Pre-employment is part of the onboarding process for most companies. The purpose of the exam is to make sure that the employee is physically and mentally fit for the exam. The guidelines are provided by the Occupation Safety and Health Administration or the local Department of Health for pre-employment testing.
In addition, the companies also review the potential employee’s work and medical history. The test in simple words ensures that the employee’s physical and mental health complies with the nature of the job. It can be either a long or short process, depending on the nature of the job.
It is also called a pre-placement test or a Human Performance Evaluation, the physicals help companies to get an overview of the prospective employee’s overall health status. Moreover, it also enables them to make better choices while hiring new candidates. The physical test can also be utilized for record keeping on the basis of establishing metrics. It helps the company to monitor any changes in the employee’s health over a certain time.
Types of Pre-employment Tests
Generally, Employee Physical Exam includes checking the employee’s overall signs of health. A qualified healthcare professional or nurse checks the employee’s blood pressure, temperature, pulse, and employee’s weight. Moreover, the doctor or nurse will also examine the employee’s cardiovascular and respiratory health, vision, reflexes, and standard physical checks.
In addition, the doctor will also take note of things like swelling and bruises and ask questions about how it happened. They may also ask about medications taken, ability to handle stress, behavioral and mood changes, etc.
Drug Screening Tests
The pre-employment physical exam also includes drug test screening. They are categorized into the following classes such as:
- Hair drug and alcohol screening
- Sweat drug screening
- Saliva drug screening
- Urine drug screening
Before an employee can start at the new workplace, the employee is asked to take one of the drug or alcohol tests to ensure competency for the job. Highly risky jobs where employees have to handle dangerous chemicals or lift heavy equipment are normally asked to go through drug screening. Being intoxicated on the job raises the risk of injury to coworkers or employees.
Employers from bigger companies require employees to stay away from drugs and alcohol. Some companies also take random drug and alcohol tests to make sure that the workplace is drug-free.
Job seekers in the labor industry should avoid any nutritional supplements and drugs that can result in drowsiness, or nausea, which can directly affect the operation of heavy machinery.
Stamina and Physical Ability Tests
Pre-employment physicals that test energy and stamina are more relevant for jobs involving lifting or heavy labor work. Apart from monitoring energy and stamina, these tests also look for the flexibility and strength of the potential employee.
The physical ability test will make sure that the employee is able to resist the labor work and other demands of the job. It helps employers to also select people who are less likely to get hurt while on the job. In few points, the physical ability test is to review:
- Cardiovascular health
- Muscular tension
- Power
- Balance
- Flexibility
- Overall attitude under physical constraints
Pre-employment exams test a worker on functional tasks such as pushing pulling, lifting, and carrying heavy loads. For this specific test, an employer may send the employee to a physical therapist, who then creates the test based on the physical demands of the job. The therapist or doctor may ask questions about lifestyle, exercise, family history, and diet to give the employer an overall profile of the employee’s health status.
Psychological Tests
The psychological tests involve pre-employment exam involves testing the new employee’s mental health. In the test, the physician will ask different questions and look over the psychological well-being and make sure that the employee deals ideally with stress on the job.
Some jobs are physically demanding, but more than that they can be psychologically demanding. For this purpose, the doctor may conduct other tests or ask questions of the employee about any history of mood fluctuations or history of depression.
