Drug Testing Efficacy Poll
We are often asked this question, ‘how effective is a drug test while screening candidates?’ We have picked a few stats from a report produced by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). The results are from a Drug Testing Efficacy Poll done in collaboration with the DATIA (Drug & Alcohol Testing Industry Association). The report addressed some of the common concerns. Will employees feel uncomfortable if asked to take the test? Will it impact the work moral?
The study showed that 19% of organizations witnessed an increase in efficiency and and 76% of organizations stated there was no impact of drug-test on employee turnover rate.
The report goes on to state that pre- and/or post-employment drug tests result in remarkable changes in various sectors of the company. Some of the factors that changed were:
Decrease in absenteeism
Decrease in workers’ compensation incidence rates
Decrease in employee turnover rate
Increase in productivity
Another interesting result from the report was that more than 60% of the employers who were surveyed conducted pre-employment drug tests and only 36% conducted tests for the current employees. Also, these tests are more prevalent among companies with more than 2500, companies that are publicly owned for profit and government agencies. We also found that these tests are most popular in the fields of manufacturing, healthcare and social assistance. However, the study showed that 66% of the respondents did not conduct drug tests on their contract employees.
After having discussed the findings of the study, we would like to emphasize on the importance of drug tests and background checks in all fields of employment. It is clear that the outcome of such testing is positive; hence it is something that companies should look into as a measure to keep their work environment safe and healthy for all their employees.