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Hiring people is tricky business. It involves a lot of trust and faith in whoever you decide to hire because you are asking someone whom you don't know into your business and your life. How will you know if they will do a good job? Will they steal, come to work drunk or only be able to do half of their job? Several businesses prescreen employees by making them undergo a series of tests to make sure the people they are hiring are truly who they say they are.
1. Drug and Alcohol Prescreening With a Drug and Alcohol testing device
New drug and alcohol testing devices are changing the way employers prescreen possible candidates for new positions. New alcohol and drug follicle hair testing devices are helping a variety of employers feel confident about who they are hiring. New technology developments are now available to test how long a potential employee has abused drugs or alcohol for up to 12 months! Previously, an employer may have had to rely on a urinalysis test, a much less sophisticated test to tell whether or not a potential candidate was a chronic abuser or not when the test only revealed a week's worth of data at most.
2. References, Interviews and Second Opinions
Having your candidates go through more than one interview and by several different people can give you and your organization a good feel for how a person will fit within your company. Everyone has biases and opinions based on first impressions and with a second or third person getting a feel for the candidate, there is more than just one person's opinion making the decision to allow this person to join the team of to refuse them. If three of you feel uneasy about hiring them, it is probably not a good sign.
3. 90 Day Introductory Period
Several companies already perform the 90 day introductory period for all recent hires as insurance, just in case the person doesn't work out. 90 days is a fairly long period of time to get a real feel for someone and see what their habits are, who they socialize with and what their performance is like before you commit to hiring them for the long haul. The introductory period can also be a good thing for the new hire in case the job is not a good fit for them as well. Like that old saying: "you are interviewing the employer just as much as you are being interviewed."
Depending on the job a person is applying for will determine how extensive their prescreening will be. An employer looking to hire a pilot, a surgeon or other highly skilled position will likely give a thorough investigation of a candidate's background including extensive drug and alcohol testing. Whereas a landscaper or furniture designer for example may not be handling physically crucial equipment as a driver or machinist. As an employer you have the right to refuse hiring anyone, thus protecting yourself and your customers.
