Pre-employment drug testing

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Employee turnover costs businesses through lost productivity, training costs, HR admin., and more. Being selective in hiring helps minimize these costs. Drug testing applicants can be a cost effective tool in your selection process.

People who abuse drugs often say, "What I do away from work is my business." They are of course, correct. But the consequences of drug abuse don't often remain at home when the person goes to work. The Tennessee Dept. of Labor says 1/3 of the employees they surveyed reported instances of drug dealing at their workplace. Does the prospect of your business' parking lot filled with law enforcement sound attractive? You'll get free media exposure at least.

Think about it. A drug user is looking for a job with benefits. Should this person apply for a job at your company? If you have and communicate a pre-employment drug testing policy, chances are, they won't apply. You may get fewer applicants, but the ones you do consider will be higher caliber and less likely to have future problems related to drug use.

You're a business that does not drug test applicants. After advertising and interviewing for a position, you have 2 equally qualified applicants. You toss a coin and hire one. After a few months, the one you hired begins missing work/arriving late and you learn they have a drug problem. You not only have the problem of finding a way to terminate the problem employee but have to find a replacement that works. How much could you have saved in time, effort, and money had you drug tested the applicant before they started?   

When you consider the savings you realize by not hiring the wrong person, the cost of drug testing shrinks to an insignificant amount. Figures for return on investment (ROI) for drug testing are very attractive. Even smaller businesses can save enough by avoiding one bad hire to pay for their pre-employment drug tests for an entire year.

To find out more about the tests available for pre-employment screening: