Pre-Employment Medical Checks: What to Do & What to Avoid

Some employers choose medical screenings as part of their program for bringing on new employees. Depending on the role, the recruitment process can become much more complicated when medical screenings are involved. As an employer, you have to do what you can to decide whether a candidate is the right person for a role and sometimes, that includes a medical screening.

Depending on the position, a medical screening can make or break your decision. The screening methods that you use will honestly determine whether you choose the right candidate but there are plenty of screening options out there. From a health assessment to criminal record checks, screenings matter during the employment process. Whether you choose to screen for immigration checks or not is your call and will depend on the nature of the role but you might want to include a pre-employment medical check. These are especially important when there is a level of fitness necessary for the position, but you have to ensure that all of the candidates on your list are treated fairly. With this in mind, we’ve got some do’s and don’ts to consider when you are conducting your pre employment checks. Let’s take a look below:

• Do only perform checks that are related to the job. If you need to perform fitness tests then keep it at fitness tests, rather than just blood tests. Make a list of the things that you need as part of the medical and go with it.

• Don’t test for general health. You’re not a GP and while you may have an outsourced company to help you, if it’s not going to affect someone’s performance and ability to complete the job, you don’t need to check for it.

• Do choose a reputable company to complete the health assessment. You shouldn’t just run a medical yourself. Always make sure that the company you choose is non-discriminatory and can be trained to avoid discrimination with all of the potential employees. 

• Do advise all candidates of the outcomes of their tests. Make sure that you assure strict confidentiality at all times so that no one feels like their personal information is going anywhere.

• Don’t use a medical exam for anything other than its intention. You can only use a health assessment for the job you’re hiring; to see if a candidate is able to perform the requirements of the job. 

Health assessments and pre-employment medicals are there to help you to figure out if a candidate can do a job. Candidates are not legally obligated to disclose any information to you but you might consider asking them to sign a consent form. Pre-employment checks are pretty standard stuff in certain industries and a medical exam is going to be a positive thing if you can use them to see who the best candidates are. Make sure that you always choose a professional company to help conduct these checks, and you’ll find that you have the best possible result in the end.