In its annual survey of hiring managers, the 2016 HireRight Employment Screening Benchmark Report shows the single biggest issue facing HR professionals today is finding qualified job candidates. Across industries and around the country, the labor market has tightened dramatically. In fact, HireRight reports that 77 percent of the nearly 3,500 survey respondents indicate they will be growing headcount this year. If you are in the market for new talent – and let’s face it, who is not – chances are you have experienced the same thing. With so many jobs available to be filled, the quality of those still looking is probably declining, too.

When good candidates do not stay on the market long and the best receive multiple offers, reducing time to hire is crucial in meeting your staffing objectives. But screening takes time. Drug testing, background checks, medical exams and reference checking can run out the clock, costing you applicants you would really like to hire. And if you hire for physically demanding jobs like truck drivers, warehouse, manufacturing or construction worker jobs, Physical Abilities Testing is likely on your radar, too. It is a tough circle to square.

Fortunately, the payoff is well worth the investment. Competent background screening identifies those applicants who misrepresent their employment history, hide their criminal records and deny a habit of substance abuse – each of which is associated with shorter tenure, worse performance and increased incidence of on-the-job injury. And that goes double for employers who hire for physically demanding jobs. In fact, the average ErgoScience customer sees a 67 percent decrease in workers’ compensation expenses within the first 12 months of beginning Physical Abilities Testing. What is more, reducing injuries means avoiding the lost productivity, weakened morale and declining profits that go with them.

Sure, hiring is hard. But when 88 percent of hiring managers have found a lie or misrepresentation on resumes and applications, and when a strong back may be just as valuable as a strong mind, ineffective pre-hire screening is a shortcut you cannot afford to take.