a hiring decision, all businesses (large and small) must abide by the rules of the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).
Drug and alcohol testing
With the ever-changing legalization of marijuana laws varying by state and the growing opioid epidemic, it’s vital employers implement a drug and alcohol testing program. This prevents employers from hiring someone who might be a risk and liability in their workplace, especially those in safety-sensitive positions.
Most drug and alcohol pre-employment programs require a urinalysis or hair test, but depending on the industry, some companies are required to implement a much more specific and stringent testing program based on government agency requirements. Drug and alcohol testing procedures can include urine, hair, oral fluid and evidential breath alcohol testing, and aren’t limited to pre-employment; many companies also implement random testing policies to continue to deter employees from using drugs. The following drug testing methods may or may not be required for your company’s industry or positions: pre-employment, random, post-accident/reasonable suspicion, and return to duty (RTD).
Medical and personality testing
Depending on the industry, some positions require medical testing to ensure the employee is physically fit and able to complete the job requirements, such as firefighters, pilots, police officers, truck drivers, etc. Physical exams could require a vision test, a hearing test, blood pressure/pulse rate, urinalysis and a physical exam (heart, vascular, lungs and chest, mouth and throat, ears, neurological, etc.).
A newer trend in the hiring process is personality testing, which assesses the individual’s personality, cognitive abilities, skills, work ethic and other traits. During the hiring process, some companies administer personality testing to see if that employee will make a good fit in their working environment. One of the more common personality tests is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. If choosing to administer one of these tests, it’s important to understand and address the Americans with Disabilities Act before doing so and to properly accommodate those with disabilities according to the law.
On-boarding process
Now that you have hired them, you’ll want to create an on-boarding process to make your employees feel prepared for their first day at work. When they start a new position, it’s important to have an on-boarding process to help your employees be successful and to smoothly integrate them into their new workplace.
For more information or concerns regarding employment screening, visit www.disa.com, email sales@disa.com or call (800) 752-6432.