Going through the job selection process may seem a little extensive, prolonged, or inconvenient to business daily operations, but finding the right employee is essential to company long-term growth and stability. If you are interested in finding the best candidate, you need to investigate more than just the surface material and face-value remarks.
A smooth talker does not always equal a productive and dedicated employee – if you are interested in finding quality and character then you should consider post-hire physicals for your hires. Even if the position is not a physical or strenuous job, the need for a physical could include screening for health conditions or drug use or other signs of hidden habits.
Certain industries have post-offer physical conditions based on legal obligations for safety. For example, school bus drivers must pass an eye exam with minimum requirements while teachers must take a drug test prior to employment to ensure proper functionality. These types of jobs need physical examinations to determine employee ability to perform job functions.
If you are a private company, it is your right to screen applicants for a job position based on any criteria that you desire as necessary for the job as long as that criteria falls within the law – so basically no sexual, racial, gender, or physical attractiveness requirements. Equal opportunity employers are still able to conduct post-offer physicals for their hires if the job function requires a level of responsibility or physical activity.
Why Should You Consider Post-Offer Physicals?
Insurance Risk-Management –
Post-offer physical exams can help identify issues with potential employees that may impact insurance rates for the company hiring the individual. For example, if the employee is older and has major health issues, the company may be reluctant to offer an individual the position based on the potential for workers’ compensation claims or future poor job performance due to sickness.
Statistics Favor Results –
Although it is hard to predict who is going to get hurt on the job and who isn’t, physical exam statistics often show that a post-offer physical screening reduces work-related injuries. By screening the employee prior to letting him start work, the company can determine the best candidates and therefore find potential accidents prior to them ever occurring.
Deference of Druggies –
When you have a post-offer physical attached to the job position description, many potential candidates immediately lose interest in the position after hearing that they will need to pee in a cup. Studies show that having a post-offer drug screening process defers individuals with drug and alcohol issues from ever applying. They do not want to expose their problems to potential employers, particularly within the industry they plan to be working for many years.
Compliance with the Disabilities Act –
The employer must provide a reasonable accommodation for employees with disabilities. Accommodation issues can extremely expensive to the company if not identified early. Physical exams allow employers to identify disabled employees to satisfy their needs prior to beginning workplace activities.
There Are Many Third-Party Organizations –
Given the discipline of the market and competition between institutions, companies can conduct post-offer physical exams at a reasonable price – including package deals and long-term partnerships. If you’re interested in preventive measures and reducing risk for potential high company costs in the future, physical exams may be a way of streamlining your hiring process and lowering your employee turnover rates.
You could save hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and fines from organizations like OHSA just by offering a post-offer physical exam program for your employees. Creating a program as a long-term control function will benefit long-term company goals and ambitions with the right people leading the charge.
Matthew Hall previously ran his own business, but managed to grow it enough to sell it and now writes freelance on the side to supplement his finances. He found that post-hire physicals were an extremely effective way to pre-empt potential problems and accomodate the needs of future employees, and the resource he used to find the best doctors to conduct these physicals was WorkflowOrlando.com. You can learn more about Matthew by visiting his Google+.