Assessment Centres

Assessment Centres are a relatively new addition to the recruitment process but are considered by many employers to be one of the fairest and most reliable methods of selecting a suitable candidate. They can be used to determine which candidates should be invited for interview or to help make the final decision.

What is an Assessment Centre?

An Assessment Centre is generally a series of exercises undertaken either individually or as part of a team. Each task is designed to assess your suitability for the job based on your personal and technical capabilities.

Assessment Centres are often quite lengthy and can involve overnight stays with other candidates so it is important to remember that your behaviour will be under observation for the duration of your stay. No matter how informal a situation may appear to be, any interaction you may have with other candidates, selectors and employer representatives will be closely monitored. However, you should also use every opportunity to learn from people within the organisation so that you are seen to have an active interest in the company.

Group activities

When asked to undertake group activities at an Assessment Centre, you will be monitored in terms of your ability to listen to others’ points of view and your reactions if others disagree with you. You will also be assessed on how you integrate into a team environment and whether you demonstrate leadership potential.

Group activities can include discussions, role play exercises and business scenarios. Each of these can demonstrate your communication and negotiation skills and your ability to perform certain tasks or challenges.

Although you may feel as if you need to compete against your fellow candidates, group activities should really be used as a chance to highlight your team-working skills, and you are generally assessed according to set criteria, including the ability to follow instructions.

In-tray exercise

This is usually an individual task and will involve dealing with a typical in-tray, which could consist of letters and other documents. You will be assessed on how you sort these into order of priority and what action you take for each one. This could mean drafting formal written responses to correspondence or producing statistical reports. It is important to read each document carefully and to concentrate on ensuring the quality of any work you are required to complete.

Interviews

During an Assessment Centre, you may face an in-depth interview scenario, possibly in front of a panel of interviewers. You must remember to address your response to the person who asked you the question while ensuring that you are not excluding the other panel members. Further advice and top tips for interview success can be found in The CV Centre article on Coping with Job Interviews.

Presentations

You may be required to prepare and deliver a short presentation for which you should have been given some prior notice to allow time to research the subject and prepare any visual aids you may wish to use. The introduction and conclusion of the presentation are of particular importance as these are how you engage your audience’s attention and convince them of your opinion. More useful tips on how to deliver effective presentations can be found in The CV Centre article on Presentations.

Psychometric tests

Psychometric tests can be seen as rather daunting, but as long as you read each question carefully and remain calm they are actually not as intimidating as they first seem. They generally assess your verbal and numerical skills, your logic and reasoning, and can also be used to determine your personality type. The CV Centre article on Psychometric Testing goes into more detail about the various different types of tests and how you can prepare for them.

Above all, you should try to relax and enjoy yourself during the Assessment Centre and it is important that you let your personality shine through while ensuring that you are professional at all times. This will help you to bond with your potential employer, giving them an idea of what you would be like to work with.

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