HumRRO - Physical Ability Testing

Despite the countless ways that work has evolved across the ages, one fact has remained a constant: physical performance is a critical part of many jobs.

These jobs span diverse private- and public-sector industries, including utilities, transportation, telecommunications, and public safety. In fact, nearly 30% of all jobs have critical tasks that include a physical component.

From a hiring perspective, the stakes in this arena are high. Individuals with inadequate physical capabilities experience more workplace injuries and absences, exposing employers to costly workers’ compensation claims. On the other hand, physical standards that do not reflect actual job demands can create artificial employment barriers. For these reasons, an optimal hiring process must include accurately identifying and effectively assessing a diverse array of physical talents.

HumRRO is in a unique position with our diverse set of capabilities and tools needed to help organizations navigate these challenging waters. Our acquisition of Human Performance Systems (HPS) added several internationally-known experts in physical ability testing to our staff. Coupled with our decades of expertise conducting rigorous job analyses to support the development of custom assessments for mission-critical jobs, we are now the industry leader within this arena.

Proven Assessment ROI

Our physical testing programs are used in numerous Fortune 100 companies and our nation’s military and civilian government agencies, including Walmart, Exelon, Verizon, Southern California Edison, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, San Francisco Police Department, Virginia’s Prince William and Chesterfield counties, and the U.S. Secret Service and Army. We also developed assessments to screen thousands of applicants for the Transportation Security Administration in the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Time and time again, the use of our physical tests has yielded tangible, impressive outcomes that positively impact worker safety and well-being, as well as effective performance and the financial bottom line.

Client Success Stories

In the transportation industry, the use of our physical ability tests led to:

  • Declines in lost time due to injuries ranging from 5% to over 10%
  • A decrease in workers compensation costs by $33 million within 4 years

A nearly 20% reduction in back injuries among workers at an electrical utility


$2.5 million in savings for a client in the railroad sector due to a decrease in the number of absences from work among those who passed our assessment


46.5% fewer injuries for individuals who passed the physical tests we developed for a maritime shipping industry client

Unmatched Resources and Expertise

We have amassed truly unique expertise, benchmark data, and tools as a result of our decades of work assessing physical capabilities:

Our Task Database

A rich source of information that details over 7,000 work tasks from over 600 jobs involving physical work. The database allows for detailed cross-job and benchmarking comparisons, saving precious time and resources during the initial job analysis phase of a project.

Our Physical Test Database

Includes data for over 40,000 job applicants and incumbents across 30 different physical tests, allowing us to tailor assessment strategies to the unique requirements of the target job.

These resources provide us with rich, detailed knowledge of the physical requirements needed to perform hundreds of specific work tasks. This allows us to “hit the ground running” when helping our clients identify an optimal assessment strategy for a job that involves tasks and abilities that are included in these databases. Our flexible assessment design and delivery models then allow that strategy to be executed in the most efficient and effective way possible:

  • We offer several types of physical tests, including basic ability assessments and job simulations that are available from our Physical Test Database or designed specifically to meet our clients’ needs.
  • We can administer the assessments or train our clients to do so.
  • We have existing partnerships with several third-party test administration vendors.

A Full-Service Solution

Our unparalleled capabilities and resources allow us to offer our clients a truly full-service assessment solution. After following a rigorous content-oriented test development process, we work with our clients to generate additional validity evidence through either a criterion-related validation study or a transportability study. We provide analysis and a rationale for identifying optimal passing scores and administration related policies and procedures (e.g., accommodation, score reporting, and candidate feedback). In the event of any legal challenges, we stand behind our work by providing clear documentation and expert testimony.

Please contact us if you are interested in our physical testing capabilities, and to learn how we can help you generate a success story of your own!

David Dorsey - Vice President, Business Development

For more information, contact:

David Dorsey, Ph.D.

Vice President, Business Development