How to hire the right employee

 The employment process should start with a good rule of thumb “ slow to hire, quick to fire”  With that being said, it is very important to take your time to hire the right employee for the job and do it right because it will pay off in the long run. It requires a lot of time money and energy to hire the right person so why keep repeating the process if a few important pre-hire tasks can be done to eliminate some grief later on.

Update your employment manual if it has not already been done so to include a paragraph that embezzlement will be grounds for immediate termination of employment and possible prosecution.

Lets first look at the experience and licensure required for that position. Such as if the job is for a certified dental hygienist, a license is required. Will the new employee be handling instruments, is so then a hepatitis B vaccination is needed.

Will the employee be handling money and if so, a criminal background & credit check is suggested. Some offices even require bonding an employee who handles cash, credit card info, checks, drugs/medications or confidential patient records. I advise you to get a written consent before doing a criminal background and credit check. Have the perspective employee sign a waiver to allow you to do the background and/or credit checks which also gives you permission to discuss the potential employee’s background. This form is often required before credit agencies or former employers will discuss anything with you. I suggest this be done on every employee and kept in the employee file should you ever require a copy. Sometimes this will even deter a potential employee from taking the job because of their history or criminal record. If you do not hire the perspective employee because of their credit, you have to provide a copy of the report plus a copy of “ a summary of your rights under the fair credit reporting act FCRA” which is available from the FTC. Federal Trade Commission.  A link is provided. www.ftc.gov/credit  Make it known to the employee that these investigations will be completed before any job offer can be made. 

Have the employee sign a statement that confirms accuracy of the information which they have provided that states if the perspective has supplied any false information, this will be grounds for immediate termination of employment.

Umbrella Fidelity Bonds are a good idea which covers employees who handle cash, checks or credit cards and can protect against theft and will repay verifiable loss up to the amount of the bond, they also do background checks on the covered employee.

Reference checks should be completed on ALL employees. When a perspective employee has “references available upon request” on their resume, request them and then check all of them. (remembering that we have a signed waiver”

Personality tests are a great idea because they will also give you a little insight on a perspective employee.

Remember….. Don’t rush the hiring process, take your time and do it right the first time.