Screen Better, Using Application Smarts

03/07/07

According to employment law attorney Wendy J. Smith, 5 percent of your employees cause 95 percent of your employment problems. “As a result,” Smith told a group of HR professionals in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, “focus your efforts on keeping that 5 percent from getting in your front door.”

Your First Line of Defense: Employment Applications
One undervalued weapon in keeping troublemakers from getting into the organization is the lowly employment application. But it has to be the right application, and you have to know how to use it.

“Use what I call a ‘smart’ application,” Smith said. “That’s one that doesn’t ask unlawful or inappropriate questions like ‘Are you a citizen?’, is structured to get the most important information, and doesn’t let applicants ‘fudge’ on significant details.”

The application should also contain “airtight” language laying out the position’s at-will employment status and allowing you to contact previous employers to get accurate information. Also, it should say that applications are active for a certain period of time only, like thirty days (but you must keep them on hand at least a year).

“It’s important for the applicant to see this language,” Smith said, “which is why you should never let a resumé substitute for a completed application.”

Scrutinize the Application
With completed applications in hand, go to work before you interview anyone for a job.Look for:

A neat appearance. If the application is sloppy and incomplete, you can bet the person’s work product will be the same. Likewise, seemingly simple things like ignoring yes/no check boxes and writing out “yes” or “no” might signal an inability to follow directions.

Insufficient information. Make sure the person provides such basic information as a street address and phone number. “Look for evidence that the person is stable and has ties to the community,” said Smith. “Unless you’re hiring for a short term position, think twice about hiring people who look like they just blew into town and might blow out again soon.”

Salary range. Is the desired salary range reasonable? A high school graduate with few skills who thinks he’s worth $50,000 a year, for example, may not have a firm grip on reality.

Spotty or revealing information when it comes to previous employment. Red flags: Imprecise start/end dates, gaps between jobs, lack of a former supervisor’s name or partial name, vague duties. A “smart” application will ask such things as whether you can contact the previous manager for a reference, what the applicant liked the most and the least about the job, and why the applicant left the job. Look for reasonable answers to any such question. And if the applicant volunteers information like, “Left because of constant arguing with manager,” or “Quit due to dispute over pay,” consider yourself forewarned. If hired, this applicant is likely to become a problem employee.

References. A smart application will ask for both work and personal references. A potentially troublesome employee will “forget” to provide work references.

Volunteers information. Some applicants feel the need to be up front with sensitive information like that they need a wheelchair to get around, or that they’ve been arrested twice for larceny but have never been convicted. Ignore such information here and in subsequent interviews, should you have one. It’s generally ill advised and sometimes illegal for you to base hiring decisions on anything other than an applicant’s merits.

Signature. Make sure the applicant signs and dates the application.

Use sense when analyzing an employment application. An applicant with one or two red flags may still merit a closer look via phone call or interview. If you wait for the perfect candidate, after all, you’ll be waiting a long time.

“Yet,” Smith reminded her audience, “with the economy the way it is, we can all afford to be a little bit more selective. Using the employment application as a strategic screening device can go a long way toward keeping troublesome employees or ‘walking lawsuits’ out of your organization.”

Note: G.Neil carries a line of attorney approved “smart” employment applications.