Fingerprinting | A Guide To Quality (Not Just Quantity) Hires Pt. 1

Fingerprinting | A Guide To Quality (Not Just Quantity) Hires Pt. 1

Fingerprinting | A Guide To Quality (Not Just Quantity) Hires Pt. 1

 

Fingerprinting | As unemployment rates decrease to their lowest number in years, employers face a new challenge managing their workforce.

According to the HireRight’s 2016 Benchmark Report, respondents report that finding qualified job candidates and keeping good employees are the top investment categories they plan to focus on.

Now that the job market is more candidate-centric, employees are more likely to switch jobs in pursuit of a better work environment, benefits package, salary, or opportunity.

Employers are recognizing the increase in employee turnover and are looking for ways to not only find qualified workers, but to retain them too. [ Tweet this!]

Hiring, onboarding, and training a new employee can be a costly prospect for an employer, making it worthwhile to try and keep an employee who is familiar with the job and the organization.

How to Attract Qualified Candidates:

1. Start with clear and understandable job descriptions

Outlining specific experience points, qualities, and expected work ethic will allow you to attract the type of employee you want for the job.

Also, consider livening up the job description and include other bonuses of working for your organization, such as the great team they’ll work with or the casual dress code.

2. Use your current employee network

Many good employees are often found and recruited by reference of a current employee.

Most people will only recommend someone they believe will be a good worker, since a bad hire might tarnish their personal or professional reputation. [ Tweet this!]

3. Reevaluate the hiring process

Is it too long or complicated?

Many candidates don’t want to waste their time and will often take another opportunity if it presents itself before you can even get them past the initial stages of vetting.

You might try group interviewing to speed up the process, and at minimum, make sure your candidate is aware of what to expect with respect to your entire evaluation process. [ Tweet this!]

 4. Make the interviewing process a two-way street

Encouraging candidates to ask questions during the interview may give the insight into what is really important to that person.

It may also give them a glimpse into what it’s really like to work for your organization.

5. Improve your company brand

People want to work for a company that is well known or has a good reputation. -HireRight

 

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Fingerprinting | U.S. Drug Test Positivity Rates for Workers at a 10-Year High

Fingerprinting | U.S. Drug Test Positivity Rates for Workers at a 10-Year High

Fingerprinting | U.S. Drug Test Positivity Rates for Workers at a 10-Year High

Fingerprinting |  According to Quest Diagnostics’ recent Drug Testing IndexTM report, the percentage of employees in the U.S. workforce testing positive for drugs has increased over the last three years to a 10-year high of 4.0% in urine specimens.

Key Findings include:

  • The positivity rate for urine increased to four percent, a relative change of 2.6 percent over the positivity rate in 2014 (4.0% vs. 3.9%). This rate reflects a relative increase of 14% over the 10-year low of 3.5% in 2010 and 2011.
  • Of particular concern is that post-accident urine drug testing positivity increased 6.2% in 2015 compared to 2014 (6.9% vs. 6.5%) and increased 30% since 2011 (5.3%). Particularly noteworthy is that post-accident positivity for the safety-sensitive workforce rose 22% during a five-year time period (2.8% in 2015 vs. 2.3% in 2011).
  • Oral-fluid positivity rates increased 47% over the last three years to 9.1% in 2015 from 6.7% in 2013. In 2015, there was a 25% relative increase in marijuana detection compared to 2014 (7.5% vs. 6.0%).
  • Not surprising is that the highest positivity rate for drug detection testing methods was hair testing at 10.3% in 2015, a seven percent increase over 2014 (9.6%). Hair testing can show repetitive drug use for as far back as 90 days, while urine detects recent drug use, usually in one to three days. Oral fluid detects recent drug use in the previous 24-48 hours.
  • Almost half (45%) of workers with a positive drug test for any substance in 2015 showed evidence of marijuana.
  • Amphetamine positivity increased 44 percent and marijuana positivity increased 26% since 2011. Oxycodone positivity rates have declined annually since 2011, which confirms that opioid prescriptions have declined since 2012.
  • Heroin positivity increased 146% between 2011 and 2015 for the general U.S. workforce.
  • For federally-mandated safety-sensitive employees, heroin positivity increased a relative 4.5% since 2014 and a relative 84% since 2011. In addition, positive rates for amphetamines increased 7% year-over-year (0.58% in 2015 vs. 0.54% in 2014).

