Pre-employment screening: A decade of change

An actively expanding economy, coupled with the current labor shortage has led many businesses to make snap judgments when hiring employees. However, in light of the litigious society of today, businesses, especially small businesses, can ill afford a hiring mistake. A mismatch can mean paying thous...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American business review 1999-06, Vol.17 (2), p.75
Main Authors: Philbrick, Jane H, Bart, Barbara D, Hass, Marcia E
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Americans with Disabilities Act 1990-US
Background checks
Drug testing
Employees
Employers
Employment
Employment interviews
Hiring
Job performance
Labor shortages
Liability
Litigation
Methods
Personality
Personnel selection
Preemployment screening
Studies
Success
Validity
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Summary:An actively expanding economy, coupled with the current labor shortage has led many businesses to make snap judgments when hiring employees. However, in light of the litigious society of today, businesses, especially small businesses, can ill afford a hiring mistake. A mismatch can mean paying thousands of dollars in medical and worker's compensation claims related to illegal drug use, or it can mean untold losses due to employee theft or lawsuits. Therefore, it behooves businesses to be on the offensive during the employee selection process. On the other hand, especially during times of labor shortages, employers must be aware of negative reactions of applicants to certain screening tools. It is suggested that employers be sensitive to the perceptions of fairness that applicants may have and that employers should be prepared to respond to them. Employers seeking persons to fill high level or skill specific positions may want to extend their screening process to include competency testing.
ISSN:0743-2348