Workplace violence prevention begins with hiring. Let me first define “workplace violence.” When I say workplace violence, I am not just referring to incidents when an employee returns to work and starts shooting. Although tragic and at the top of the list of things to prevent, they are the minority of workplace violence incidents. We want to be sure our definition encompasses more common acts like bullying, harassment, property destruction, cyber-attacks, and embezzlement.
How can thorough candidate screening prevent workplace violence? Past behavior is a great indicator of future behavior. Anticipating future behavior is easier the more information you can obtain about a candidate.
Traditional criminal background checks are one tool in the toolbox, but not all concerns are going to show up in a background check. The candidate may never have been charged with a crime. This is frequently the case in domestic abuse. If you live in a state where you can’t conduct a background check prior to hire, you are going to need alternative methods to determine if someone is the right fit.
What other approaches can you use to ensure you’re investing in the right candidate?
Research says the most effective hiring practices take a multi-measure approach, not only assessing personality but also cognitive ability, integrity and emotional intelligence. These evaluations are used to determine the psychological, emotional, and cognitive qualifications of a candidate, and can be customized for any position. Using information obtained via clinical interviewing and interpretation of assessment protocols, we can measure normal behaviors and positive attributes, and identify abnormal psychological characteristics of a candidate. This provides one more tool to help ensure suitability.
Other tools include a thorough review of the candidate’s application or résumé. Was the application filled out completely? Question and confirm the information provided. Are there inconsistencies or anomalies? For example, if someone has listed military service less than the typical four years, this should give you pause. Is there an indication of a steady increase in job responsibility or is there a plateau or demotion? Ask yourself why. Then ask the candidate.
Use interview questions that will provide insights into attitude, perspective, and collaboration. Use the same questions for each candidate to ensure you are measuring the same qualities for each. “Describe the best boss you ever had. Describe the worst boss.” This question reveals attitudes toward management. If the candidate can only speak briefly about his best boss but can talk for hours about their worst, this attitude will likely carry over to a new position. “Tell me about a failure in your life and why it occurred.” Do they take ownership of it or try to put it onto someone else?[1]
You’re looking for responses that indicate that the candidate is inflexible or territorial. Are they receptive to feedback or take it as unwarranted criticism? In The Gift of Fear, Gavin DeBecker describes the “scriptwriter” personality you want to avoid. They always think the worst of people. They think people are always out to get them. They are unable to take responsibility even for minor errors. They don’t credit team members when someone is helpful. They believe no one acknowledges or appreciates their contributions. If they finally do get promoted, they believe it’s because they gave management no other choice. This attitude inevitably alienates coworkers and people begin to treat the scriptwriter the way they already perceived, further reinforcing this script. These tend to be relatively stable personality characteristics. You can guarantee these issues have occurred at other jobs and other relationships[2].
To the extent your states employment laws allow, conduct a social media or Google search of the candidate.
Call previous employers and references. Think about who has been listed and who might be missing in references. Are there former supervisors, or only family and friends? If important sources are missing, ask the candidate if you can call their previous supervisors. If the candidate won’t provide them, that’s a good indication something is off. If you speak with someone who supervised them, ask the reference for additional personnel with whom you can speak.
In-depth screening of a potential hire is a critical part of a smart hiring process. Thorough candidate screening minimizes the potential for a bad hire which can lead to disastrous, violent consequences down the road.
[1] DeBecker, D. (1997). The Gift of Fear. New York, NY: Dell Publishing
[2] DeBecker, D. (1997). The Gift of Fear. New York, NY: Dell Publishing
About the Author: Cassie Yatsko-Shurr is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 10 years of experience in the behavioral health field. Her focus has been in the areas of Threat Assessment & Management, Fitness for Duty, Corporate Crisis Management and Response, Victims services, and Substance Abuse Treatment. She currently serves as Workplace Violence Services Coordinator at R3 Continuum, overseeing the day to day clinical operations of their Threat of Violence and Workplace Violence programs.