The results above are derived from analysis of more than 9.5 million urine, 900,000 oral fluid and 200,000 hair laboratory-based tests performed by Quest Diagnostics in 2015.

The Quest Diagnostics Drug Testing Index (DTI) examines test results from three categories of workers:  federally mandated, safety-sensitive workers; the general workforce; and the combined U.S. workforce.

The strength of the Drug Testing Index analysis includes its large, national sample size, longitudinal monitoring, and a testing population that is generally a good representative sampling of the total composition of the U.S. workforce.

Conclusions

These findings unfortunately provide a sound reason to increase your drug-testing efforts and to continue to enforce a drug-free workplace policy.

Build a testing program that meets your needs and clearly identify which roles require testing in your pre-employment documentation and drug testing policy.

Evaluate urine, oral fluid, and hair testing methods to determine which best meets your needs.

To decide among methods, consider cost, whether testing can be done on-site, and the length of the detection window.

For pre-employment screening, hair testing offers up to 90 days of visibility.

The one-week window of urine or oral fluid testing is appropriate for same-day ongoing screening. -HireRight

 

 

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Fingerprinting | The Shift in U.S. Immigration Pt. 2

Fingerprinting | The Shift in U.S. Immigration Pt. 2

Fingerprinting | The Shift in U.S. Immigration Pt. 2

Fingerprinting | It’s a Wide, Wide World – The Case for Experienced Global Screening Services

More and more companies are logically turning to global screening programs, but it’s important that they be deliberate when choosing a background check solution that offers such extended resources. The playing field is not level and there are numerous elements that should be considered.

Beyond the obvious requirement to select a background check firm that has local reach in multiple countries; top-tier background check services may offer personnel who speak the local language. That’s not as much a “given” as one might assume. A native speaker can quicken the process as well as help to avoid perilous miscommunications due to linguistic variations. Just as in the English language, there are nuances in most languages that may come to bear when conducting a background check. For example, “turnover” in American business may be understood as the rate employees are replaced; in France, the same word may be used in the context of the amount of money a business makes. A native-speaker can distinguish between nuances and have make better sense of the vernacular, local idioms and figures of speech.

One may also want to take into account that countries may have multiple languages and dialects spoken within their borders. In China, dialects of the Chinese language include not only Mandarin but also Wu, Gan, Xiang, Min, Hakka, Jin, Huizhou, Pingua, and Yue. India officially recognizes 23 different languages. Consider the linguistic obstacles that may be encountered when verifying the background of an individual who attended and worked in two or more regions of India where different languages are spoken.

Finally, remember that a background check verified overseas may add time to the candidacy process. Hiring Managers as well as candidates should be apprised that verifications in countries outside of the U.S. may take longer for reasons including the operational challenges of soliciting data from the various in-country sources, and the fact that some countries may not place as much importance on these verifications or the need to respond at the same pace as the United States. Being aware in advance of such realities can save companies a great deal of aggravation.

And the same goes for their candidates; the last thing a company spending copious amounts of time and money seeking to attract highly-specialized personnel wants to do is alienate candidates because they didn’t keep the candidate informed of their background check status, particularly if a background check may take additional time. It may behoove organizations to provide information such as authoritative FAQs and videos that explain the background check process, how to best prepare, and help increase the comfort level for those candidates who have background history or previous employment or education from overseas.

Conclusion

The shift in immigration patterns coupled with changing demands for candidates with specific skills which may draw qualified applicants from outside of the U.S. offers American businesses a new and serious consideration in running their background check program. The flow of immigrants seeking U.S. jobs is expected to continue: mobility levels are predicted to grow by 50% by 2020.  Applying best practices – such as those highlighted above – when initiating, extending or revamping an organization’s screening process may help provide better hires. -Hire Right

 

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Fingerprinting | Legal Marijuana: New Challenge  Pt. 2

Fingerprinting | Legal Marijuana: New Challenge Pt. 2

Fingerprinting | Legal Marijuana: New Challenge  Pt. 2

 

Fingerprinting | As a best practice, a company’s policy on marijuana use should first and foremost follow the legal requirements of the state and relevant federal regulation (if applicable) and, if there are none, reflect the responsibilities and expectations of the job, as well as the company’s risk threshold.

