Here’s an example of how one company handles the question of process consistency. First off, they have, by company policy, told all their domestic operations that no job offer can be made until all the pre-employment documents – including background and reference checks – have been sent to the corporate HR department for review, and until approval has been returned authorizing the extension of an offer of employment.
The reason behind their decision was to not only ensure process consistency, but also to make sure that local hiring managers weren’t missing or ignoring any red flags contained in the pre-employment screening documents. A secondary goal for approaching their hiring decisions in this manner was to reduce turnover and also the cost-per-hire associated with inappropriate hiring decisions. The bottom-line, of course, was the fiscal impact of careful pre-employment screening.
Another reason this approach was adopted was so the corporate HR department could regain some control over the hiring process, not just for the sake of control, but for the sake of knowing who was being hired and ensuring that the employment process was consistent being followed in all their domestic facilities.
The pre-employment process will undoubtedly vary from company to company. Some employers require drug testing; others don’t. Some require court checks; others don’t. Actually, the list of background and reference checking options and combinations are almost endless. But the point of the exercise is to make sure each candidate for employment not only is who he claims to be, but also that the basic information on the job application or resume is, in fact, true!