Valuable resources are wasted if employers hire and train new employees only to discover they do not have the physical ability to perform the job. A pre-hire, post-offer functional screen reduces injuries by requiring job applicants to perform the specific, physical demands of their job. Pre-hire screens may also be known as Post Offer Screens, Post Offer Employment Testing (POET), Pre-Employment Screens and Agility Testing. EEOC and ADA compliant post-offer screens are based upon a thorough job analysis. These screens prevent mis-hires, reduce injury rates and reduce workers compensation expenses. Job candidates also benefit by avoiding injuries they might have incurred if they were placed into jobs that exceed their physical capabilities.
Research Supporting Effectiveness of Post Offer Screening:
Research studies clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of post-offer screening.
Reimer et al found that pre-employment screening combined with a worker fitness program for grocery warehouse workers significantly decreased injuries and injury-related expenses over a 3.5-year period.
Nassau demonstrated that pre-work placement screening and case management significantly decreased the severity of injuries.
Gassoway and Flory documented that screening nursing assistants at a regional health center significantly decreased job turnover. The health center saved $6 for every $1 spent on screening.
Littleton provides the strongest evidence to date in support of post-offer screening, using the ErgoScience Post-Offer Screening protocol. They tested physical plant applicants at a major university hospital and found an 18%, decrease in number of lost day cases and a 78% decrease in total injury costs. For every $1 spent on post-offer screening, the employer saved $18.
For more information on the benefits of Post Offer Screening, click here.
Read Deborah Lechner’s article on Post Offer Screening, published in the August 2008 article of PT Products.
Contact ErgoScience if you would like further information about post offer screening, post-offer screen training or to inquire about having your job applicants tested by ErgoScience.
