Should You Be Making Physical Ability Testing Part of Pre-Employment?

Work in a shipyard is difficult. It’s often a lot of heavy work in a hot and unforgiving environment. Sometimes the bulk of the work is done in tight spaces. You need to know the people you’re hiring are capable of performing under these conditions. But how can you know that ahead of their start date? Should you be making physical ability testing part of your pre-employment screening process? Here are some things to consider.  


What Does the Test Measure?  

Physical tests can be used to gauge a lot of things. The idea is to measure strength, endurance and muscular movements. One way to do this is to require a physical exam prior to employment, but that can be cumbersome to manage on your own.  

Is the Test Fair to Everyone?  

While you may consider the specific physical aspect of the job to be an essential qualification, it’s also important the test remain fair to everyone. Make sure you’re judging everyone by the same criteria.  

This can often be challenging especially when judging physical criteria. You may have an unconscious bias about who would be more suitable for the work in your shipyard. But ensuring the test is fair and balanced is essential so you can remain impartial.  

How Can You Stay Impartial?  

The best way for you, as the employer, to stay impartial is to have a qualified third party perform the tests. You can partner with a staffing agency that specializes in labor placements to conduct the tests and provide you with only the results.  

Once the results are provided, you can make the best decision based on their physical ability, past experience, job performance and other critical factors.  

Is it Essential for Safety or Performance?  

Ultimately, you need to determine if the tests you’re performing and results you’re looking for are essential for the safety of your employees or their overall performance. There may be different jobs within your shipyard that have different requirements, but that’s why it’s imperative you handle this kind of testing fairly.  


Do you want to test your candidates for their physical ability?    Contact the team at Hutco to learn more.