How to Conduct Pre-Employment Screening Effectively

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How to Conduct Pre-Employment Screening Effectively

In today’s competitive job market, pre-employment screening is essential for both businesses and potential employees to ensure the best possible fit between the two parties. It can also protect employers from bad hires and liabilities. As an employer, you have a responsibility to make sure your new hires are of good character and are a beneficial addition to your team. To help you make more informed decisions when hiring we have broken down the stages on how to conduct pre-employment screening effectively.

How to Conduct Pre-Employment Screening Effectively

1. Determine the criteria

It is best to start by defining the specific criteria and requirements for the position you’re hiring for. You can then create a tailored process. Employers should carefully consider the job requirements, industry regulations, and company policies beforehand. Depending on the job role, the criteria may include background checks, drug tests, aptitude tests, credit checks, and reference checks.

Employers should also ensure their methods are legal and fair to avoid any discrimination or bias in the hiring process. This helps to identify qualified candidates who will contribute to the company’s success.

Ensure the candidates know the process and have provided their consent. It is best to inform them about how it will be conducted and how the information will be used. Obtaining consent is mandatory under data protection laws and Employers have an obligation to inform candidates of their rights and ensure that the candidates provide their informed consent before proceeding with the process. Failure to obtain proper consent may not only lead to legal repercussions but can also lead to a breach of trust between employers and their employees.

Servisource’s Check Your Candidate Service:

Check Your Candidate increases your company’s efficiency in the hiring process by conducting appropriate background screening & compliance checks on potential candidates.
Our services include:
• Detailed reference checks
• Qualification validation
• Employment history validation

Servisource’s team are here right when you need us. We have the right skills and knowledge to support you.

3. Application review

This is the time to check the candidate’s qualifications, work experience, education and relevant certifications. Application reviews can provide valuable insight into their background and work experience. By analysing their past work performance, employers can make informed decisions about whether or not the candidate will be a good fit for the role and the company culture. It is important to carefully analyse each application, looking for any inconsistencies that may indicate a lack of qualifications or questionable behavior.

Taking the time to review applications thoroughly can ultimately save employers time and money in the long run. By hiring the right person for the job, they can avoid the headache of a bad hire and set themselves up for success.

4. Conduct interviews

Interviews should be carried out with candidates who meet the requirements for the position to assess their communication skills, cultural fit and overall suitability for the role. This can’t always be judged by reviewing their CV or cover letter. By conducting interviews, employers can gain insights into a candidate’s soft skills, work style, and professionalism.

It can also help the candidate get a better understanding of the company culture, job responsibilities, and expectations. Interviews are an opportunity for candidates to showcase their personality, demonstrate their enthusiasm for the role, and make a good impression. It is important for employers to remain professional, unbiased, and create a comfortable environment for the candidate to open up and showcase their best self.

5. Background checks

Background checks can be conducted on shortlisted candidates to verify the accuracy of the information provided. These may include employment history verifications, education verification, criminal record checks, reference checks and any professional license verifications that may be needed.

The aim of these checks is to ensure that the candidate is trustworthy. It is important that laws are followed regarding privacy, data protection, discrimination and fair employment practices. Not only can it prevent costly lawsuits, but it also promotes fair and just hiring practices.

Did You Know?

According to Talent Board, 62% of employers say the top reason they use pre-hire assessments is to help hiring managers make better decisions.

How to Conduct Pre-Employment Screening Effectively

6. Skills and aptitude assessments

These assessments are performed depending on the nature of the role. They can include technical tests, cognitive ability tests, or problem-solving exercises. While they can vary in format and length, they all share the same goal of providing employers with a clear understanding of an applicant’s potential to succeed.

Through these tests, employers can assess an applicant’s abilities, including verbal and numerical reasoning, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Candidates who have undergone these tests have a better chance of landing the job they desire, and employers can be satisfied knowing they have selected the most qualified person for the position.

7. Documenting results

Records of the process should be documented. This should include the results of the background checks, reference checks and assessments. Employers need to ensure that they are keeping proper records and information in order to make informed hiring decisions. This then helps protect the employer in case of any legal disputes or concerns and can then be used to make informed hiring decisions.

In line with GDPR, processing of personal information for pre-employment checks are necessary in order to take steps at the request of the data subjects prior to entering a contract.

