Post Offer Employment Testing (POET)

This course provides a practical framework for developing, implementing, and documenting Post-Offer Employment Testing (POET) programs that evaluate whether an individual can safely demonstrate the physical abilities required to perform the essential demands of a specific job. Participants learn to connect employment testing directly to validated job demands rather than relying on generic strength, fitness, or functional testing.

The course begins with the relationship between the Job Demands Analysis and the POET. Participants learn to identify the essential job functions and critical physical demands that should drive test design, including material handling, postural tolerances, mobility, force, frequency, height, distance, and other measurable job requirements. Emphasis is placed on maintaining a clear connection between what the job requires and what the employment test evaluates.

Participants examine how job demands are translated into safe, standardized, and reproducible test components. The course addresses selection of testing methods, development of job simulations, establishment of performance criteria, sequencing of test activities, and consideration of safety throughout the testing process. Participants learn to avoid testing abilities that are not supported by documented job requirements.

The course also addresses consistency and defensibility in POET administration. Participants examine standardized instructions, scoring and performance criteria, documentation of results, and procedures for managing situations in which an applicant demonstrates difficulty completing a required test component. Attention is given to maintaining an objective process that evaluates demonstrated ability rather than making assumptions about an individual's future performance.

Special consideration is given to the practical implementation of POET programs within the workplace. Participants examine collaboration with employers and other stakeholders, validation of job demands, changes in job requirements over time, quality assurance, and the importance of periodically reviewing testing procedures to ensure that they continue to represent the work actually being performed.

Throughout the course, emphasis is placed on the principle that a defensible POET begins with the job, not the test. The goal is to develop an employment testing process in which each test component can be clearly connected to an essential job demand and administered consistently, safely, and objectively.

Target Audience:

Physical Therapists, Physical Therapist Assistants, Occupational Therapists, Occupational Therapy Assistants, Athletic Trainers, Occupational Health Nurses, Safety Professionals, Human Resources Professionals, and other licensed rehabilitation professionals involved in work rehabilitation, functional restoration, and return-to-work decision-making.

Instructional Level:

Intermediate

Prerequisites:

Foundational knowledge of workplace injury mechanisms and WMSDs and Job Demands Analysis is recommended. This course builds on the identification and measurement of essential job demands and focuses on translating those demands into a job-specific Post-Offer Employment Testing process.

Learning Objectives:

Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the purpose and role of Post-Offer Employment Testing within a workplace injury prevention strategy.
• Use Job Demands Analysis findings to identify the essential physical demands that should be represented within a POET.
• Translate documented job demands, including force, frequency, height, distance, postural tolerances, mobility, and material handling, into measurable test components.
• Develop job-specific testing and simulation activities that reflect the essential physical demands of the work.
• Establish standardized test procedures, performance criteria, and safety considerations for POET administration.
• Identify testing components that are not adequately supported by documented job demands and should not be included in the POET.
• Document and communicate POET results objectively and consistently.
• Develop a process for reviewing and updating a POET when job demands, equipment, processes, or workplace conditions change.

Educational Methods:

Didactic instruction, Job Demands Analysis examples, employment-testing scenarios, test-design exercises, job-simulation development, case-based analysis, performance-criteria exercises, and applied POET development activities.

Continuing Education Units / Contact Hours:

1 hour. Full Attendance Required.

Sponsors:

This program is not sponsored by any commercial entity. No commercial support has influenced course content.

Disclosure Statement:

All faculty and planners have disclosed relevant financial and non-financial relationships. Any potential conflicts of interest have been reviewed and mitigated in accordance with continuing education standards.

Cancellation & Refund Policy:

Refunds are available in accordance with Matheson's cancellation and refund policy. Please refer to our Cancellation Policy for full details.