New Employees are the Fitness for Your Business
By Dan Stevens,
President of DDS Employee Screening Services
The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating for the United States and its businesses. There is no doubt that mandated closures have contributed to the extended financial hit that many of us have to endure. Unfortunately, the reality is that some businesses will not recover from this financial devastation. For those businesses, my heart breaks because I know how hard it is to start, build, and maintain a business after 41 years of doing so myself. That’s why, to kick off an article series we’re calling “Fitness for Your Business,” let’s discuss how businesses can incorporate new hiring practices following COVID-19, the pandemic that has placed so many of our businesses in precarious positions.
As hard as it is for some, I choose to see the positive side, and look towards the opportunities presented to businesses as they begin to reopen. I hope that this article series and my four-decades of expertise in the Employment Due Diligence field will help guide you to a bright neon light at the end of the tunnel, reading “WE’RE OPEN!”
Our strategic partnerships with businesses across the U.S. are customized to help discover applicants who meet company standards and screen out the people who do not meet your parameters of “acceptable.” We offer employers the candidates who will be valuable to the positive environment, productivity, and growth of your company.
As businesses across the country – and in Staten Island – are given the green light to reopen, now is the time to start talking about hiring the best people for your business.
This article series will explore specific hiring topics and issues that will act as a step-by-step foundation to come back stronger than ever. And it doesn’t matter if you have two employees or twenty-thousand: our information, techniques, and recommendations will help revitalize your business environment, culture and business growth.
Let’s start with this: Your employees represent you and your company and are the backbone of your business growth and success. Wouldn’t you want the best representation? If the answer is “yes,” then you must begin by determining what the parameters are for hiring someone.
Of course, you can usually get a decent idea of a person’s personality through a good interview (I’ll go over some good interviewing techniques in another session) and other traditional tools, but what about fact-based information to confirm their history and statements on their application and resume? Do we take their word on everything? Do you make a decision based on your gut (hopefully it’s not heartburn), or do we factually confirm? Do you have parameters regarding an employee’s criminality, or is any severity of a crime okay to represent you and to work closely with other employees?
These are just some questions you need to ask and answer before you get to the next step, which is having a compliant hiring policy. Many businesses falsely believe that only having a few employees exempts them from needing a good hiring policy. Believe me: if you get sued for anything having to do with hiring procedures, you are a loser even if you win! Don’t believe me? Ask an attorney.
I will be giving you a simple overview of topics you should include in your policy, so don’t worry about spending money you don’t have on something you may not have even thought about.
We will use this series as a method of getting your business in shape from the inside out, so you can make a great first impression again!