8. Communicate the results

Keeping the candidate informed about the progress of their application, this is all part of a positive candidate experience. It provides the candidate an opportunity to address any discrepancies or concerns that may arise. As an employer, it is crucial to communicate the results in a clear and concise manner.

Whether you are conducting background checks, drug tests, or skills assessments, it is important to provide timely feedback to job candidates and answer any questions they may have. This will create a positive candidate experience that can help attract top talent whilst boosting your company’s reputation.

Taking the time to do a comprehensive pre-employment check is an essential step in maintaining happy and healthy workplaces. By following these key steps employers can ensure that they are making the best hiring decisions possible for their companies and protecting themselves against potential liability. By investing time into understanding the applicant, employers can set themselves up for success and improve their chances of hiring high-quality employees that contribute to an effective work environment.

Do you require support in conducting Pre-Employment Screenings?

The Advantages of a Flexible Staffing Solution

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The Advantages of a Flexible Staffing Solution

A flexible staffing solution is a practice in which job vacancies are filled with temporary, part-time, or independent workers. It is a beneficial option for companies that are looking to remain agile and stay ahead of both their competitors and changes in their industry. This type of approach enables businesses to adapt quickly and efficiently to changes or fluctuations in demand without having to commit fully to hiring permanent staff. We explore the advantages of a flexible staffing solution and how they help Irish employers take advantage of a wider range of skill sets, keep down costs, and fulfill staff requirements efficiently.

Adaptability

Adaptability is especially important in unpredictable industries, where fluctuations in demand can cause sudden changes to staffing requirements. It provides a solution for businesses where they can quickly scale the workforce up or down in response to this. Reasons for these fluctuations may include seasonal busy periods, market conditions, project-based work, and current staff being absent on sick or maternity leave.

This allows businesses the chance to adapt to these variations ensuring efficient operations and customer satisfaction. Having a flexible and adaptable workforce ensures that employers can cope with changing trends, sudden surges in demand, or unanticipated customer needs.

Did You Know

Two-thirds of employers expect flexible staffing use to increase in their industry in the near future.

Office worker. The Advantages of a Flexible Staffing Solution

Costs and time savings

There is the opportunity to benefit from a significant savings on costs as employers aren’t locked into fixed contracts or commitments. Temporary or contract workers cost less than full-time employees. Costs associated with recruiting, hiring, and training new employees are saved so employers can free up resources to invest in other areas of their business and stay ahead of the competition, such as marketing strategies. This in turn reduces expenses in relation to benefits, healthcare, and other employee perks.

Flexible staffing solutions can be used to find qualified candidates quickly while ensuring productivity remains high. It is a valuable time saver for employers. It does this by reducing absenteeism through skilled temp staff who are ready to step in when needed. This decreases turnover rates and cuts down on the onboarding process for new employees.

Flexible Staffing Solutions at Servisource

• Our online timesheet management system allows us to recruit and place the right people quickly and efficiently, adapting to any hiring needs.
• We are focused on the development and retention of our people ensuring continuity of business, saving time and costs on the hiring process.
• Certified with the quality standards ISO and JCI. We provide you with staff with the right skills & knowledge while reducing onboarding and induction time.

Access to specialised skills

Access to a diverse pool of specialised personnel is gained. Depending on your needs, businesses can bring in temporary or contract workers with a specific skill set to address a range of different requirements. It ensures they have access to the right expertise when it’s needed the most. Employers access a range of available workers such as contractors, consultants, and freelancers. With flexible staffing, employers can build teams with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills, resulting in a more dynamic and innovative workplace. Employers can then ensure that they have the skills and expertise needed to take on any project or challenge that comes their way.

This also helps employers to make decisions and assess potential permanent employees. Businesses can evaluate flexible staff to assess how they fit into their company and their ability to contribute effectively to the organisation. It can therefore allow the company to expand through this trial period before taking on valuable, permanent staff if they wish.

Business and clerical workers

Employers become empowered through this staffing method and are able to respond quickly and cost-effectively to changing market trends. They can quickly adjust to available resources without having to consider the complex task of hiring full-time employees. It provides access to skilled talent with specialised expertise that would not otherwise be available. This gives companies strong, adaptable staff within a sufficient turnaround amount of time, while keeping down business expenses.

Looking for a flexible staffing solution?