Taking into account your talent pool and talent acquisition efforts.

Regardless of job requirements, employers must also contend with the pressing talent shortage, which may be exacerbated by the expanding map of marijuana legalization and changes in the way society views its use.

The New York Times recently uncovered unsurprisingly that some employers who screen for marijuana – including in states where it’s still illegal – are, indeed, struggling to fill jobs because of the pervasiveness of marijuana use.

This is true of the ski industry in Colorado, for example, where employers are finding that if they do have policies against marijuana and screen for it, they find it challenging to recruit candidates into new positions and retain employees that can pass a drug test.

It’s a delicate balance, especially in safety-conscious industries.

Fully realizing your company’s own risk threshold as well as benchmarking against what your competitors or other companies in your geographic proximity are doing – as you’ll vie with them for talent – is also important when building your policy addressing marijuana use.

Further complicating the matter is the delicate dance employers and candidates engage in ahead of a hiring.

If a candidate realizes halfway through the process that there’s a drug screen that he or she isn’t going to pass, they will likely stop the prospective employer throughout the interview and evaluation process.

This is why developing a clear marijuana policy – whichever way an employer may land on the issue – that can be communicated early in the candidate screening and onboarding process is critical, saving time and money in a competitive search for talent.

Balancing impact on culture and best practices.

Consider the variations in marijuana screening policies between a Silicon Valley start-up or a graphic design firm versus a law or accounting firm.

There are some industries and jobs where prohibiting and screening for marijuana usage may not be needed or be a fit for the organization.

There are some for whom it’s not only critical but may also be legally required.

Either way, an organization’s culture will undoubtedly be impacted.

As Peter Drucker said, ‘culture eats strategy for breakfast.’ Culture should be considered when developing and introducing marijuana-related policies.

As a best practice, policies should fit with company DNA, protect the company and workersand consider the aforementioned federal, state, and industry regulations.

This decision warrants consultation with an employment attorney and HR leaders, but also should involve deliberation at the executive level – the gatekeepers of company culture.

Marijuana in the workplace is a complex issue, and one that will only require more attention as states continue to legislate on this issue.

It is one that business leaders – and job seekers – should be considering now, as its impact has already arrived.

The talent shortage may be one of the most surprising and unintended consequences of marijuana legalization, but the others are no less challenging.

Smart business leaders will take time to consider a policy now in an effort to avoid litigation and liability later. -HireRight

 

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Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | Has a recruiter ever excitedly told you that after rejecting all the job hoppers they’ve found a ‘purple squirrel’ on gardening leave?

Maybe they’ve suggested a Stay interview or Job Shadowing your current CXO level employees before attempting to poach from your competitors?

Before you think they’ve joined Alice and the Mad Hatter in Wonderland, or that they may need a referral to a good therapist, check out these typical recruitment terms and their meanings below:

Types of Recruiters

  1. Head Hunter – A recruiter who focuses on searching for qualified personnel for typically senior roles, sometimes referred to as executive search, usually by approaching those who may not be actively looking for a new job.
  2. Niche Recruiter – Refers to a recruiter who operates solely within a specific field. Also often referred to as Boutique Recruiters.
  3. Generalist Recruiter – This is a recruiter who offers their services across multiple fields or disciplines.
  4. Independent Recruiter – A recruiter who works on their own (as opposed to being employed by an agency) offering their recruitment services to clients either on a contingent basis or at anhourly rate.

Candidates

  1. Purple Squirrel – Purple squirrel is a term used by employment recruiters to describe a job candidate with precisely the right education, experience, and qualifications that perfectly fits a job’s multifaceted requirements. The implication is that the perfect candidate is as rare as a real-life purple squirrel.
  2. Active Candidate – Refers to someone who is actively looking for a new position. They’ve registered with a recruitment agency; they have automatic feeds coming in from job boards; and they’re definitely keen to hear about new opportunities.
  3. Passive Candidate – This is someone who is happy in their current role. They are certainly not on the lookout for a new opportunity, but if they are tapped on the shoulder, they may be open to meet for a coffee. Passive candidates represent a huge, largely untapped pool of qualified workers who may fit the needs of your company perfectly. In order to reach them, adjust your hiring strategy to identify their points of concern and sell them not just on a job, but on an opportunity.
  4. Applicant Pool – Some people use the phrase ‘applicant pool’ to describe the group of candidates who have actually applied for a position. Others see it more as the group of potential candidates ‘out there’ who might be available or interested a certain role.
  5. Job Hopper – A reference to someone who doesn’t stay at one job for a long time.
  6. Transferrable Skills – Refer to a candidate’s skills that are able to be utilized in a variety of industries or across a number of different types of jobs.

