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Testing

Don’t shy away from personality tests, but know the risks

06/01/2005
Issue: Personality tests are the first line of hiring defense at many organizations. Nearly 30 percent of employers use such tests.
Risk: A poorly designed test can open you up …

Quiz applicants on basic skills; don’t wait for national test

05/01/2005
Issue: Business and government leaders will unveil a new national job-readiness test next year that you can give entry-level applicants.
Benefit: Cut down on bad entry-level hires. Spot high-school grads …

Personality tests don’t trammel constitutional rights, but beware risks

04/01/2005
Many employers use personality tests to identify job-related characteristics, such as maturity or emotional stability. But these tests can carry legal risk when applied incorrectly.
If you use personality tests, …

Hair samples are a legitimate method of drug tests.

03/01/2005
A police department ordered one if its officers to provide a hair sample for a drug test after it suspected him of using cocaine. The test, which involved shaving a patch …

Keep applications clean; jotting notes may trigger hiring-bias claims

03/01/2005
Don’t track applicants’ race, sex, religion, age or national origin information on their applications or any other pre-offer documents unless you’re required to do so under certain affirmative-action laws. And if …

Cite Return-to-Work Tests in Drug/Alcohol Policy

03/01/2005

Q. One of our employees was recently in jail for traffic and drug violations. Before he returns to work, what guidelines can we follow to ensure that he’s drug-free? Will we be discriminating if we require a drug test before allowing him back on site, even though we didn’t require this test when he was hired? —M.Z., Washington

Use personality tests as tool, not stand-in, for hiring process

09/01/2004
Issue: When can (and should) you use personality testing to screen applicants? Benefit: More tests are available online, which makes them easier and cheaper …

Hire drivers? Start collecting more background info

06/01/2004
The U.S. Transportation Department has unveiled new rules that require employers to more closely review applicants’ professional driving safety records and drug-testing history. The rules also require you to make that …

Identify employees with substance-abuse problems

04/01/2004
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Smoke out users who try to beat your drug tests

04/01/2004
Issue: Cheap new products make it easier to thwart workplace drug tests. Risks: You could inadvertently be adding more substance abusers to the payroll. Action: Thwart drug-test cheaters with …