ASSESSMENT CENTRESJenny KeaveneyCareers Advisory Service28th November 2012

What is an assessment centre?Who uses assessment centres?Why do employers use assessment centres?What happens at an assessment centre?How will you be assessed?What are assessors looking for?What happens after an assessment centre?How can you prepare for assessment centres?Further help and information

What is an assessment centre?

Good news! Normally only 5% of the original applicants will get this farA series of exercises, carried out individually or in a small group over one or two days, designed to measure the competencies needed in graduate recruitsThe final stage in the selection process

Who uses assessment centres?

Most large graduate recruiters including:The Civil Service Local government; the NHSManufacturing companiesBanks, chartered accountants Advertising agenciesConsultanciesThe armed forces, police etc

Why do employers use assessment centres?

They are one of the most reliable indicators of successful future job performanceThey are a fair and objective selection methodThey assess candidates across a number of dimensions

What happens at an assessment centre?Group exercises:DiscussionsPractical tasksRole play

Individual exercises:Written tasksIn-tray exercisesPsychometric testsPresentationsInterviews

A number of different exercises, which are likely to include:Plus socialising with assessors, fellow-candidates and recent graduates

The most frequently-used exercises at assessment centresInterview97%Psychometric test91%Group discussion89%Personality test79%Case study71%Presentation61%In-tray exercise48%

How will you be assessed?By people with clipboards!On a range of competencies that are important in the job you are applying forBy more than one personOn your own merits

What are assessors looking for?Evidence of the competencies needed to perform well in the jobYou have already been assessed on these on paper and at first interviewThe assessment centre will look particularly at your ability to work with others, influence and persuade and how others respond to you

Group exercisesDiscussionsPractical tasksRole play

Group DiscussionsDiscussion of a general topic, e.g.Should tolls be introduced on all motorways?What can be done to improve the NHS?How can the problems associated with excessive alcohol consumption be tackled?Discussion of a scenario:Assessment of bids for lottery fundingShipwreck/desert survival

Group ExercisesPractical tasks, e.g.Constructing a Lego tower or paper chain Creating an advertising campaign for a specific productCrossing a shark-infested river

Role PlayDiscussion of a given topic or problemEach member of the group allocated a role, e.g. Marketing Manager/Finance DirectorYou will have information that other members of the group do notNeed to reach an agreement or produce a recommendation

What are assessors looking for in group activities?Interpersonal skillsPersuasivenessCo-operation and teamworkAnalysis, judgement and decision-makingInitiative and creativityTime management

Case StudiesMay be one of the group exercises and discussions, often involving role-play .. or an individual taskWill need to study the information you are presented with, pick out the key points and reach decisions which you may need to write up in a report or to present verbally

PresentationsYou may be given a topic in advance or allocated one on the dayKeep visual aids simple and relevantYou will be allowed to use notes small cards are best

In-Tray ExercisesSimulates the work you will be doing if selectedYou will be given a number of messages plus attached documents that you might find in your inbox one morningNeed to sort, prioritise and take or recommend actionTime-limited: new emails (and even phone calls) may keep coming in!

InterviewsLikely to be more challenging and probing than previous interviews but will be with a different interviewer so be prepared for some of the same points to be covered especially anything that has emerged as a weak point at previous interviews

The Social SideMay include coffee breaks/lunch with the assessors and/or meetings with recent graduates Not part of the formal assessment but anything you say or do could be remembered

What happens after the assessment centre?or

How you can prepare for assessment centres You can practise for some exercises in advance .. and keep up to date with current issuesThink back over your previous interviews with this organisationUse the information sources coming up on the next slide!

Further help and informationAt the Assessment Centre DVD (AgCAS) www.kent.ac.uk/careers-local/vid/ACIntro/assessmentcentre.htmlBook: How to Succeed at an Assessment Centrewww.kent.ac.uk/careers/selection.htm

THE END . of this presentation Careers and Employability Servicehttp://www.kent.ac.uk/cesAt the end of Keynes driveway, Opening hours 9.00 am - 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday

*Based on a 1995 survey in Journal of Org Behaviour, quoted in Tolley & Wood p. 9. Only figs for large organisations used.

Will focus here on group discussions (but mentioning interviews and presentations)

Plenty of info in CAS/on web/on Carousel about psychometric and personality tests*By people with clipboards! lurking unobtrusively in the background, noting down instances of positive/negative examples of relevant competencies. Try to ignore themBy more than one person one person may be your assessor, ie the one making notes on you, but all assessors will have input into the final decision On your own merits I.e. not in competition with other candidates

Dont worry if you feel you have performed poorly in one exercise you will be assessed across the whole range of exercises and can compensate in others

*Often an ice-breaker to see how the group relates to each otherMay be given a leader or asked to elect a chair but generally a round-table discussionA good idea to start by defining the problem, the most important issue(s) or what the group is trying to achieve helps focus

* and making a profit, which will depend on the size of the construction and the cost of materialsRiver crossing may be literally building a bridge (minus the sharks) in the Army, or crossing a patch of beeping carpet (IBM)

**Interpersonal skills listening, sensitivity, negotiation, diplomacyPersuasiveness influencing, taking account of others concernsCo-operation and teamwork some tasks can only be completed by co-operation, not competitionInitiative and creativity innovation, thinking outside the box. Assessors will have heard most ideas and arguments before so anything a little bit different will stand out

*individual task e.g. the Policy Exercise at CSSB

which you may need to write up in a report or to present verbally (in which case you can expect to be challenged on your conclusions so be prepared to defend them but also to consider the arguments/points of view put forward against them)

*Different interviewer may be a more senior member of the organisation, or somebody you will be working for (line manager)CSSB interviews one with Chair, Psychologist and Departmental Assessor*Not part of the formal assessment will not (usually) be assessed on whether you know which wine glass to use or how to handle chopsticksBut anything you say or do could be remembered especially if you drink too much, tell inappropriate jokes or gossip*Will almost always be given feedback if you are rejected having got this far!Dont look on rejection as failure but as not being right for that organisation*You can practice for some exercises in advance such as presentations and reasoning tests (if you know they will form part of the assessment centre) not Lego building!and keep up to date with current issues in the newspapers and the business pressThink back over your previous interviews with this organisation and your original application. What seemed to interest or concern them particularly? Hopefully you have already researched the organisation, know what they are looking for in graduates and how you match up to their requirements