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In an effort to streamline and improve the employee selection process, online payroll provider SurePayroll launched a suite of stand-alone services that help employers evaluate job candidates, including background checks, behavioral assessments, skills testing, personal development and drug screening. The services are available independent of SurePayroll’s payroll processing products with no long-term contracts.
The background check service comes on three levels, the first consisting of a social security number trace and a county of residence criminal search, while the next two levels of service provide a wider check. The results are available to the user via an online management interface, while e-mail notifications are sent upon completion of the check. SurePayroll is also offering midmarket companies Webinars explaining how the services work.
The three levels of background checks start at $22.95, a figure the company said enables small business owners to purchase any of the services at their hiring pace. SurePayroll’s behavioral assessment service, which the company says can save businesses from losing an average of $34,500 in interviewing, training and productivity loss on a bad hire, lists for $165.
Steve Kania, SurePayroll’s vice president of product management, said small business employers can’t afford mistakes when it comes to the health of their businesses. “We designed our screening services to provide businesses thorough, affordable ways to recruit only the best talent and avoid costly hiring mistakes,” he said. “And we’ve made them convenient to access and use whenever small businesses need them.”
SurePayroll’s online skills testing service measures proficiency in areas ranging from language, math and basic office skills to expertise in computer programming and Web development including technical areas such as C++, Oracle and Java. Each test is $21.95, with more than 300 tests on offer. Another test service SurePayroll offers to perform is a bit more serious: The company offers drug screening services available in two packages– a 5-panel drug testing and 10-panel drug testing. SurePayroll said test results would be available online within 48 hours of sample collection.
In some cases, the severe recession has given small business owners a larger-than-ever pool of qualified applications, increasing the strain on human resources departments and putting pressure on fully informed, carefully timed interview procedures. “It’s essential for [small businesses] to know the people they bring to their teams are top-notch and will contribute to growth and success, and not waste time and money,” Kania says.