Attitudes and Aptitudes Essential in New Hires

The company makes its job-board services known to students at academic institutions that offer food microbiology and food safety programs, and it promotes to employers the fact that it holds a database of active job seekers, Maywood says. The company also contracts to provide screening and recruitment services for employers.

In screening for candidates, the criteria vary depending on what a specific company is looking for. “Many companies are concerned with making sure their managers have an understanding of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) program,” he says, “but in the past year or more there has been increased interest in the BRC Global Standards; companies are moving toward the BRC standard, and they want their managers to have that background.”

Also important is how recently a certification has been obtained.

“We want to make sure that a candidate’s background is relevant and up to date,” Maywood says. “We see a lot of candidates who say went through HACCP certification in 2000. Well, in the past 13 years a lot has changed–not to mention in the past 13 months. Generally, I like to see that the certification was updated within the candidate’s last position.”

Usually, entry-level candidates finishing a college degree program will not have a company’s desired certification, but if the right fit is found, the company may sponsor a candidate to obtain the certificate, Maywood says. “That’s often a good tactic for the employer because it shows the person coming into the job that the company is looking for the best in their future,” he says.

In the age of social media, Maywood says he instructs job seekers to “scrub” their Facebook and other social media pages when seeking jobs. He also tells employers that they cannot ask potential employees for usernames and passwords for their personal social media accounts as a condition for employment.

“The question comes up all the time: Is this legal? The answer is No, not unless it’s a government or law enforcement position, and even that varies by state. So we tell everyone, don’t ask for it,” he says.

“There have to be protocols that people pass to get these jobs in the food industry.”

—Preston Hicks,
VP of resource development and evaluation, GFPI

Component of Risk Management

Pre-employment screening for food safety workers is an important component of risk management for companies, notes Dr. Hicks of GFPI.

“With the globalization of the food industry, we have to be vigilant in who we hire and how we train,” Dr. Hicks says. “Screening has to be rigorous. There have to be protocols that people pass to get these jobs in the food industry.”

In a way, everyone involved in the food industry is involved in food safety, he adds. In addition to screening, proper employee training is needed to ensure that an integrated food system provides safe food for consumers.

“A person who’s well trained is a security measure,” Dr. Hicks says. “Their knowledge, skills, and abilities allow them to see when something is not right. If we are not training people properly, they don’t know what to look for, don’t know when a deviation warrants attention, or stopping a line, or pulling a product. Quality trained people, both on the regulatory side and in the private sector, are absolutely critical to our line of defense for food safety.”

Donald is a veteran journalist with extensive experience covering a variety of industries. Reach him at [email protected].