So far, our series of posts on the hiring process has covered writing good job descriptions, finding innovative ways to identify candidates, screening applicants and interviewing prospective employees.
Now that you’ve chosen a final candidate and preparing to make an offer, it is important to consider conducting background screening and a drug test. HR Anew President & CEO Deborah Stallings said that this is critically important for small businesses.
“For many small businesses this is a step that is skipped, and it is very, very important. Making a bad hiring decision can be much more costly for a small business than a large corporation. It is important to protect yourself, and get as much information on a candidate before extending an offer of employment to them,” she said.
There are several free resources, as well as paid services that can be used to conduct background checks. A simple Google search of a candidate’s name can bring up additional information about a candidate.
Drug testing is also something employers should consider.
“Drug testing is something a lot of small businesses do not conduct and a lot of candidates know this and they seek out employment with small businesses for that reason,” Stallings said. According to the U.S. Department of Labor alcoholism and drug abuse have a profoundly negative affect on the workplace in terms of decreased productivity and increased accidents, absenteeism, turnover and medical costs.
It is important to protect yourself and your business and to evaluate your potential new employee before extending an offer to them. Here are some resources for conducting background checks and drug testing, from the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing.
