Are you considering making plans to automate your pre-employment screening process in 2017?
Somewhere in the no man’s land between an applicant tracking system and a paperless onboarding solution lie all the steps associated with pre-employment screening. Depending on your industry and the job role, this may include:
• Criminal background checks
• Credit checks
• Talent/aptitude tests
• Cognitive tests
• Personality surveys
• Physical exams
• Drug tests
• Skills tests specific to the job at hand
Most of these processes, or at least the documentation associated with them, can be automated and virtualized. The challenges to fully automating the workflow typically fall into a few different categories:
1. Integrating with multiple sources (since background checks, drug testing, and credit checks are typically not done in house)
2. Setting up online resources for applicant testing in-house (e.g., creating a portal for a cultural survey test to determine if applicants are a good fit for a given position)
3. Implementing a workflow to ensure each test result or report is sent to the appropriate parties for review
Fortunately, all of these obstacles can be overcome with the right tools and technology. Below you will find reasons to make plans to automate your pre-employment screening process in 2017.
Why Automate Pre-Employment Screening?
When screening and testing are automated, job candidates can be more effectively routed through the process. There are fewer opportunities for miscommunication, delays in making hiring choices, or poor decisions due to a lack of information. The simpler the pre-screening process, the easier it is to automate. For example, routing drug test and background check results into the same system used for applicant tracking ensures all the relevant information on a given candidate is kept in the same place.
Of course, the more complex the pre-screening steps are, the greater the benefit of streamlining and simplifying through automation. For example, filling a position such as forklift operator might include obtaining copies of certifications or licenses prior to making a hiring decision. In this case, images of these documents could be routed into the paperless onboarding system to become part of the new hire’s permanent records and flagged for review before expiration.
Get a Big Picture Perspective on Employment Documentation
It’s smart to begin looking at every part of the process, from job posting to applicant tracking, prescreening, onboarding, employment, and exit interviews as part of a continuum rather than as separate activities. This is true even if you need to integrate several solutions to create an end-to-end system. Automation across the continuum reduces errors, eliminates redundant work, helps increase compliance, and protects against unnecessary risks in hiring. If you have plans to automate your pre-employment screening process in 2017, learn more about how our team helps you automate and integrate for a paperless hiring and onboarding environment, contact us today. Take a tour of our services virtually, and you’ll immediately see the ways your processes can improve.
