Your employees are one of the most important components of your business, and you have an obligation to keep them safe. This means making good hiring decisions and training your staff on the importance of workplace safety. You also need to make sure that your employees are physically capable of performing their daily responsibilities before they begin work, or if they’re returning to work after an injury. Most importantly, you need to carry a workers’ compensation insurance policy to protect your business from out-of-pocket losses resulting from workplace accidents.

One of the first steps in making a new hire is ensuring that your prospective employee has the skills and experience to do the job. Most retail and clerical jobs don’t require much physical labor, and all that you’ll need to do is schedule a pre-employment drug test and a background check. But if it’s a physically demanding job that routinely requires lifting and moving heavy objects, a fit-for-duty examination will help you determine if the new hire is physically capable of doing the work. It’s also good to identify and document old injuries to protect yourself in the unlikely event of a future workers’ compensation insurance claim.

It’s important to hire quality employees if you want to run a quality business, but many employers are forced to base their hiring decisions on incomplete information. Your applicants are only going to give you the names of people who will give them good references, and their previous employers will often only verify employment when you call for more information. Many of the resumes that you see have large gaps or paint an inaccurate picture of the applicant’s actual responsibilities. Even the most seasoned human resources professionals make mistakes when they’re vetting candidates, and you can’t afford to take chances when you’re adding to your team.