Employee-Screening Options: Choosing Checks That Fit the Role
Employee screening should help an employer determine whether a candidate meets the legitimate requirements of a position.
It should not become a one-size-fits-all barrier applied to every applicant without considering the actual job.
The appropriate screening process depends on the position’s duties, industry, worksite, equipment, access, legal requirements, customer contracts, and potential risks.
This article provides general information and is not legal advice. Employers should have their screening policies reviewed by qualified employment counsel.
What Is Employee Screening?
Employee screening is the process of reviewing information related to a candidate’s qualifications, experience, credentials, and suitability for a specific position.
Screening may occur during different stages of the hiring process, depending on the type of check and applicable requirements.
A screening process may include:
Application review.
Candidate interviews.
Reference checks.
Employment verification.
Education verification.
Professional-license verification.
Certification verification.
Job-specific skills assessments.
Criminal background reports.
Motor-vehicle record checks.
Drug or alcohol testing when permitted and appropriate.
Occupational health evaluations when lawful and job-related.
Physical-capability testing when lawful and job-related.
Employment-eligibility verification during onboarding.
Not every position requires every type of screening.
A warehouse associate, delivery driver, forklift operator, accountant, maintenance technician, and administrative assistant have different duties and risks. Their screening requirements should reflect those differences.
Start With the Essential Job Duties
Before selecting screening requirements, review the position’s essential responsibilities.
Ask:
What work will the employee perform?
What equipment will the employee operate?
Will the employee drive a company vehicle?
Will the employee handle money or financial information?
Will the employee access confidential records?
Does the position require a professional license?
Will the employee work with children, patients, or vulnerable adults?
Does a law or customer contract require a specific check?
Which risks are directly connected to the position?
Document why each screening requirement is necessary.
This approach helps employers create a process that is focused, consistent, and related to the actual job.
Application and Interview Screening
The application and interview process provides an opportunity to evaluate whether a candidate’s experience and expectations align with the position.
Ask candidates about:
Relevant work experience.
Job-specific skills.
Schedule availability.
Shift preferences.
Worksite transportation.
Required licenses or certifications.
Experience using tools, equipment, or software.
Interest in temporary or permanent employment.
Ability to meet the position’s essential requirements.
Use a consistent set of core questions for candidates applying for the same position.
Interview notes should focus on job-related information rather than personal characteristics that are unrelated to the work.
Employment Verification
Employment verification may confirm information such as:
Previous employer.
Position title.
Employment dates.
Eligibility for rehire when provided.
Other information the previous employer is willing and permitted to disclose.
Employers should decide which information is necessary for the role.
Some previous employers provide only dates and titles, so a limited response does not necessarily indicate a problem with the candidate.
Reference Checks
Reference checks can provide additional insight into a candidate’s previous performance, reliability, communication, and work habits.
Useful questions may address:
The reference’s relationship with the candidate.
The candidate’s responsibilities.
Attendance and dependability.
Job performance.
Safety awareness.
Communication.
Teamwork.
Strengths.
Areas requiring additional training.
Eligibility for rehire.
Use the same core questions for similarly situated candidates and document the responses.
Education, License, and Certification Verification
Some positions require a particular degree, license, registration, or certification.
Verification may be appropriate for:
Skilled trades.
Healthcare positions.
Commercial drivers.
Equipment operators.
Technical professionals.
Financial positions.
Security roles.
Other regulated occupations.
Confirm:
The name of the credential.
Issuing organization.
Credential number when applicable.
Current status.
Expiration date.
Any restrictions.
Required renewal date.
Do not require credentials that are unrelated to the job simply because they appeared in an older job description.
Job-Specific Skills Assessments
Skills assessments can help determine whether a candidate can perform an important job function.
Examples include:
Data-entry testing.
Software assessments.
Measurement-reading exercises.
Written communication tasks.
Equipment knowledge.
Mechanical-reasoning assessments.
Language-proficiency assessments.
Job-related math.
Typing tests.
Assessments should reflect the actual work and be administered consistently.
Employers should also consider whether a candidate may need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the assessment process.
Criminal Background Checks
A criminal background check may provide information about certain criminal records. The availability, completeness, and permitted use of that information can depend on the source and applicable law.
Employers should avoid automatically excluding every person with a criminal record.
Instead, screening criteria should be connected to the position and evaluated carefully. Relevant considerations may include:
The nature and seriousness of the conduct.
The amount of time that has passed.
The nature of the position.
The responsibilities involved.
Evidence of rehabilitation or later work history.
Any legal restrictions or requirements.
Federal equal-employment guidance states that background-check practices must be applied without unlawful discrimination. A criminal-record policy that disproportionately excludes a protected group may create concerns if it is not job-related and consistent with business necessity. Employers can review the joint EEOC and FTC background-check guidance for additional information.
Minnesota Ban-the-Box Requirements
Minnesota’s Ban-the-Box requirements affect when private employers may ask job applicants about criminal history.
According to the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, an employer generally must wait until the applicant has been selected for an interview or has received a conditional job offer before asking about criminal history.
Employers should review:
Employment applications.
Online application forms.
Interview guides.
Recruiting scripts.
Staffing-provider instructions.
Background-check authorization processes.
Application materials should not request criminal-history information too early in the hiring process.
Some occupations may have separate background-check requirements. Employers should confirm the rules that apply to each position.
Third-Party Background Reports and the FCRA
When an employer obtains an employment background report from a third-party consumer-reporting company, the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act may apply.
