What is your opinion on drug tests as a preemployment screening process? What are your thoughts on someone failing a credit check yet passing a drug test and acing an interview yet being denied employment for poor credit which doesn't pertain to the job?
by 
Kevisaurus is a Carnotaurus today
ANSWERS: 7
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Well, testing and interviewing and checking is how prospective employers judge you. Someone with a bad credit risk may be distracted, disorganized, irresponsible ( or not). Regardless, if there's another candidate who's 3 for 3, guess who gets the job?
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Good question, Kevin! I think drug tests are okay, as a pre-employment screening process. The employer deserves to know if someone may have a drug problem. It should be easy for someone to lay off of them for a month or so, (to get a job). As far as credit checks, BALONEY! Believe me, sometimes serious things happen to families that take years to dig out from under. No way should this be held against someone. I MIGHT make an exception, if the employee would be handling large sums of money, regularly. But, I would think long and hard about it.
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I think the whole credit check thing has gotten out of hand. I understand the system if someone is applying for credit, fine. When you are renting an apartment, it means nothing if you didn't pay your Sears bill or whatever. Check rental history. If someone is applying for a job, check work history. The drug screen thing is fine for some jobs, like mine since I drive for a living, but for a shoe salesman or the person holding the sign for new homes on the corner, why test? It is all a bunch of big-time rackets and someone is making money off it. the credit check thing is useless anyway, it means nothing about anyones future and what they will do, only their past.
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I believe the potential employer has the right to do whatever he/she feels is important to hire stable people for the job. Drug tests are fine with me..I don't even take aspirin. A credit check indicates to the potential employer how successful you are at managing your private life..if someone is constantly in arrears and has a bad credit history that shows lack of responsibility to me..and I would assume that person would bring that part of him/herself into the job. So I would have no problem with that. :)
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It depends on the job. A credit check is an indication of stability, reliability and responsibility. If I were hiring someone for a highly skilled position, I would want all of those characteristics. I would also want to know I'm hiring someone that isn't gonna end up in a treatment center two years down the road. Nobody can predict the future, but you sure can raise or limit the risks you take. That's all they are doing.
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I work for an insurance company, and state courts have recently begun to rule that we cannot use credit scores in the process of setting rates for auto insurance. And I admit, that it is fairer not to use them. However, for whatever reason, there is a very strong correlation between credit scores and accident risk. Not as strong a correlation as previous driving (accident and violation) history, but strong nevertheless. With that said, I am opposed to using credit scores for job applications unless there is a specific, justifiably, need for such.
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I know that security clearances in the U.S. military require credit checks so that they can weed out anyone easily tempted by bribery. I've also heard that some law firms actually prefer a candidate with bad credit, so they know the person needs the income and is less likely to leave.
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