
Save money and have a safer workforce with Pre-employment assessments
Pre-employment assessments
They are the new staple amongst Brisbane businesses, those that are looking to decrease their workplace injuries. Pre-employment assessments save businesses money with a decrease in their LTI (lost time due to injury).
The important fact, however, is these help create a safer workforce walking in the door each day.
One of the big things that businesses struggle with is having people walk into the door for their first day with pre-existing underlying injuries.
Businesses need to understand that 75% of injuries at a workplace are occurring during manual handling tasks. The solution with most companies is to try and remedy this with manual handling training.
This has now become commonplace in most businesses.
The stats, however, have shown this doesn’t help enough to prevent injuries. This is where a well-constructed pre-employment assessment can save your company by decreasing injuries.
With a correctly tailored Pre-Employment Assessment you can screen and find out high-risk applicants before they walk in the door.
The big problem these days is the majority of pre-employment work on just ticking the boxes to make companies happy.
Do Applicants Ever Fail?
The average pre-employment assessment is failing approximately one to 1.5 percent of applicants.
Research has shown that number should be closer to 14%. Over time this decreases costs and injuries by anywhere between 25 to 60%.
So what should you be looking for when you are sending your applicants in for a pre-employment assessment. Ask the physio that is giving the pre-employment assessment if they have processes to identify risks in both the questioning and assessment stages.
To find out if people are at a higher risk ask them what those processes are. Make sure that it’s just not can they safely lift a box or can they safely squat five times.
There are aspects that are critical in the questioning that a skilled Occupational Health Physiotherapist will know.
What to Expect?
So you have decided on the practice and type of assessment that will be undertaken. Next the applicant will book for an assessment usually lasting between 1-2 hours depending on what requirements need to be assessed.
That can be anywhere from Drug and alcohol screening functional testing, job specific testing as well as baseline things like blood pressure, heart rate, vision and hearing. Once completed an in-depth report will be sent to you ideally within one business day. This allows your business to get hiring the right people faster.
What should applicants expect on the day?
Arrive in loose-fitting sports clothes with covered shoes. Ensure you don’t have too much caffeine before the assessment is that can often affect heart rate and blood pressure.
Need Help?
If as a business owner you are unsure on how to put together your own pre-employment assessment.
This is something that here at Spring physio and Rehab we help businesses with. We have completed over 2000 assessments for all industries.
If you’re in the Spring Hill or the surrounding inner-city suburbs give us a call.