In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed the Drug-Free Workplace Act requiring employers of federal workers and certain federal contractors to adopt a drug-free workplace policy and create drug-free awareness programs. Today, many employers have chosen to adopt these policies and programs as the norm. If your organization is considering implementing a drug-free workplace or already has one in place, this post will offer what to consider, reasons to adopt the policy, drug screening practices and more.

Read more to learn about screening practices and how to implement a drug-free workplace.

Recruiting new employees doesn't have to be about placing an ad or scouring LinkedIn anymore. These days, hiring managers have their eyes open all the time to find perfect candidates. Once the candidates are found, it's important to create a fair and consistent candidate experience to keep job seekers interested.

If you're curious how businesses recruit and hire their employees, read on.

Feeling swamped by paperwork? As an HR professional, your desk is a bevy of resumes, applications, contracts and interview notes.  You may even have some electronic or online tasks but the process isn't efficient or consistent. Going paperless not only saves trees but may also reduce the time and effort it takes to recruit and hire. 

Here's how paperless hiring can speed up your recruiting, hiring and on boarding process.

Employers hiring recent graduates or first-time job candidates are faced with a different set of challenges during background checks. For one thing, there's not much in the "job history" category.  Younger generations aren't going to be familiar with a hiring process or what it entails. They need patience and understanding - especially if they really enjoyed their youth and got in trouble with the law. 

Here are some considerations during employment background checks for first time job seekers and recent grads.

Employers look to background checks to protect their business, employees and customers.  As a hiring manager doing the interviews, you may feel that you have a good sense of the applicant. Their resume looks spotless and the conversations have been impressive. Screening your impressive employee isn't adding doubt to your instincts - in fact, a background check should be used to validate what you may already know. 

Here are some best practices for running background checks on employees.

Small businesses aren't the only organizations that may be facing litigation for non-compliance or discrimination. As we frequently feature on this blog, large corporations with full human resources departments still make mistakes. This time, Walmart is facing allegations of racial discrimination due to its background check policies regarding criminal background checks. 

Read more to learn how enterprise companies such as Walmart face EEOC lawsuits. 

Once the hiring need has been established, a job description and listing is created to determine the right candidate for the job. During the hiring process, a candidate's information may be reviewed by everyone from recruiters to human resources to management.  Along the way, the applicant may be subject to removal from consideration. The ultimate hiring decision, however, is made by the hiring manager who will be working with the candidate. 

If you've incorporated background screening in your hiring process, your screening partner may also help with the hiring decision. Here's how.

How your background check company helps with hiring decisions.

As hiring managers or HR professionals, you're not only tasked with hiring the best and brightest but also doing it correctly. With FCRA class action lawsuits, changing legislation and candidates reviewing your hiring process online, your job responsibilities are heavily scrutinized and could put your employer at risk. Choosing a partner to assist and educate with compliance during your hiring process can help minimize that risk. 

Here are best practices for choosing the best employment background check company.

Today's job market has hiring managers concerned about grabbing up the best talent. It's easy to think of the hiring experience as one-sided, however more candidates are sharing their experiences online. Your candidate experience could affect your brand reputation, as well as your bottom line. 

Stand out among employers by creating a positive candidate experience.

When the pressure is on to hire top talent and build great teams, hiring managers may often worry if they're up to the task. It's a big challenge to adapt to a candidate's market and meet the needs of the organization. There's also the fear of missing out (FOMO) on a candidate who may be a perfect fit - especially when considering the wait and cost of a background check. 

Here are some tips for managing those fears.