Hiring and Workers’ Comp Costs

Pre-Hire Tools & Testing

The opportunity to hire new workers can be an exciting time for any company, offering the potential to add someone with new skills or fill a vacated position.

It’s critical for companies to use pre-screening tools and pre-employment testing to identify potential candidate liabilities or a likelihood for workers’ compensations claims.

When screening applicants, employers are encouraged to perform:

• A work history check to verify references and employment history.
• A criminal record check — patterns of fraud or criminal activity could be a red flag.
• A credit check.
• A medical, alcohol or substance abuse test. Most of these screenings can be done only after a contingent job offer has been made.
• A workers’ compensation background check. This can only be done after a contingent job offer has been made and is not available in all states — check with your background screening company for availability or potential restrictions of such a check.

Other evaluations to consider include:

• Aptitude, personality or integrity tests. These can indicate a candidate’s fit within a company’s culture and can detect those who may be inclined to lie or cheat.
• Strength tests — while this is relatively new and not applicable to every job, this process can eliminate applicants who may be physically unable to perform necessary job duties.