A Primer for Hiring - Selecting Employees Using Aggressive Screening Tactics

(Part 1 of the CompetiveEdge Series)

Desperate to fill those vacancies in this low unemployment rate market? This article cautions the unwary employer about filling those positions too fast without taking the time to conduct aggressive screening. The article will walk you through the nightmare employee who is hired with little or no background check completed. The focus of the article, however, is to provide practical steps an employer should take to avoid and minimize poor hiring decisions. The steps addressed in the article include using the right employment application, conducting effective interviews, checking references lawfully under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, using drug tests, and completing the appropriate paperwork under the Immigration Reform and Control Act. Selecting the right employee is crucial to the success of any company, and this article will provide a summary of effective steps an employer may take to enhance its hiring process.

This article appeared in the July/August 2001 issue of CompetitiveEdge Magazine.