/ Professional Training

Assessment Centre Guidelines

Advice from Hilary Brown, Human Resource Consultant, PricewaterhouseCoopers.

An assessment centre is a great opportunity for you to demonstrate how good you really are and this article will help you in preparing for the event.

WHAT DO ASSESSMENT CENTRES ENTAIL?

An assessment centre is usually one of the final stages in the selection process, succeeded only by reference checks and a possible medical examination. It is an event that comprises a number of exercises each designed to gather as much data as possible on how you perform in relation to the organisation’s competencies. Essentially competencies describe the key skills, behaviours, attitudes and values required for different organisational roles. Assessment centres are the best way of assessing the potential for an individual to perform and develop in relation to each of these competencies.

One of the main advantages of assessment centres is that they focus on how you can perform and your potential for developing your current level of competency, rather than your previous experience – which may or may not have given you the opportunity to demonstrate the competencies the organisation desires.

Many organisations have a list of competencies. Although competencies are specific to the requirements of an organisation there are a number of behaviours that organisations tend to value. Here are just a few:

Communication – i.e. how you put over your thoughts and ideas and listen to those of others.

Motivation – i.e. your level of enthusiasm and commitment in achieving results.

Gathering and analysing information – i.e. your ability to gather and evaluate information in order to draw conclusions.

Planning and organising – i.e. how you manage your time and the task you have been given.

Initiative and innovation – i.e. going beyond the obvious and suggesting the unusual.

Problem solving – i.e. a curiosity about identifying the different ways in which a problem can be resolved.

Working with others – i.e. the ability to contribute to and support colleagues or a team.

It is from competencies like these that the organisation will design the assessment centre. The precise nature of exercises will vary from organisation to organisation, but they will generally be a mixture of paper based and interactive exercises. The following section describes each of these exercises and gives you some tips on how to approach them.

PAPER BASED

Business case – you will be presented with a number of documents about a company situation and you will have to analyse the information given and suggest a recommendation. It is likely that you will be asked to write the recommendation in the form of a memo or letter to one of the key players involved.

Tips for approaching the Business Case:

  • Read the instructions carefully and make sure that you are clear on what the exercise requires you to produce. That is, the medium (report, plan, memo), the style (formal/informal), the length (short/long), the content (executive summary, project plan, timescales, areas for further analysis, possible concerns, potential opportunities).
  • Take a bit of time at the start of the exercise to plan how you are going to use the time available. That is, how long you are going to spend reading the materials, how long the analysis will take and how long the write up will take.
  • Read all the materials made available to you, highlighting what you perceive to be key issues as you go along. As you write your report you should draw supporting evidence from a range of those materials, thereby demonstrating that you have considered all the information.
  • In writing the output of the exercise, try to be as balanced as possible. That is, give equal attention to the different issues you have identified, consider both the positives and negatives in a situation and address short term as well as long term issues.

In tray – in this type of exercise you will be given a number of papers and documents that outline a range of issues that need to be dealt with. You will probably be asked to produce an action plan or series of memos that document your decisions.

Tips for approaching the In-tray exercise:

  • In addition to the tips given in the Business Case, consider the situation from a range of angles and viewpoints. What does the business want from this situation? What do the different individuals within the situation want? Where are the potential areas of conflict? In doing this you are more likely to create a holistic solution.
  • Be aware of the consequences of your solution (for good or for bad) and note them down in your output. This will help the assessors gain an understanding of the thinking behind your decision.

Psychometric testing – if you have not received any testing prior to this stage it may be that the company will want to assess your verbal and numerical ability. This will take the form of multiple-choice papers to be completed within a strict time frame.

Tips for approaching Psychometric testing:

  • In completing ability tests, whether they are numerical, verbal or spatial, you need to balance speed and accuracy – both are valued. A good tip for managing this is to calculate how much time you have per question and monitor your progress as you go through the questions. If it is proving too challenging to complete each question within this time slot then allow yourself more time – but always remain aware of the overall deadline.
  • Remain calm. Focus on one question at a time. If you get stuck then move on, you may be able to come back to it later – if not, you will at least have answered another question more effectively.

INTERACTIVE

One-to-one meeting – in this situation you would be meeting with a role player or assessor in order to discuss a certain issue – typically one you would expect to come across at work. Prior to the meeting it is likely that you would be given a number of documents that outline the situation at hand. The assessed element of this exercise is likely to be both the meeting itself and a memo or letter summarising the meeting and the way forward.

