Hiring Safe Employees: 3 Major Traits
Hiring employees who work safely is a key objective of any successful organization. However, hiring strategies often focus exclusively on skills and experience, and pay little attention to the characteristics that impact workplace safety. Research clearly shows that screening for these safety traits, combined with a robust safety training program, is the best approach to reducing the number of workplace accidents and injuries. It is possible to accomplish this in a fast, accurate and cost-effective manner. And the cost savings that coincide with improved safety is significant.
Hiring individuals who are more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors and/or be involved in safety incidents can be very costly to your organization. In addition to the health and welfare of the people involved, accidents are costly in terms of insurance, equipment and goods. According to OSHA, for every $1 you spend on medical expenses for a worker's compensation claim, you also incur $4 in indirect workers compensation costs. And for every $1 of disability (lost-time) expenses, OSHA estimates that you also incur between $2-$10 in indirect workers compensation costs.
There are a number of reasons why some people are more likely to be involved in safety incidents than others. The research indicates that factors such as Conscientiousness, Locus of Control and Impulsivity are all related to safety behavior.
3 MAJOR CHARACTERISTICS
Conscientiousness. Across occupations, acting responsibly is of utmost importance. Following the rules, remaining on-task, working hard and making well thought-out judgments all contribute to being a safe worker. A key factor that contributes to these behaviors is the trait of Conscientiousness. People who are highly conscientious want to do the right thing and are more apt to follow rules and follow through. As such, they're more likely to be safe employees. Individuals who are low in conscientiousness tend to disregard the rules and, in some cases, actively rebel against authority. These behaviors are associated with higher traffic violations and unsafe work behaviors, such as speeding and running red lights.
Locus of Control. This is another personality trait that can differentiate people who act responsibly from those who do not. Individuals who have in internal Locus of Control believe they have control over what happens to them. Therefore, they're more likely to take action to prevent negative events. People who have an external Locus of Control perceive that many things are out of their hands, including safety issues, and they may not intervene or take action when needed.
Impulsivity. Closely related with Thrill Seeking and Risk Taking, Impulsivity has long been associated with unsafe behaviors. Impulsive individuals tend to be more volatile, unpredictable and less adaptive to change. Those with high Impulsivity have difficulty managing stress and are more likely to take unreasonable chances, ignore safety rules and make rash decisions that place themselves and others in compromising and potentially dangerous situations. They're more likely to engage in unsafe behaviors because they underestimate the likelihood of getting hurt or enjoy the thrill of taking risks.
The combination of these three traits form the foundation of an accurate and consistent method for screening individuals based on the likelihood of workplace injuries.
Selection decisions using these traits have been demonstrated to reduce injury rates. Over a one-year period, employees hired using a new selection process, which included evaluating these three traits, was compared to injury data from employees hired previously. Of the 497 employees hired under the old system, 12.6% reported an injury. In contrast, only 3.4% of the 294 employees hired using the new process reported injuries.
Better selection processes in and of themselves are not enough to eliminate accidents and improve safety. However, interventions targeted at creating a safety climate and improving safety performance can be greatly enhanced by selecting individuals who are less likely to be involved in accidents and more likely to support safety initiatives. Given the impact of workplace injuries on staffing and financial performance, a more comprehensive approach is a wise investment.
If you would like to discuss how to effectively evaluate candidates' Safety Risk, contact the assessment experts - we help many of our clients do exactly that everyday.
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