The Different Types of Pre-Employment Drug Tests

Companies and corporations rely on testing to find potential candidates for a specific role. These tests target different qualities and characteristics that candidates must have for a business to consider them for the job.

Experience, work history, and professional development are essential; health and performance-related tests, like drug testing, are also important. The different types of pre-employment drug tests are necessary to determine eligibility because they target different characteristics with various methods.

Saliva Test

Employers can perform this test in any room or inside an assigned testing area, making it quick and efficient without the chance of candidates manipulating results. This test can detect substances up to 21 hours after ingestion.

The swab is non-invasive, and it takes minutes to get instant results that will provide the necessary information. This test is popular because it’s efficient, cost-effective, and easy to perform directly on the candidate.

Urine Test

Urine testing requires a candidate to provide a urine sample that a laboratory must process to detect illegal or dangerous substances. The results of a urine test will detect marijuana, opiates, methamphetamines, and antidepressants. Employers must ensure candidates provide their own urine; otherwise, they could manipulate results.

Professional background check companies provide the necessary resources to ensure companies find potential candidates reliably and quickly. Getting the results for this test takes between 24 and 72 hours; it’s important to consider this when checking schedule times.

Hair Test

This type of testing is not the most common, but it’s reliable for determining if a candidate has consumed illegal substances. A hair sample is processed to find marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine, and opioids, which could stay up to 90 days in a hair follicle. This test complements other types because the hair will hold evidence for a long time, even when a person’s system flushed out the substance.

The different types of pre-employment drug tests give employers the necessary tools to make informed decisions about their candidates. When someone tests positive for illegal substance use, the company can deny approval or promotion until the next testing cycle.

Employers don’t have to perform every type of test; they get to choose which one provides the necessary information to update a candidate’s profile and make a decision.