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Assessment Centres: A Comprehensive Overview of Selection Process

This session provides an introduction to assessment centres, their purpose, and elements involved. Learn how to approach each element and understand why employers use assessment centres to select the best candidate(s) for the job.

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Assessment Centres: A Comprehensive Overview of Selection Process

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  1. CAREER MANAGEMENT SKILLS PROGRAMMESession 7: Assessment Centres Julie Blant, Deputy Director, Postgraduate Careers Service

  2. Assessment Centres Today’s Session: • Introduce you to assessment centres why and when they are used in the selection process. • At the end of the session you should: • Understand some elements you may meet at an assessment centre and • Understand how to approach each element

  3. Why do employers use assessment centres? To select the best candidate(s) for the job by observing and analysing behaviours in a range of simulated work-related situations. • Will select candidates who match the candidate profile. • May use a matrix

  4. Example of Matrix approach Leading: To understand and articulate the future direction of the business together with the values which underpin the uniqueness of the business:

  5. What are they designed to do? Assessment Centres, or second round interviews, are designed to: measure a candidate’s ability to discuss, evaluate, review and make recommendations using: group discussions, group exercises or individual exercises, which simulate work-related tasks and demands.

  6. What’s involved? • Group Exercises and Group Discussions • Presentations • Role Play • In-Tray Exercises • Written Exercises, reports, letters, memos • Psychometric assessments • …may contain other elements - dinner! An assessment centre is usually a one or two day event, where you work alongside other candidates but perform to a standard set by the employer

  7. What’s involved? A Typical Agenda for an Assessment Centre • 9.00 Coffee and registration • 9.30 Introduction to the day plus company presentation • 10.15 Group Exercise and Presentations • 12.00 Lunch with partners and recent graduates • 1.15 Aptitude Tests • 2.15 Coffee • 2.30 Individual in-tray exercise • 3.30-5.00 30 minute interview with partner

  8. Group Exercises and Discussions What do they do to us?! • Group is given a task • Idea is to assess a range of skills – e.g. teamwork, negotiation, leadership, problem solving, interpersonal skills, time management ability to summarise/come to conclusions. Will depend on competencies they are seeking. • Observers sit around the room making notes on individuals’ performance – there may be one per candidate!

  9. Group Exercises • Designed to test team working skills and find people who will complement each other and the existing team • Timed case studies or fictitious scenarios. Could be a practical activity. • Usually have to present ideas and recommendations to a panel Sample case studies: Boston Consulting Group http://www.bcg.com/careers/interview_prep/interview_prep_splash.jsp Vault Case Studies: www.wetfeet.com McKinsey: http://www.mckinsey.com/aboutus/careers/bsg/apply.asp

  10. Group Discussions • Designed to test team working skills, listening skills, personal effectiveness • Timed discussion topics – maybe job relevant/maybe not • Listening skills required • and Assertiveness!

  11. Presentations • Designed to test your oral skills and personal effectiveness in presentations. • May be given topic in advance, or not. • May be required to deliver a presentation jointly with another candidate. • Timing vital, tests oral skills and content.

  12. Presentations • Structure is vital: • Intro, main, summary, questions…are signposts for your audience, tell them the structure at start. • Eye contact with audience. • Pace..be lively, don’t ramble around topic. • Do not read from your notes. • Try not to turn around to look at the screen.

  13. Role Play Designed to test communication, creativity, working under pressure, quick thinking • could be in form of individual case study or group exercise • might be used to test persuasive skills depending on job

  14. In-Tray Exercises • Designed to test judgement, time management and prioritising skills, writing skills. • Can be on paper or on computer using email. • Timed.

  15. In-Tray/E-Tray Exercises • A basket of letters, in-box of emails etc. for you to prioritise, to delegate or to answer. • Read everything before you begin any of the tasks … ‘ the Chairman wants to see you IMMEDIATELY’ .. this message may be at bottom of the pile. • Example supplied by KPMG can be found on Edinburgh University Careers Service website: http://www.careers.ed.ac.uk/STUDENTS/Applications_Interviews/AssessmentCentres/in-tray%20exercise/intray_exercise.htm

  16. Written Exercises • reports, letters, memos, emails • Designed to test working under pressure, clarity of written communication skills, judgement. • Timed.

  17. Psychometric Assessment • A recent survey published by the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development reported that about 50% of all 557 companies surveyed used some form of psychometric selection process. • Aptitude or ability Testing • Personality Testing

  18. Aptitude or ability tests: • strictly timed, designed to test whether you can perform in the job. e.g. logical/analytical reasoning ability • practice test sessions are available in the Business School to help you improve your technique in approaching these types of tests • Personality questionnaires: • untimed, have no right or wrong answers. • used to help ensure you would fit into the organisational culture and the role itself. • you cannot practise for these tests, but you should answer honestly and avoid trying to second-guess correct answers. For practice/example tests: www.prospects.ac.uk www.doctorjob.com

  19. Lunch/Dinner • A one day assessment centre is likely to involve lunch • A two day assessment event will involve an overnight stay and dinner. • Tips: • Be on best behaviour and on your guard at ALL times. • NEVER be tempted to: • stay up late • eat and drink too much • chatter unwisely

  20. Assessment Centres: Essential Skills • Time Management • Personal Effectiveness • Communication: written and oral (listening & speaking) • Analytical skills & decision making • Teamworking

  21. Assessment Centres: Further Information • Booklet entitled ‘Second Interviews’ in Resource Room • Contains examples of typical exercises • www.prospects.ac.uk - go to jobs & work, applications & interviews – choose ‘assessment centres’ for general advice or ‘test yourself’ for psychometric test examples • DVD - available for loan • Me!

  22. Assessment Centres: Summary • remember the candidate profile • may be set over two days • assessed to a standard but compared with other candidates

  23. Any Questions?Julie BlantPostgraduate Careers Adviserjulie.blant@nottingham.ac.uk

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