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Insure This By Bill Velin, Wells Fargo


Hiring the Right People is Crucial


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ne of the critical issues facing employers today is the hiring of the “right person” for each and every job. Employers have a huge interest in meas- ures that can and will improve the over- all profit margin of the company. The proper screening and hiring of new employees can result in reduced work- place injuries, decreased lost workdays, and decreased workers compensation costs, making a very positive impact on the bottom line.


The most effective means to control the costs associated with workplace injuries is to eliminate the risk of injuries ever occurring. Safety education and training for all workers, written safety pro- cedures, the elimination of identified hazards, and management and supervi- sory support for safe work practices are all critical to eliminating injuries. However, a worker who is placed in a job he or she cannot physically perform safe- ly is at high risk for injury, and neither education nor safety policies will decrease this risk!


Only an effective functional pre- employment screening program will help to reduce or eliminate it. This includes proper background checks before an employee is hired.


Right Person, Right Job An effective screening program consists


of testing to determine whether a job applicant can perform the functions of the job he or she is being hired for. Putting the right person in the right job is what pre-employment screening is all about. When workers’ physical abilities match the physical requirements of the job, employee morale, job satisfaction, and productivity are likely to be high. Most importantly, safety isn’t compro- mised because of a mis-match of the workers abilities and the job. And nowhere is this more important than in the automotive recycling industry.


18 Automotive Recycling | November-December 2015


Because the intent of an effective pre- hire screening is to determine whether the individual can perform the job that has been offered, it follows that the screening must test the essential func- tions of the job in question; that is, test those functions that are “fundamental, basic, and necessary” to the job. This involves performing a functional job analysis, which includes the following: 1. Identifying the essential functions of the job, ie. the reason the job exists. 2. Identifying necessary equipment/ tools used on the job.


3. Determining work-site measure- ments, such as the forces, distances, weights, etc., involved in the job. 4. Determining critical demands, i.e.: the physical attributes of the job. These steps will ensure that the screen- ing is an objective, accurate, and fair rep- resentation of the job, identifying what the worker must do on the job, develop- ing a test or screen to determine whether the candidate can do the job, and put- ting all candidates through the screening as a condition of hire. This establishes a fair selection process as required by law.


Right Person, Right Performance Once you have determined the physi-


cal requirements of a job, you need to set up some work assessments and physical fitness/agility tests. These tests measure only the candidates performance and are not considered a medical exam. It can be conducted either pre- or post-offer (we recommend pre-offer) and on an indi- vidual basis. If you want a physician to do a medical exam to determine the candi- dates physical ability to do the job, that must be done post-offer by law! Should you decide to administer fitness tests, you should first require the poten- tial employee to sign a waiver before doing the testing. And it is important to remember that your fitness/agility test must always be job-related and consistent


with the requirements of the job being offered. Many employers are confused about what they can ask a prospective employee and when. The easiest expla- nation is, employers cannot ask questions that are likely to elicit information about a disability during the screening, but they can ask an applicant about his or her abil- ity to perform the job and about work history.


Right Person, Right Screening Once you have a candidate that you are


confident can perform the requirements of the job, you can and should round out your pre-employment process by includ- ing drug and alcohol testing, criminal background checks, and, of course, motor vehicle records checks if the job requires the new employee to drive com- pany vehicles as part of the job. Keep in mind that the Fair Credit Reporting Act has impacted the ability of your insurance agent and carrier to order Motor Vehicle records at any time during the hiring process. So you will have to have either the candidates bring in their own motor vehicle records when they come in for the initial interview, or, if you prefer not to ask a candidate for his or her driving records, you can order them yourself. Your insurance professional can give you information on websites for this information, or on private firms that han- dle pre-employment screening for you at reasonable fees.


It is proven that functional screening of potential employees decreases injuries, workers comp costs, and new employee turnover, as well as increases productivity, and morale for workers. This is well worth the effort required to set up the process and will pay for itself many times over! 


For more information on how Wells Fargo In- surance Services can benefit your business, contact Bill Velin at 800-328-6311, ext. 3039, direct 952-830-3039, or by e-mail bill.velin @wellsfargo.com.


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