At a minimum, after obtaining a release or authorization, all references should be contacted. Prior employers should be asked about the applicant s reasons for leaving, eligibility for rehire, ability to perform the job functions and other pertinent questions. There are services which will investigate a candidate s criminal record, employment history and financial history. Depending upon the extent of the investigation, the charge may be rather modest compared to the potential savings down the road. An employer who uses credit or other background checks when making decisions about hiring, promoting or firing employees must comply with applicable sections of the FCRA when using consumer reporting agencies to perform these credit and background checks.
Some companies also conduct psychological testing of applicants.
These tests are controversial, with some questioning their reliability and whether they are an unreasonable intrusion upon the applicant s privacy and other rights. There are few cases where these tests have been challenged, and thus their legality is still uncertain. However, a company considering the use of such testing should, at the least, investigate thoroughly the reliability of the tests it proposes to use before implementing a testing program. On the Job . Every employer should have a policy of zero tolerance for violence.