The BLS Employment Situation Summary continues to paint an anemic economic picture.
Economists continue to talk about a “jobless recovery,” with many employers focusing on productivity gains, as opposed to hiring, to manage any increases in business.
What’s the upside?
Well, if your company isn’t focused on hiring right now, it may be the perfect time for you to review and improve your employment screening process. Doing so could help you:
- increase compliance;
- reduce theft, fraud and accidents;
- prepare you to make even better hires when the time comes.
As experts in employment screening, Wood Personnel recommends taking the following steps to reduce the potential for negligent hiring and discrimination:
Consult with your attorney. If you hire on your own, you should have your legal counsel review your screening process to ensure you’re complying with all current legislation and hiring regulations.
Be consistent. Your screening process should be the same for all candidates within comparable job descriptions. If you do a background check on one manager, you should also conduct the same background check with candidates for all similar positions. In addition to preventing anyone from “slipping through the cracks,” a uniform process helps minimize your exposure to litigation.
Use social media carefully. Social media has made access to candidate information fast, easy and free. But if you intend to use this publicly available information to screen candidates, make sure that you obtain written permission and follow all EEOC and FCRA provisions.
Formalize and document your process. If you don’t already have one in place, now is the time to standardize, formalize and document your background screening policies and procedures. Creating a formal policy makes screening more effective, efficient and consistent. Furthermore, should a problem arise, your ability to show that you applied fair, consistent and documented screening processes will limit your legal exposure.
Reduce your risks and make better quality hires with Wood Personnel.
Hiring top talent – honest, hardworking individuals who do what they claim they can do – is critical to your organization’s continued success. Wood Personnel’s Direct Hire Services can help ensure that success. Here are just a few of the benefits our comprehensive, accurate screening process provides:
- transfer employment screening risks such as discrimination and negligent hiring;
- create a safer work environment;
- build a more productive workforce;
- save time and eliminate process bottlenecks employment screening creates;
- hire the best talent available – pre-screened, reference-checked, skills-verified and ready to perform for you.
Work with Wood Personnel and your hiring decisions can be made with confidence – guaranteed. Our natural resource is people!
