Brief Assessment Center History

1. Brief Assessment Center History • Used by Germans in 1st World War to select officers • Used by U.S. to select spies (OSS) • In Private Industry, 1st used By AT&T to predict performance of • managers (Management Progress Study)

2. Basic Assessment Center Phases • Observation and recording of participants’ behavior in exercises • Rating of participants on performance dimensions in exercises • Discussion of participants and generation of final ratings

3. Some Key Assessment Center Factors • Different simulation exercises (individual, group) • Multiple, defined performance dimensions • Multiple, trained raters • Focus on behavior of participants • Extensive recording (e.g., note keeping) of participant behavior • Group discussion of each participant (and summary of performance)

4. Assessment Center Exercises • Sample Individual Exercises • Interview Simulation • Scheduling Exercise • In-Basket • Sample Group Exercises • Leaderless Group Discussion • Business Game

5. Dimensions By Exercise Grid  To be measured in four Participant Reaction Forms X Quality typically measurable in this particular exercise ( ) Parentheses indicate an exercise that is a particularly strong measure of that quality

6. Participant:______________ (Name) Assessor: ______________ (Name) Date: ____________ Assessor Report Form Interview Simulation 1 – Very little or none of the quality was shown. 2 – A less than satisfactory degree was shown. 3 – A satisfactory amount was shown. 4 – A greater than satisfactory amount was shown. 5 – A great deal of the quality was shown. (1) Decisiveness: ______ (Readiness to make decisions, render judgments, take action or commit oneself.) (2) Judgment: ______ (Ability to develop alternative solutions to problems, to evaluate courses of action and reach logical decisions.)

7. Assessor Discussion Form Assessors: _____________________________ Participant: _______________________ _____________________________ Date: ______________ _____________________________ Decisiveness: Readiness to make decisions, render judgments, take action or commit oneself. Assessor Your Business Game _____ _____ Interview Simulation _____ _____ Leaderless Group Discussion _____ _____ _____ _____ Overall _________ Initiative: Actively influencing events rather than passively accepting; self-starting. Takes action beyond what is necessarily called for. Originates actions rather than just responding. Assessor Your Business Game _____ _____ Leaderless Group Discussion _____ _____ Overall _________

8. Assessment Center --- Sample Final Rating Form

9. Assessment Center Pros and Cons • + Multiple exercises and raters • + Behavioral Focus • + Legal compliance • Time and money involved • Potential biases during group discussion • Better predictor of progression within organizations than specific • performance scores (Policy Capturing Device?)