2001 Annual Starting Salary Survey Results covering Southern California. Office worker starting salaries. Administrative support position starting salaries.

Thomas Staffing 16th Annual Survey

2001 Survey > Pre-employment Screening

 

 

Editor's Note: This year's research focuses on the issues connected with pre-employment screening procedures. Respondents were asked a series of questions regarding pre-employment screening procedures. The following summarizes what was learned regarding respondent's perceptions and usage of pre-employment screens.

Survey Conclusions

  • Respondents are aware of pre-employment screening procedures and utilize them to evaluate prospective applicants.
    • Reference checks and criminal record checks are the most commonly utilized pre-employment screen.
    • Drug testing is often seen as the most useful type of pre-employment screening procedure.
    • Nearly all of the respondents say they currently employ reference checking to evaluate potential employees.
    • Many feel pre-employment screening procedures allow them to research information about prospective employees and helps them select well qualified personnel.
    • Additionally, only a few say pre-employment screens limit employee candidate pools and that these screen procedures do not affect their organization's ability to attract and retain quality, long-term employees.

Graph - Pre-employment Screens Utilized

  • Reference checking and background checks are the most commonly used pre-employment screening procedures.

Note: To begin this discussion, respondents were asked on an unaided basis, meaning the respondents were not prompted with any possible responses leaving them to answer freely, what pre-employment screens their company utilizes. Since respondents were allowed to answer with open-ended responses, respondents use the term background checks, experts may conclude that respondents are referring to criminal record checks.

    • On unaided basis many respondents say their companies use reference checks and background checks to evaluate prospective employees.
    • Respondents reveal that many companies utilize drug screens.
    • A smaller percentage of respondents say their companies use physical examinations and DMV checks.
  • Drug testing is considered the most useful type of pre-employment screening.

Note: Respondents were then asked to rate the effectiveness of each employment screen currently being used at their company. When rating the effectivenesss, respondents were asked to guage the effectiveness of the information gained and its impact on selecting the right employee for the job. They were asked to use a scale of one to five, where five means the information gained is extremely useful and one means the information gained is not at all useful.

    • Criminal record checking and reference checking comprise the second tier of pre-employment screen effectiveness.
    • The third tier of pre-employment screen effectiveness includes DMV check, social security verification, verification of education and physical examination.
    • Respondents in the transportation, automotive, construction and wholesale trade industries are more likely to praise the effectiveness of drug testing.
    • Respondents in the medical, high tech and aerospace industries are more likely to say that criminal record checks and verification of education are highly effective.

Graph - Effectiveness of Pre-employment Screening

  • Many respondents say reference checking and DMV checks are currently in use, and most say they do not currently or plan to use investigative consumer reporting as a pre-employment screen.

Note: After asking the respondents to reveal the pre-employment screens they utilize, we read respondents a list of more screens and they were asked to identify which screens they currently use, which they used in the past, which screens they do not currently use but plan to use in the future, and finally, which screens they do not use nor have plans to use in the future.

    • Results indicate that when prompted, a higher percentage of respondents indicate they use reference checks as a pre-employment screening procedure indicating a high usage of this tool among human resource professionals.
    • DMV checking, social security verification, verification of education, drug testing and criminal record checking comprise the second tier of pre-employment screens.
    • The third tier of pre-employment screening usage includes physical examination, character/personality profiling and consumer credit reporting.
    • Investigative consumer profiling is used the least.
    • Drug testing and criminal record checks are mentioned most often as the two pre-employment screens that respondents say they have plans to implement in the future.
    • Medical, high tech and aerospace industries place the greatest emphasis on reference checking and verification of education.
    • Respondents in the transportation and automotive industry are more likely to suggest they utilize drug testing and criminal record checks.

Graph - Current and Expected Usage of Available Pre-employment Screens

  • Many companies use pre-employment screens to research information about potential employees.

Note: After respondents revealed what pre-employment screens they use within their company, and discussing their current and expected usage of a variety of commonly used pre-employment screens, respondents were asked to indicate what benefits pre-employment screens provide.

    • Many respondents feel pre-employment screens help them to select qualified candidates.
    • Preventing problems and risks as well as saving time during the hiring process are also benefits respondents hold in high regard.
    • Respondents in the transportation and automotive industry are more likely to say pre-employment screens help prevent problems and risks.
    • Smaller companies are more likly to praise the ability of pre-employment screens to prevent problems and reduce hiring risks.

Graph - Benefits of Pre-employment Screens

Graph - Most Effective Pre-employment Screen

  • Almost 80% of respondents feel that their pre-employment screens are effective in attracting long-term, high-quality employees.

Graph - Effectiveness of Pre-employment Screens in Attracting Long-Term, High-Quality Employees

  • Most respondents feel pre-employment screens provide an acceptable return on investment and long term retention.
    • Very few respondents feel pre-employment screens limit their company's ability to attract the best and most productive employees.
    • Many respondents who feel pre-employment screens do not limit their firm's ability to attract the best and most productive employees feel these screens help hire good employees and do not eliminate good candidates.

Graph - Acceptable Return on Investment

Graph - Effect of Pre-employment Screens on Company's Ability to Attract Employees

Graph - Effect of Pre-employment Screens on Applicant Pool

  • Most respondents have not encountered prospective employees who withdrew from the application process because of a pre-employment screen.

Graph - Refusal to Continue Hiring Process Due to Pre-employment Screens

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Quick Links to Tables & Graphs

Screening Utilized

Effectivenss of Screens

Current and Future Usage

Benefits of Screening

Most Effective Screen

Return on Investment

Effect on Attracting Employees

Effect on Applicant Pool

Applicants Refusing Screens

 

Hot Jobs with PGA

Drug testing is considered the most useful type of pre-employment screening.

 


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Prior Year's
Survey

 

Anticipated Hiring

 

Southern California Jobs

 

Los Angeles County Jobs

 

Orange County Jobs

 

San Diego County Jobs

 

San Bernardino County Jobs

 

Riverside County Jobs

 

Nearly all of the respondents say they currently employ reference checking to evaluate potential employees.

Prior Survey Results on Issues Facing Employers

Alternative Work Schedules

Sexual Harassment

Violence in the Workplace

Employee Retention

 

County Unemployment Rates

Los Angeles County

Orange County

Riverside County

San Bernardino County

San Diego County

Santa Barbara County

Ventura County

Kern County

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