A pre-enrollment drug test for job applicants can be a gamechanger for recruiters. A simple drug test can unveil the habits, lifestyle, and several other factors associated with a candidate’s health. It helps recruiters determine whether a candidate has taken drugs orally or injected them into the bloodstream.
Some employers tend to skip this process while hiring but conduct a drug test on the first day of work. However, incorporating it in the initial stages of recruitment can save a lot of time and effort for recruiters.
How does a drug test for job applicants help recruiters?
As a recruiter, you want to hire healthy employees with no prior history of consuming banned substances like drugs. Making drug and alcohol testing for employment mandatory will ensure that you hire employees who care for their health.
A sample of saliva, urine, or hair strands is asked from potential employees for the drug test. Candidates need to test negative to clear the drug test and qualify for the job.
Suppose you omit the drug screening test for employment from the hiring rounds. In that case, you can make it mandatory for employees before providing them with a permanent job or a higher position. It is proven that people who consume drugs and alcohol frequently have lower decision-making capacity.
It is because of the side effects that these banned substances have on the brain and psyche. Some other ways and instances to conduct a drug test for job confirmation include:
1. Random Drug Testing
Through advertisements or job posts, you may disclose that candidates will have to undergo a drug screening test to get employment in your firm. However, this will alarm individuals who consume drugs or alcohol regularly. As a result, they might refrain from consuming them for a few weeks or months. This will lower or eliminate the chances of them testing positive for the drug test.
Therefore, you should ideally conduct random drug testing of all your employees. It will enable you to check the competency of your employees irrespective of their position, work experience, and job roles.
2. Post Accident Drug Screen Process
Accidents are bound to happen in every workplace. However, as an employer or recruiter, you must check whether the employee was under the influence of any banned drugs or alcohol during the accident. If an employee tests positive during a post-accident drug screening test, you may not provide health insurance coverage or compensation to them.
The post-accident screening tests should be ideally organized within 12 hours of the accident. It will ensure that the test results are accurate because some medicines administered to recover from a medical condition or injury might contain these drugs.
3. Periodic Testing
Period testing can be one of the ways to ensure that your employees are healthy and drug-free while serving your company. It could be a monthly, quarterly, or bi-annual drug test per your requirements and the organization’s size.
Most Common Drug Test for Employment
The most common drug test for employment includes the following:
1. Testing Saliva – Taking an oral swab of your employees will help you determine whether they consume marijuana, opiates, cocaine, and other drugs. It is an efficient drug test for job applicants as the results can be secured within a couple of hours.
2. Testing Hair Follicles – Conducting a drug test for job applicants using their hair follicles is perhaps one of the best ways. This way, you can check for the drug consumption history of employees for up to 90 days. Only a few hair follicles are obtained and preserved under lab conditions to complete the testing process.
3. Urine Test – By collecting the urine samples of your employees, you can check whether they consume alcohol, opiates, amphetamines, cocaine, and other banned drugs. It is an effective testing method because it analyzes the usage even if an employee has stopped or reduced the consumption of drugs or alcohol.
Organizing a drug test for employment is an excellent way to ensure maximum productivity and lower absenteeism. Also, you need to set up testing facilities and ask employees to schedule an appointment with the doctor. The whole process can take a long time and reduce productivity during the testing period.
However, it has more benefits than limitations. It helps to provide a safe working environment and also reduces employee liability to some extent. Therefore, a drug test for job hiring should be an integral part of your recruitment process.