How Personal Assistants Can Help Students’ Academic and Daily Living Skills

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Student and personal assistant

How Personal Assistants Can Help Students’ Academic and Daily Living Skills

For many students, balancing their academic and daily living responsibilities can be a challenge. Personal Assistants are becoming increasingly popular for those with special needs who may have academic difficulties and issues performing daily tasks. It allows them to find success both inside and outside of the classroom. There are many ways Personal Assistants can help students’ academic and daily living skills, which leads to a better life overall.

The Disability Office in Further and Higher Education Colleges assesses the requirements of each student and provides the necessary aid based on those needs. Not only do they help to improve their academic performance and daily living skills but they also help to develop their discipline, dedication, and self-confidence.

Academic Support

When it comes to providing effective academic support, colleges must ensure that all students are given equal opportunities to succeed. This includes those with disabilities who may require additional assistance to navigate the challenges of college life. With the right support, they can thrive academically and reach their full potential. Academic Support can be provided by working one on one with those in need of assistance in the form of:

How Personal Assistants Can Help Students' Academic and Daily Living Skills
Identifying strengths and weaknesses
How Personal Assistants Can Help Students' Academic and Daily Living Skills
Creating personalised study plans
How Personal Assistants Can Help Students' Academic and Daily Living Skills
Providing additional instructions

Identifying strengths and weaknesses: They can help with identifying their strengths and weaknesses by working closely together and tracking their progress. Students can then prioritise those areas that require more attention.

Creating personalised study plans: They can improve their study habits through advice and personalised study plans made for success. By tailoring study schedules to the unique needs of each student, they can help them maximise their academic potential while minimising stress.

Providing additional instructions: By supporting them through extra guidance and support, whether it’s breaking down complex assignments, providing a clearer understanding of concepts, or reviewing material before exams, it makes a significant difference in a student’s learning experience.

Servisource has the Right People to support students with their education and daily tasks.

Personal Assistance with Servisource

We can match the right people with the right skills and knowledge with each student every time, to assist with duties such as:
• Retrieving books
• Carrying bags
• Notetaking
• Navigating the campus
• Assisting with personal care

Servisource Education Support provides a range of qualified and experienced Educational Support Workers (ESWs) to support those with disabilities to have equal access and participation in Further and Higher Education Colleges. We provide Academic Personal Assistants (APA’s), Personal Assistants (PAs) and Note Takers (NTs) to individuals who have been allocated these supports by the Disability Office. Servisource has an understanding of their educational needs and is committed to delivering superior professional support nationwide.

Did You Know?

Figures from the National Access Plan show that 6% of students who accessed disability support in 2020/21 have a physical disability/mobility impairment.  
This demonstrates the importance of a personal assistance in the life of a student.

Daily Living Support

Those with disabilities may face unique challenges in their day-to-day routines. Fortunately, there is a range of daily living support services available on college campuses that can make their lives easier and more manageable. They can help by providing guidance and support in a number of different ways through:

Health and personal assistance
Health
How Personal Assistants Can Help Students' Academic and Daily Living Skills
Transport
Self care and personal assistance
Self-care

Health: As students embark on a busy journey of classes and extracurricular activities, maintaining a healthy and balanced diet can prove to be quite a challenge. That’s where Personal Assistants come in, by providing assistance with food shopping and meal planning. They offer invaluable support to those who may lack the time or knowledge to make healthier life choices.

Transport: It can also involve specialised transportation to campus. This is aimed at providing equal access to educational opportunities and making life easier for the student in general by helping them get to their lecture halls easily and without stress.

Self-care: Students often get caught up in schoolwork and extracurricular activities or may be unable to take care of personal and medical care because of a disability or illness. Special assistants can help with these needs and allow them to focus on their studies knowing that their well-being is taken care of.

How Personal Assistants Can Help Students' Academic and Daily Living Skills

Having this extra layer of support ensures that they are able to make the most out of their time. By offering short-term benefits, they provide more lasting life skills as well. Students will find themselves much better equipped to take on the challenges that lie ahead as it is an invaluable step towards lifelong success.

Want to know how our Education Support Services can assist you?

Ensuring a Diverse Pool of Candidates with a Staffing Agency

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Ensuring a Diverse Pool of Candidates with a Staffing Agency

Ensuring a Diverse Pool of Candidates with a Staffing Agency

Finding the right talent to fill valuable positions can be a challenge. It is important that staff consist of a variety of different types of people from a mix of backgrounds and experiences including those of different genders, income levels, ethnicities, faiths, and sexual orientations. Knowing what diversity means to you and ensuring a diverse pool of candidates with a staffing agency in order to create an effective outreach plan, is vital.

