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Blog Wednesday, October 20 2021
 With more than 1.5 million residents, there are plenty of qualified workers in San Antonio.
Employers are looking to fill their openings with the best possible candidates, right? And while interviews, resumes, and credentials are key, they might not be sufficient.
This is where pre-employment drug testing may come in. By screening prospective staff for drugs, your Texas business can get a better sense of the applicant’s lifestyle and ability to perform safely, ethically, and productively on the job.
What Is Pre-Employment Drug Screening? Pre-employment drug screening determines whether applicants are abusing illegal drugs or prescription medications on or off the job. While employers might use random drug tests for employees, we recommend screening all serious applicants before making a hiring decision.
Typically, the job offer is contingent on passing the drug test. This is important across the board, but particularly in industries that involve driving and the use of heavy machinery—like transportation and manufacturing, for instance.
Drug screening may evaluate the applicant’s current or recent use of substances such as:
Drug tests take the form of urine, saliva, or blood tests. There are other options available as well. Employers can curate their list of drugs they want to test and check for substances other than—or in addition to—those highlighted above.
If a drug test comes back positive, you can choose to hire another candidate, or have a conversation with the applicant for more context before making a final decision. Just be sure to prioritize working with law-abiding citizens over those who look well-qualified on paper. Illicit drug use can be highly detrimental on the job and in life, including to those other than the candidate, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly.
How Can New Applicant Drug Tests Help San Antonio Businesses? Pre-employment drug screening can help Texas companies save time and money, and increase team member productivity. Most importantly, it can promote better workplace safety—reducing the risk of absenteeism and injuries on the job.
Think you might not need to invest in new applicant drug screening? Maybe you got a good sense about someone during an interview, or you simply can’t believe a person with the qualifications you’re seeing might use drugs. While it’s important to trust your intuition, pre-employment drug testing is an important step in the hiring process. Don’t overlook it.
You see, drug use is prevalent in the U.S. A 2019 survey from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration revealed that 57 million Americans above age 12 confessed to using illicit drugs in the last year, with more than 35 million admitting to drug use in the last 30 days.
These figures are staggering. And since employees who use illicit substances are more often to come in late, miss work altogether, change jobs frequently, or be involved in workplace accidents where others are harmed too, you’ll want to have a pre-employment screening program in place.
Better morale, lower turnover, and a more fulfilling company culture are simply an added bonus.
Develop Your Pre-Employment Drug Screening Program Today Is your San Antonio business interested in developing a custom drug screening program?
Would you like more information about the services available at Redstar Backgrounds and DrugScreenKits.com?
Our team will guide you through every step. Look no further if you’re hoping to create or elevate current drug screening protocol. We’ll work with you to develop the solution you need.
Please contact us for details, or to set up a free consultation. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for more information. |
