Drug testing does not fit our company culture.

I hear this from time to time when speaking with people at reputable companies. Maybe it’s just me, but the irony strikes me in such a way that I’m certain my facial expression is visible even over the phone. What is company culture anyway?

About.com puts it pretty succinctly:

Company culture is the personality of a company and defines what a company, from an employee perspective, is like to work for. Company culture includes the company mission, values, ethics, expectations, goals, and work environment.

Most people like to work for a company with a good, healthy, safe culture. Most employers like to believe that’s what they have and continue to cultivate.

So if a company wants to cultivate a healthy, safe, drug-free workplace, they do so by not testing for drugs?

“What gets measured gets managed.”

Peter Drucker’s words apply to many things in life and business, including organizational culture. If you want to create and maintain a company culture that includes safety, should you not put in place systems, policies, processes and training that ensure safety?

Anything less is lip service.

Most company cultures are not dictated by policy. They evolve and are the embodiment of the values, attitudes and behaviors of those who work for an organization. For a positive company culture to evolve, you’ve got to have the right horses in the race. Hire good people, with clean criminal backgrounds and who do not have substance abuse problems. That’s a good start.

If your company is proud of its culture, does it not make sense to protect it by making sure your good people don’t have to share the place with substance abusers?  A drug-free workplace is more productive, safer and a more desirable place to spend your days.

Contact us to make sure yours is as clean as you hope it is.