When you partner with one such as Servisource, we can bring our recruiting and sourcing expertise to help ensure your teams reflect diversity. There are many ways in which working with one for hiring purposes can help guarantee your business has access to all available talent pools.

Inclusive job descriptions

Women talking. Ensuring a Diverse Pool of Candidates with a Staffing Agency.

In order to welcome applicants from many different backgrounds, it is important to create inclusive job descriptions. Biased language must be avoided along with the exclusion of people because of their age, sex, race, ethnicity, social class, or physical or mental traits. Not only do job descriptors help define duties to potential workers, but they can also be used to demonstrate the values of an organization and promote inclusion in the workplace. It will allow businesses to open up access to new talent pools that may have been previously excluded or discouraged from applying.

Tips for creating inclusive job descriptions:

  • Use gender-neutral language in job descriptions and avoid over-masculine words such as: ambitious and dominate.
  • Use plain speech rather than corporate words, which may turn off international applicants.
  • Highlight flexible working hours and remote work opportunities which are benefits that may help disabled applicants apply. 
  • Use language and images that are culturally appropriate.
  • Don’t mention race or national origin anywhere in the job description. 

Reviewing CVs blindly

At hospitals and other businesses, the goal is to ensure that every patient or client receives the highest quality of service. To make sure this happens, it is essential to have a team of highly qualified and motivated professionals working together in unison without prejudice.

One way to ensure only the most suitable applicants are hired is by reviewing CVs ‘blindly’. This is where personally identifiable information such as: gender, ethnicity or background, is removed from a candidate’s CV prior to being reviewed by an employer, eliminating any potential biases from hiring decisions.

At Servisource, we ensure a fair and objective evaluation of all applicants which means they are chosen based on their skills and qualifications.

Some advantages of ‘blind’ CV reviewing are:

  • Ensures that the selection process is based on merit rather than on personal characteristics irrelevant to the job.
  • It widens the pool of potential applicants by increasing diversity and inclusivity.
  • It promotes equality and fairness within the workplace by reducing discrimination and unconscious bias.
  • Boosts company morale by allowing a a variety of people to work together in a welcoming environment.

It is best to not make assumptions about a candidate just by reviewing their CV. Certain software tools can eliminate potential biased views when hiring. There are many different software tools that are recommended for this. The way this works is by analysing employee resume data rather than using criteria such as the university someone attended and then identifying resumes of workers who fit that profile.

Did You Know?

The proportion of women working in Irish health has increased from 79 per cent in 2008 to 81 per cent in 2017.

It is important to have a large percentage of females working in the healthcare industry, especially for female health related issues.

Conducting diverse candidate outreach

To ensure you have the best talent who can deliver a culturally competent approach, establishing efficient strategies for reaching out to a range of workers should be at the top of the recruitment list. By actively seeking out new avenues for discovering potential employees, you will create a more varied group of applicants, while ensuring the job receives more attention.

At Servisource, we use an employee referral program which encourages current employees to refer qualified workers from different backgrounds, promoting a culture of inclusivity. When this technique is used as well as the below, they can achieve some very favourable results.

  • Use a variety of communication channels, such as social media platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to advertise the position. By targeting specific groups and demographics through online campaigns, companies can attract a wider range of qualified applicants.
  • Attend job fairs in order to meet potential applicants who would rather discuss the job in person. By networking at events that cater to underrepresented communities, it will allow for face-to-face interactions and help establish personal connections with potential employees.
  • Link in with professional associations who include diversity as their ethos and have similar views.

Diversity and Inclusion at Servisource

Servisource and CPL were awarded the first ever National Diversity & Inclusion Award – Company of the Year this year. Diversity is a huge aspect of our work culture through activities such as Be Proud Cafés, our awareness days, as well as our Be Proud Newsletters.

Ensuring a Diverse Pool of Candidates with a Staffing Agency

As employers continue to strive for more diversity through their hiring process, having access to a wide range of industry-specific talent and experience via an agency is becoming more attractive. Businesses that take advantage of these services often see an incredible return on investment due to the range of different employees and their unique set of talents.

There are numerous benefits to this and businesses should place their trust in experienced agencies who have skilled candidates, ready to work in the right place, at the right time.

Looking for a reputable staffing agency?