What is assessed in a pre-employment examination?
Pre-employment examinations are a good way for both candidates and employers to assess the suitability of people for a role. The assessment usually commences with the assessor asking basic information about the candidate including name, date of birth, pre-existing conditions and contact details.
The common elements of a pre-employment assessment are
1. Basic health information. This includes, weight, height, blood pressure etc.
2. Vision assessment.
3. Hearing assessment. An audio assessment may be conducted to asses a persons hearing.
4. Drug and Alcohol tests. Employers can decide what they want to test for.
The drugs screened in a pre employment health assessment include:
- Cannabis,
- opiates (heroin),
- methamphetamines,
- amphetamines,
- benzodiazepines (antidepressants and sleeping tablets),
- cocaine,
- alcohol.
- Functional Assessment. This part is the most important for physical jobs.
The assessor will assess the person physical abilities. It is best to have this assessment aligned to the job.
This is usually done having an assessment completed by an expert to assess what the physical requirements of the role are.
That way the assessment is aligned to the actual job so you can simulate the work environment and test how the candidate will perform.
Pre-employment screening can be done virtually for those who are not able to attend a physical location. It is important for candidates to undergo a pre-employment health assessment as it can improve workplace productivity.Â
6. Psychological testing. There is a broad range of tests available to employers. Like physical assessments, the psychological assessments are designed to assess a persons ability to do the job.
Generally, most assessors will not disclose the findings to the candidate. The report is sent to the employer who makes an assessment based on all available info on the suitability of the candidate.
Download a free Pre-Employment sample report.
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Disclaimer – these articles are provided to supply general safety information to people responsible for OHS in their organisation. They are general in nature and do not substitute for legal and/or professional advice. We always suggest that organisations obtain information specific to their needs. Additional information can be found at https://www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au/Â