Before obtaining the report, employers generally must:
Tell the applicant or employee that the information may be used for an employment decision.
Provide the notice in a written, stand-alone format.
Obtain written authorization.
Make required certifications to the reporting company.
If an employer may make a negative employment decision based on the report, additional steps generally apply.
Before taking adverse action, the employer generally must provide:
A copy of the consumer report.
A copy of “A Summary of Your Rights Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act.”
After taking the final adverse action, the employer must provide additional information about the decision and the reporting company.
The FTC’s background-check guidance for employers explains these federal requirements in more detail.
Employers should establish a compliant process before ordering third-party reports.
Motor-Vehicle Record Checks
A motor-vehicle record check may be appropriate when driving is an essential part of the position.
Examples may include:
Delivery drivers.
Commercial drivers.
Mobile service technicians.
Employees operating company vehicles.
Employees regularly transporting customers or equipment.
Before ordering a motor-vehicle report, confirm:
Whether driving is an essential job function.
Which license class is required.
Whether special endorsements are necessary.
Which driving standards apply.
How often records will be reviewed.
Who will evaluate the results.
Whether federal, state, insurance, or customer requirements apply.
A driving-record requirement may not be necessary for a position that does not involve driving.
Drug and Alcohol Testing in Minnesota
Minnesota law regulates workplace drug and alcohol testing and cannabis testing.
Covered employers may need to address requirements involving:
A written testing policy.
Applicant or employee notice.
The timing of applicant testing.
Consistent testing of applicants for the same position.
Approved laboratory procedures.
Confirmatory testing.
Confidential handling of results.
Rights following a positive result.
Minnesota law also limits cannabis testing.
Under the current Minnesota testing statute, employers generally may not require an applicant to undergo cannabis testing as a condition of employment unless an exception or another state or federal requirement applies.
The statute identifies exceptions that may include certain safety-sensitive positions, peace officers, firefighters, positions involving face-to-face care of children, vulnerable adults or patients, certain commercial-driving positions, federally funded positions, and other positions for which testing is required by state or federal law.
Federally regulated positions may be subject to different requirements.
Because workplace testing rules are detailed and position-specific, Minnesota employers should obtain legal guidance before creating, expanding, or changing a drug, alcohol, or cannabis-testing program.
Occupational Health and Physical-Capability Evaluations
Some positions may involve lawful, job-related post-offer health evaluations or physical-capability testing.
These evaluations should focus on the candidate’s ability to perform the position’s essential functions safely, with or without a reasonable accommodation.
Employers should not request medical information too early in the hiring process. Federal guidance generally restricts disability-related questions and medical examinations before a conditional employment offer.
Employers should work with qualified occupational-health and legal professionals when developing these requirements.
Avoid Over-Screening
More screening is not always better.
Unnecessary screening can:
Delay hiring.
Increase recruiting costs.
Discourage qualified candidates.
Reduce the available candidate pool.
Create inconsistent decisions.
Collect sensitive information the employer does not need.
Increase legal and privacy risks.
Review every screening requirement and ask whether it is truly connected to the position.
If the answer is unclear, reconsider the requirement or obtain qualified guidance.
Apply Screening Standards Consistently
Candidates applying for the same position should generally be evaluated under the same screening standards.
Consistency includes:
Using the same required checks.
Following the same timing.
Applying the same evaluation criteria.
Providing required notices.
Documenting decisions.
Protecting confidential information.
Following the same exception-review process.
Do not change screening requirements based on assumptions about a candidate’s race, national origin, age, sex, religion, disability, or another protected characteristic.
Protect Candidate Information
Screening records may contain private and sensitive information.
Establish procedures for:
Limiting access to authorized employees.
Securely transmitting reports.
Storing records.
Separating medical information when required.
Retaining documents for the required period.
Securely destroying records.
Responding to candidate disputes.
Preventing unauthorized disclosure.
Only people with a legitimate business reason should have access to screening information.
Coordinate Screening With the Staffing Provider
The employer and staffing agency should agree on screening requirements before recruiting begins.
Clarify:
Which checks are required.
Why each check is job-related.
Who orders each check.
Who receives and reviews the results.
Which standards determine eligibility.
When the screening occurs.
How long clearance usually takes.
Who pays for each check.
How confidential information is protected.
What happens if a candidate disputes a result.
Whether the requirement changes for another assignment.
The employer should not assume that the staffing agency completed a check that was never requested.
The staffing agency should not accept unclear screening instructions without confirming the job-related criteria.
Employee-Screening Checklist
Before approving a screening package, ask:
Is each check connected to the position’s duties or risks?
Does a law, regulation, insurance requirement, or customer contract require the check?
Is the requirement applied consistently?
Is the timing permitted?
Have required notices and authorizations been prepared?
Who will review the results?
What decision standards will be used?
How will candidates dispute inaccurate information?
How will private information be protected?
Has qualified counsel reviewed the policy?
A documented process helps employers make more consistent and defensible screening decisions.
Coordinate Role-Specific Screening With Safar Staffing
Safar Staffing helps Minnesota employers document position-specific screening requirements and coordinate agreed background checks, drug testing, skills assessments, and credential verification.
Tell us what work the employee will perform, which risks are connected to the position, and whether any legal or customer requirements apply.
Safar Staffing can coordinate the agreed screening process, but employers should have their policies and final employment decisions reviewed by qualified legal counsel.
