The 7-Day Pre-Employment Medicals Checklist that Australian Employers Actually Need to Know

By Your Health Magazine Contributor

Your Health Magazine Contributor

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The 7-Day Pre-Employment Medicals Checklist that Australian Employers Actually Need to Know

As an employer, what is your biggest hiring challenge?

• Unsure of whether the candidate is fit to do the job or not?
• Not able to shortlist the top talent from the applicants?
• Unable to make a quality hire in the rush to fill an open role?

After receiving applications, screening resumes, taking interviews, and gathering references, these are some of the most common challenges that the majority of employer’s encounter. Many times, employers are aware that they are making a wrong hiring choice in the rush to fill the open position but still choose to neglect it. They are highly unsure if the candidate is a true fit for the role, and that is the biggest red flag in the hiring journey.

One often overlooked yet important step that eliminates this guesswork from the process is a pre-employment medical assessment. Skipping this can be a costly mistake in terms of the cost associated with workplace injuries, reduced productivity, workplace accidents, etc. A pre-employment medical test helps employers and HR managers to ensure that the candidate is physically and mentally healthy and fit to do the job. 

This might sound time-consuming, but it’s not if you have the right approach to do it. Read this article to see how you can conduct pre-employment medicals in Australia within a week with a practical checklist and zero hassle. 

DAY 1: Shortlist The Roles Who Need a Pre-Employment Medical Assessment

The level of health screening services required varies depending on the type of role, the seniority level, the nature of the job, and such criteria. This is the initial level of assessment in the process that will guide you in deciding the level of testing and saving money on unnecessary assessments. 

Before booking any screening, note the answers to these questions:

• Is this a laborious role that demands high safety and physical fitness? (for instance, mining, construction, operating heavy machinery, etc.)
• Does the role have any risks of exposure to hazardous substances or equipment?
• Will the employee work in a team setting or remotely?
• Are there specific health regulations to comply with?

DAY 2: NO DIY Approach, Choose a Reputed Occupational Health Service Provider

Replace the Do It Yourself approach with a strategic partnership with a trusted occupational health services provider. Avoid choosing the cheapest option simply because it appears cost-effective at the moment, as it may lead to higher costs in the long run.

Australian employers should choose an occupational health services provider that has:

• Experience in your industry niche and an understanding of the different associated risks.
• An agile turnaround time for results to keep moving the hiring process without delays.
• The facility of on-site assessment service saving time and scope of disruptions.
• An understanding and adherence to the following Australian workplace safety laws:

For example, Knight Health is one health clinic in Perth, Australia that provides occupational health services, including pre-employment medical assessments. The clinic operates multiple locations across the Perth area and offers a range of workplace health screening options for employers and employees.

DAY 3: Give Clear Instructions to Your Candidate for the Assessment

To avoid confusion and delays, send a structured and straightforward email to the candidates with the following pre-employment medical assessment details:

• The date, time, and location of the screening.
• What documents to bring?
• What to expect during the appointment.
• Why is this a crucial hiring step?

DAY 4: The Medical Assessment is Conducted

Most of the pre-employment medical assessments take 1 hour to 1.5 hours and include the following types of tests:

• Physical examinations, such as vision, audiometry tests, height, and weight analysis, etc.
• Mental well-being of the candidate
• Cardiovascular examination
• Respiratory and heart health
• Urine analysis
• Evaluating fitness-for-duty
• Workplace drug and alcohol screening 
• Cognitive testing

There can be more or fewer tests on this list depending on the occupational health services provider that you choose.

DAY 5 and 6: Receive and Review the Report

Reputed and experienced occupational service providers deliver results on the same day or within 48 hours. It’s not unlike a standard report with a ‘pass’ or ‘fail’; it should instead mention:

• Any serious health conditions that require monitoring and treatment.
• Physical fitness analysis for the role.
• Recommended workplace adjustments, if any.
• Risks that your safety team should know about.

A word of advice: This is not a medical diagnosis to judge or target any candidate’s potential. Consider this as fitness-for-duty information that indicates what a candidate can do and simplifies your hiring choice.

DAY 7: Make Your Hiring Decision

Once you have screened the pre-employment medical report, you basically have 3 choices:

• Filter out the candidate if there are unmanageable risks and costs.
• If the candidate is fit for the job, proceed with the hiring.
• Make the job offer with reasonable adjustments wherever needed. 

Documenting the decision-making process is essential to make sure that if a candidate is declined based on medical records, you have evidence to prove that the decision was job-related and not biased. 

Pre-Employment Medicals Are Not Just Another Checkbox

Using this 7-step hiring checklist, Australian employers can simplify pre-employment medicals instead of making them a hiring bottleneck. Ensure an efficient hiring process with improved business productivity and long-term employee well-being.

Make your next hire the best one by evaluating their fitness for the role from day one.