{"id":1640,"date":"2016-08-18T15:52:11","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T22:52:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/?p=1640"},"modified":"2017-03-06T15:06:53","modified_gmt":"2017-03-06T23:06:53","slug":"drug-test-before-hiring","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/drug-test-before-hiring\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find the Right Job Candidate Using Drug Tests and More"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Did you know that the value of drug tests for employees and potential employees is much more controversial now than when it was enacted by law in the 1980s?<\/h4>\n<\/blockquote>\n

As we all know, one of the most pervasive drugs, marijuana, has since been legalized in limited amounts of possession or for medicinal purposes and otherwise decriminalized. And while there still may be many fallacies about the effectiveness of drug tests, drug testing can reveal particular qualities, or lack thereof, in an employee or applicant. Some of these revelations\u2014outside of drug use\u2014relate to character qualities that many employers covet. These discoveries about a potential employee\u2019s habits can help to supplement or supplant those that can only be revealed after they are hired.<\/p>\n

As always, an employer needs to be knowledgeable about both the pitfalls and the advantages that arise from drug testing before processing other indicators that determine whether a person is the right candidate for the job.\u00a0Only when the limitations and advantages of implementing drug tests are understood by the hiring manager can all deductions about a candidate\u2019s worth as an employee be adequately and efficiently assessed.<\/p>\n

Drug Testing Pros<\/h2>\n

A drug test comes in a variety of methodologies. The most common are drug tests that test a potential (or current) employee\u2019s blood, urine, or saliva. In more extreme testing, hair can be used, but this highly uncommon.<\/p>\n

Buy Pre-Employment Drug Tests<\/a><\/p>\n

Because results can be deciphered and delivered in a much shorter period of time than with other methods, saliva tests are the most popular among employers. Often completed in just a day or a few days at most, these saliva drug tests do not require:
\n\u2022 Extensive privacy protocols to be followed
\n\u2022 The use of needles or other expensive tools
\n\u2022 The hiring of specially trained staff or medical specialists<\/p>\n

Saliva tests are, therefore, the most cost efficient of drug testing methods, which only adds to their popularity and appeal in the workplace.\u00a0One of the immediate advantages to using drug tests is its potential for screening job candidates. Companies, enterprises, and institutions can deter regular drug users from completing, or in some cases even beginning, the hiring process by openly requiring drug tests. A saliva drug test produces an instantaneous form of screening that other methods simply cannot match. Other methods can take up to and in excess of \"saliva30 days in many cases, proving tedious and cumbersome for many employers looking to make quick hiring decisions.<\/p>\n

If a potential employee is dodging a drug test or trying to sidestep the set procedures, it usually indicates that the employee is not being up front about their drug usage. This might reveal to the employer a lack of integrity on the applicant\u2019s part, not to mention an unwillingness to dedicate his or herself to the work involved. Some employers, on the other hand, will tell applicants they wish to conduct a drug test, but are open to discussing an applicant\u2019s history with drugs before requiring the test. Honesty and integrity on the employee\u2019s part will often be discernible when such a discussion is offered in an unintimidating manner.\u00a0The other immediate advantage to performing drug tests involves perceptions, particularly about the employer. Their implementation often implies an orderly, safety-conscious, alert, and attentive work environment. Many potential workers and current employees are impressed with such a good image of their employer; a conscientious worker would have no less. In other words, it is good PR for the employer. An additional perk to the employer is that performing drug tests attracts applicants who convey the same perceptions of themselves as those demonstrated by the company \u2013 honesty and transparency.<\/p>\n

Though there are some ways in which the subjects of drug testing can mask or obscure their use of drugs (to be addressed later in this article), when employers are presented with positive results from drug tests, they are given the advantage of being able to avoid hiring employees who may be using drugs regularly and could possibly threaten the safety of the workplace, especially if they are required to operate dangerous or high-functioning equipment (e.g., forklifts, pallet drivers, meat slicers, crushing devices, or sharp instruments).<\/p>\n

Can Someone Still Slip Through a Drug Test?<\/h3>\n

\"employeeDespite the fact that\u00a0\u00a0not every drug user is likely going to be detected through a company\u2019s drug testing procedures, employers effectively lessen the chances of accidents negatively impacting their insurance policies by eliminating some of those potential employees who pose a threat as an accident risk due to drug use. Not only do employers save themselves from potential legal damages sought out by the employee using drugs, but also by those around that employee who are also injured from the accident.<\/p>\n

Over a longer term, and mostly in relation to insurance, an employer can reap financial rewards for conducting drug tests. These rewards can include:<\/p>\n

–Drug abuse is estimated to cost in the tens of millions of dollars, according to labor and accident insurance statistics. Additionally, up to 50 percent or more of on-job injuries are attributed to drug or alcohol abuse.<\/p>\n

–When drug abusers do show up for work, they are 33 percent less productive than other workers.<\/p>\n

–Because substance abusers are 3.5 times more likely to be involved in a workplace accident, insurance companies lower accident rates and insurance for vehicular equipment if drug testing protocols are in place.<\/p>\n

–Health insurance policies for employees are often lowered if drug testing is in place, mostly due to statistics showing that substance abusers incur 300 percent higher medical costs than non-abusers.<\/p>\n

–For employers requiring drug tests, accident claims can be denied on the part of the injured employee if it is proven that the employee was not drug-free during the incident.<\/p>\n

