Safety training is critical in any organization, but efforts to maintain a safe workforce shouldn’t start with training sessions; they should start with a hiring process that focuses on hiring people who will work safely.

For one reason or another, some people have better safety track records than others. Maybe they are less likely to take risks that can result in damage or injury, or they are more vigilant when it comes to upholding safety guidelines.

It is important for employers to consider this and prioritize hiring people who aren’t going to be a safety risk. Staffing agencies specialize in hiring people based on all kinds of criteria, such as having a safety-first mentality. Companies like Cornerstone use the following hiring practices to help warehouses and other operations work as safely as possible.

Look for red flags up front

Hiring with safety in mind starts by looking for red flags in candidates’ resumes. Job hopping and large gaps in employment should be troubling to a hiring manager, and these issues might be due to a poor safety track record.

If these shortcomings are overlooked for certain candidates, their performance in an interview can indicate if they are alert, organized and have an eye for minor mistakes – all qualities of a safe worker.

Ask about safety credentials

Many warehouse jobs require specific safety-related credentials, and some jobs have related safety credentials that are optional. Asking about these credentials or safety training certificates is a good way to identify people with a safety-first mentality.

Use a personality assessment

Many companies use pre-employment assessments to gauge the personality traits of their applicants, and these assessments can be a useful tool for spotting individuals with a tendency to work safely. Pre-employment assessments can be used to identify people with low impulsivity, strong ethics and high levels of personal responsibility.

It is important to note that if a pre-employment screening is going to be used in a hiring process, it should be given to all that apply. If these screenings are administered selectively, a hiring company opens itself up to legitimate charges of discrimination.

Make safety a part of the interview

While screening resumes and pre-employment assessments are effective ways to eliminate risky applicants from the process, the interview is probably the best phase of the hiring process for determining candidates’ proclivity for working safely. Asking candidates why they left each job, the safety practices at those jobs and examples of dangerous workplace situations they’ve seen are all good questions.

Check questionable information

If anything in the pre-interview screening or the interview itself raises questions, references checks, criminal background checks and drug testing can all be used to assess a candidate’s safety mindset.

Once again, these checks and screening should be performed on all candidates, or else those organizations in the hiring process open themselves up to charges of discrimination.

Looking to partner with a staffing agency in Pleasanton, CA?

At Cornerstone, we always make safety a major consideration in our talent acquisition processes. Please contact us today to find out how we can make your workplace safer.