Staffing Agencies Drug Test New Hires
Employers are increasingly turning to staffing agencies to drug test applicants and weed out users before they even see them.
It's no secret that drug use and abuse is on the rise in our country, which has many businesses struggling to find and hire new employees who are able to pass a drug test. This dilemma has sparked a growing trend among businesses, both big and small, as they turn to staffing agencies with strict and consistent drug testing policies in place as a way to obtain new employees.
A recent survey from Staffing Talk was presented to employment agencies across the country in an attempt to determine hiring and drug testing trends. An impressive 45% of the staffing companies surveyed reported that drug tests were conducted on any and all candidates seeking to be placed in a position with one of their clients. Of those surveyed, 95% said that the positions applied for have no impact on the decision to drug test a candidate. The duration of employment does not impact hiring agencies either. 92% of those surveyed claim to conduct the same drug tests as part of their established hiring procedures regardless of temp, part time or full time positions.
West Virginia employers look to staffing agencies for help
One state noticing a distinct increase in the trend of using hiring agencies is West Virginia, where drug use is continuing to climb at alarming rates. WV holds the number one spot for the most drug overdose deaths in the nation. As a result, businesses are presented with the rather difficult task of attempting to hire new employees who are drug free and able to pass urine drug tests, which is prompting many to turn to hiring agencies like Manpower's West Virginia division for help.
Manpower and other hiring agencies, are fast becoming the go-to source to fill employment needs as they are up-to-date on drug testing methods, implement a drug testing policy that is consistent regardless of the position type and duration of assignment and most importantly, they are working to be a step ahead of applicants who try to pull a fast one by attempting to beat a test.
Drug Testing Systems for New Hires
Each hiring agency has their own protocol when it comes to how new hires are interviewed, what type of drug tests are used and any type of background screening that will be performed. One thing is for certain, though; applicants interested in going through the hiring process and obtaining a position with any of their clients will be required to take and pass a drug test in order to advance to the next stage.
President of Manpower's West Virginia division, Diane Stong-Treister, gives an example of how her staffing agency's process. She says, "First off, we do interviews and test people on a daily basis for large companies and small companies across the state and I haven't seen a big difference because people know the companies we hire for will ask for drug tests for references and background checks."
An Unbeatable System
Most applicants walk in the door of a staffing agency aware of the probability of being tested for drugs before an official position can be offered. However, that doesn't mean that some candidates don't try to beat the system, which has led some agencies to one up the would-be cheaters with hair drug tests. These hair tests are becoming a common replacement for urine, since they're harder to beat, go back longer, and yield twice the rate of positives.
Manpower is well versed in the great lengths some applicants will go to in an attempt to skirt the system, so switching to an alternate drug testing method seemed like an effective way to nip that situation in the bud as Stong-Treister explained, "They will ask to use the restroom and we will say go ahead and they will ask to do their urine test and they find out we do the swab first then they will so 'oh I forgot something in my car' and we won't see them again," she continued.
It is not uncommon for an applicant to fail a pre-employment drug test. Applicants who fail a drug test are not eligible for hire. However, some employment agencies, including Manpower, do grant applicants two additional opportunities to submit to a drug test. If the test is passed, they will then begin the process of locating a position within a local company and aiding the applicants through the remainder of the hiring process.
Many people who have used drugs in the past, and wish to get clean and get a job, get tested privately, prior to even heading to an employment agency, to make sure that they're system is clean.