Types of Interviews

  1. Assessment Centre – Entire half day programs specifically designed around a particular function (eg sales or customer service) where all candidates perform in role plays and participate in group exercises. Most commonly used for volume hiring campaigns.
  2. Group Interview – Similar to an assessment centre, designed around volume hiring needs when interviews are conducted in a group rather than individually.
  3. Prescreen/Screening Interview – An initial conversation, usually over the phone (or perhaps avideo interview) conducted to ascertain whether a candidate is worthy of being invited in for a face-to-face interview.
  4. Unstructured Interview – This refers to an interview where the interviewer does not follow a formal list of behavioural or competency based questions.
  5. Stay Interview – An interview conducted with an employee who currently works at an organization to work out what motivates them and why they enjoy working there. Contrast this with an exit interview.
  6. Behavioural Based Interview – An interview conducted in a manner to find out how a candidate behaves in a particular situation – typically involving a series of questions asking a candidate to discuss past experiences.
  7. Case Interview – An interview conducted where candidates are given a business case scenario to review to then present on.
  8. Open Job Interview – A few companies are starting to adopt this method whereby any applicants interested in applying for a role can attend interviews conducted at a range of times that work for them.
  9. Panel Interview – Where one candidate is interviewed by a number of people – for example a member of the HR team, a line manager, and perhaps a senior manager. -RecruitLoop 

 

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Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | The Non-Recruiters Guide To Hiring Terms

Fingerprinting | Types of Positions

  1. Maternity Leave Cover – When an employee leaves an organization for a period of time to have a baby. In some countries their job is guaranteed to them when they get back. Maternity leave contracts are understood to only be for a relatively short period of time.
  2. Internship – This is usually an unpaid position for someone seeking to gain relevant work experience. Some internships are paid but the rate is usually lower than standard.
  3. Executive Search – Executive recruitment usually relates to jobs over $100K and some way up the management ladder.
  4. C-level Jobs – Based on positions such as ‘CEO, CIO, and CTO’, C-level jobs are top level jobs denoting management of a particular aspect of the company. Sometimes also referred to as CXO or C-Suite roles.
  5. Entry Level Job – A job that does not require experience, usually aimed at candidates straight out of college.
  6. Job Shadowing – When an employee (or perhaps even a recruiter) spends time with another employee in a similar or higher position to that being advertised in order to learn more about the role.
  7. Lateral Job Transfer – An opportunity to move into another position within the organization with the same level of responsibility or pay but typically in a different department.
  8. Returnship – This is a term for an internship specifically designed for professionals looking to return after a period of time out of the workforce.

    Job Lingo

    1. Compensation/Salary – This refers to the amount of money (not including benefits) the employee will receive in return for the work done in a specific role.
    2. Benefits – These are the non-cash incentives that are provided over and above the salary. For example, cars, fuel allowance, gym membership, a car spot, flexible hours, or lunch from the canteen every day. Also known as ‘Perks’.
    3. Work-Life Balance – Assuming this can be achieved, it refers to the ratio of time spent at work to time spent outside of work. Employees like to think an organization will provide them with work life balance.
    4. OTE – On Target Earnings. Most commonly seen in sales-related positions, this is the estimated amount an employee will receive assuming they meet all their targets and therefore qualify for all their commissions.
    5. DOE – Depending On Experience. A reference to when a salary is dependent on the amount of experience a candidate has.
    6. Piece Rate – This refers to when an employee is paid purely based on the amount of pieces or actual items they produce.
    7. Comp time or Time In Lieu – Rather than paying overtime, a company may offer comp time or time in lieu, meaning an employee does not have to come in to work for the duration of the hours they have worked overtime.
    8. Employee Assistance Program – This is a program implemented by an organization to provide benefits to its employees. -RecruitLoop

 

 

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