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Tips on Hiring Practices BY JEANEIL BROWN APPROACH MANAGEMENT SERVICES H aving good job descriptions as well as safety and claims management programs are sure ways to help your company improve the workers' comp experience. Why is this important? Inexperienced and untrained workers account for a dispro- portionately large number of lost-time claims. Hiring the best-qualifi ed candidates can have a direct impact on workers' Many companies ramp up hiring eff orts in the summer months, so now is a great time to review your hiring practices and procedures. It's true that no company will be free of workers' comp claims completely. Accidents do happen, and that's why you have workers' comp insurance. The goal should be to develop a pattern of reduced claim numbers and claims costs from year to year. comp costs. There are specifi c steps you can take to recruit and hire more eff ectively that can reduce potential workers' comp claims. Angela Phillips, HR manager and recruiter at All Things HR — a company that provides human resources services to many local companies, including participants in the Master Builders Association GRIP Retro program — suggests that employers consider the following when hiring: 1 Make sure your candidate thoroughly completes an employment application and provides a resume. This will allow you the opportunity to compare candidates and get vital information that includes past positions, dates of employment, supervisors, why the applicant left a prior employer, any gaps in employment, authorization to work in the United States, salary history, reference names and numbers, etc. Make sure the applicant signs the application so you can verify this information is correct. 2 Look beyond newspaper ads, WorkSource resumes and Craigslist postings, and consider other job boards such as LinkedIn, referrals from current employees and leads from specialty recruiters and other job-sourcing agencies. 3 Screening is very important. Make sure you conduct background checks consistently. Key inquiries include criminal history, social security check reports and drug test records. You'll also want to conduct pre-employment physicals and current drug tests. Ask the question: Can the candidate actually complete the job requirements? An off er of employment can be made contingent upon the candidate being able to perform the functions of the job. In closing, remember to always consider whether hiring a new employee is the best course of action for your business. In the words of Karen Galipeau Forner, managing attorney at K-Solutions Law, you must remember "what every bad hire costs you" before making the fi nal decision. 12 master builder 06.16