Scared by the prospect of being threatened by law suits for not performing due diligence in hiring processes, more firms are adding applicant screening processes to the hiring process.

 

There are a number of employment screening processes that a firm can choose from including background screening checks and social security background checks. In fact, deciding between the screening processes as well as the vendors to perform it can be tough.

 

There are three main types of employment screenings that companies can opt for: non-scientific screening, knowledge/ skill testing and scientific screening.

 

Non-scientific screening is the most basic of form of pre employment screening. It is essential used by firms to prune down the volume of applicant's for a single job.  The applicant screening just covers the basics of background checks.

 

An advantage of this type of screening is that it is most often an automated process. That means once a system is configured for it, it can run by itself, automatically screening out applicants who are not qualified for the job.

 

The knowledge skill test is the second level of applicant screening. This is mostly used for applicants applying for technical positions. This screening measures an applicant's knowledge in specific areas. There are several vendors available to conduct this hiring screening as well. However, most times, this type of screening is performed by the human resources department of the firm and evaluated in-house.

 

Scientific testing is the third level of applicant screening and is the most critical. There are five basic types of scientific screening tools. At this stage of pre employment assessment, applicant's background information will be checked.

 

Pre employment assessment at this stage also includes gathering information on the resume, measuring work related traits and personality, evaluating work values and cognitive ability and estimating situational judgment.

 

Pre employment assessment has become an integral part of the hiring process. This has been prompted in part by the fact a lot of applicant's embellish their resume or fudge on the details a bit.  Applicant screening can also prevent a company from making a big mistake by hiring the wrong person for the job.