Building a staff of good, long-lasting and safe employees all begins with the pre-employment process. Time spent on the front end can not only help us get the types of employees we want, but can also help us avoid the ones we don’t want. If you hire a terd, 6 months to a year later, you’re more than likely still going to have a terd.
As we discussed in last month’s Leadership meeting, the stages of the pre-employment process not only need to take place, but they should logically take place in a certain order to avoid wasted time or money. For instance, you wouldn’t want to send someone for a drug test (which costs money) before you received an application (which costs nothing) with no job history or references filled out. Below are the stages in the order they need to occur in with the associated costs:
Application – No investment of time or money – Gives you a chance to check for red flags, such as a lapse in employment or lack of references. Also, make sure that you get a copy of their driver’s license and social security card. They can’t work for us legally without this documentation.
Interview – 30 minutes to 1 hour of your time – Ask questions and simply listen: Tell me about yourself? Can you work out of town for extended periods of time? Can you pass a drug test? Would past employers recommend you? How’s your driving record? Do not ask about their age, marital status, religion, sexual orientation, race or health.
Check References – 30 minutes to 1 hour of your time – The last check before we start spending money on the candidate. Ask: Would you rehire this individual? Why or why not? Did this person work well with others and show up on time? Would you recommend this individual? If you receive the application by mail, you could check references before you interview them to save yourself time as well.
MVR – An average cost of $25 – Gives us a picture of driving history and is necessary to insure to drive our vehicles.
Drug Test – An average cost of $45 – We strive to be a drug-free workplace and this is also a requirement by our customers and insurance carrier.
By following these guidelines you will not only be utilizing your time more effectively, but also have the opportunity to save Edko from spending unnecessary money on candidates as well as streamline the hiring process. If you have any questions, email or call Sonia at sonia.havens@edkollc.com or 318-425-8671.