Also over time, statistics show that employers lessen their chances of loss due to fraud and theft when denying employment to those who fail drug tests. Statistics have shown that disciplinary actions of this sort are up to 90 percent higher among drug abusers.<\/p>\n

In general, drug tests are beneficial tools for employers to find the right candidate for the job, as they weed out (pardon the pun) drug abusers who might threaten the safety, customer service, and efficiency of the workplace.<\/p>\n

Drug Testing Cons<\/h3>\n

Are there any? Sadly, the answer is yes. One of the major faults of drug tests involves those employees who are conscientious, drug-free, and dedicated while at work, despite their casual use of drugs on days off from work. It becomes perplexing to the interviewing manager when a candidate\u2019s resume, credentials, references, and interviewing session all appear flawless, but then he or she learns that the \u201chigh-hopes applicant\u201d has failed the drug test.\u00a0Furthermore, since more than half of Americans admit to having tried marijuana, a large pool of talented employees is being dismissed every day because of the use of drug tests. A lot has changed in the world of casual drug use since the Reagan administration passed the law on drug testing nearly 30 years ago.\u00a0Unfortunately, the reality is that drug testing is by no means a foolproof way of keeping the work floor completely free of drug abusers, as many job seekers find a way to dodge the test or mask their results. Some, especially with non-addictive drugs such as marijuana, simply quit using the drug a few days before the drug test or interview. And some simply find counter-substances to hide evidence of targeted drug particles in their metabolic cells.<\/p>\n

More recently, another dissuader for employers debating on whether to use drug tests is the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration\u2019s (OSHA) stance on employers using post-accident drug testing. OSHA now prohibits employers from using drug tests or the threat of such as a form of adverse action against employees, according to a 2015 report in the Washington Post.\u00a0While it is unclear what will happen to employers who enforce post-accident drug testing that OSHA deems unreasonable, many experts maintain that OSHA will try to cite and fine employers who use such tests, according to the report. An OSHA official was cited in the report as saying it will \u201clook carefully at every allegation.\u201d\u00a0Because of renewed examination poking holes in the verity of drug testing since the peak of the war against drugs in the \u201890s, fewer and fewer employers are instituting drug tests. From 1996 to 2004, the American Management Association reported a drop in employer drug testing\u2014from 81 to 62 percent.<\/p>\n

In light of this drop in popularity in regards to drug tests, those choosing not to test must devise other means of assuring themselves that their decision to hire or not hire proves to be a valid one.
\n\"Image<\/p>\n

Assimilating the Qualities of the Right Employee<\/h3>\n

So, how do all the pros and cons of drug testing work together to help you find just the right candidate for employment? As with anything else, balance is key, and the results of drug testing must be assimilated in relation to all the other factors an employer considers before hiring. Since\u00a0drug tests can indicate particular characteristics about a potential hire, they are not 100 percent foolproof in this regard. It is a game of odds in which for every drug abuser detected, an employer lessens the chances of the following occurrences:<\/p>\n

–An accident wreaking havoc on the workplace or the employer\u2019s insurance policy.<\/p>\n

–Unfit workers who because of their inability to focus or perform in an efficient manner cost the company or institution not only money, but also a larger customer base.<\/p>\n

–Dishonest workers who are likely to commit fraud or theft that leads to financial loss for the employer.<\/p>\n

–A poor perception emitted of the employer\u2019s concern for safety, efficiency, and overall professionalism of the workplace, which could result in fewer well-qualified applicants.<\/p>\n

How a candidate handles the discussion of drugs in an interview is an effective measure of his or her value as a potential employee. A candidate who admits to casual use might ask the employer about his or her willingness to hire if the candidate proposes to use utmost discretion when using a drug such as marijuana. The candidate might also point to references or credentials that were gained during the candidate\u2019s recreational use of the drug on non-work days. The level of acceptance in regards to this kind of honesty is obviously up the employer\u2019s discretion.\u00a0An experienced hiring manager can detect the traits of a candidate who will prove to be a good hire, in most cases. Even traits that seem self-evident during an interview are not proof of how the supposedly right candidate performs when the rubber hits the road, so to speak.<\/p>\n

So, whether it is a pass or fail on the drug tests rendered or the veracity of character indicators during the interview, all factors about a candidate must be aggregated to make the right choice\u2014to hire or not to hire \u2013 which is always an employer\u2019s million-dollar question.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Did you know that the value of drug tests for employees and potential employees is much more controversial now than when it was enacted by law in the 1980s? As we all know, one of the most pervasive drugs, marijuana, has since been legalized in limited amounts of possession or for medicinal purposes and otherwise […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":905,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wl_entities_gutenberg":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[290,180],"tags":[321,302,320,24],"wl_entity_type":[397],"class_list":["post-1640","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-drug-testing","category-drug-testing-in-the-workplace-drugalcohol-insight","tag-drug-test-employee","tag-human-resources","tag-pre-employment-drug-test","tag-random-drug-testing-in-the-workplace","wl_entity_type-article"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_wl_alt_label":[],"wl:entity_url":"http:\/\/data.wordlift.io\/wl0186\/post\/how_to_find_the_right_job_candidate_using_drug_tests_and_more","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1640"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1640\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/905"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1640"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1640"},{"taxonomy":"wl_entity_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drugtestsinbulk.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wl_entity_type?post=1640"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}