Tips for approaching the One-to-one meeting:

  • Prepare as well as you can for the meeting. Read all the materials, be clear about the situation at hand and start to consider what the other party will want from the meeting – what might he/she be thinking and feeling.
  • Again, be aware of how much time you have in the meeting and what you need to achieve within that time. At the outset, take time to discuss how you are going to approach the meeting, clarifying what the other party would like to discuss.
  • Actively listen to the other party in the meeting. That is, not just hearing what they are saying but really focusing on them and looking like you are listening, e.g. eye contact, sitting forward, nodding, adding and responding to his/her comments. Try to create an open, supportive environment in which the other party will feel comfortable having an honest discussion.
  • Don’t assume you have to give all the answers in the meeting. If you genuinely don’t know or are concerned with the way the conversation is going then indicate that you need to gather more information on this and that you will get back to him/her after the meeting.

Group exercise – there are two types of group exercise; negotiated and problemsolving. In negotiated group exercises there are a number of set roles that need to be taken, each with its own agenda. The group then has to discuss the issue at hand, each individual from the point of view of their own role.

In problem solving group exercises each member of the group will have the same or at least a similar brief and they will have to work together in order to achieve a solution. The remit of such exercises can range from discussing a business problem to carrying out more abstract, creative tasks, e.g. creating an object using a range of materials. These types of exercises will generally give you the opportunity to demonstrate how you work with others to address problems.

Tips for approaching the Group Discussion:

  • Be free in contributing ideas to the group – your ideas are valuable in trying to meet the goal of the task and indeed they may well act as a trigger for the ideas of others.
  • Listen to the ideas of your team members and try to build on them in order to create a more effective solution. If you don’t fully understand what is being said, either ask for clarification or play back to them what you think they meant (e.g. ‘If I understand you correctly, you are saying…’).
  • Give others positive feedback on the ideas they have put forward (e.g. ‘I really like that idea’) – show that you understand and appreciate their contribution. If the group is very vocal and you are finding it difficult to get your ideas heard then try to use positive feedback as a lever into the discussion (e.g. ‘That’s a really good idea and we could also…’).
  • Throughout the exercise keep focused on the task in hand and the time the team has available. Together, work out a plan of how you are going to use the time most effectively.

Structured interview – within this exercise you will be asked a number of questions about your past experiences, both work based and education based. Some interviews use the competency list as a basis for the questions, e.g. ‘can you think of an occasion where you had to plan an event?’ but whatever the route, the assessor is focused on funnelling the information down in order to reveal a true picture of you.

You could consider each answer to the interviewer’s questions in relation to the STAR technique. That is:

Situation: Give a general overview of the context for each answer;

Task: Describe what you were trying to achieve in the situation;

Action: Describe what you actually did;

Result: Describe what finally happened and what you learned from the experience.

(There is more advice on interview technique in the ‘Interview Guidelines’ section of this website).

Presentation – you may be asked to give a short presentation on a specific topic area. Preparation can be completed either at or before the centre – the organisation will let you know. Take a note of how much time you have been given for the presentation and plan your preparation and content accordingly. The assessors will be looking at the way in which you convey complex information in a short space of time.

Tips for approaching the Presentation:

  • If you have a choice in your presentation topic, pick a subject area that you know a lot about and are comfortable in discussing – it is likely that the assessor will ask you questions at the end of your session.
  • It is rare to get more than a 10-minute window for a presentation, so use only a few key slides that chart the progress of your discussion. A lot of slides can act to distract or confuse the audience. In addition, each slide should contain only four or five key points – you can fill in the detail.
  • At the start of the presentation let the audience know: the subject you will be discussing, the route you are going to take, and the time you have available.
  • With each slide create a clear mental picture of what it is you want to convey to your audience. What is it you want them to understand? If you think in terms of images then the words will follow – if you think in terms of words then you will not only forget the next line, but you will also lose track of the message you are trying to convey.

Self-evaluation – within the event you may be asked to evaluate your own performance on each of their exercises. This allows the assessors to get an idea of how you think you performed and also enables them to assess the thought, motivation and intent behind your actions. In completing these forms it is best to be as open and realistic as possible to provide the assessors with a true understanding of your experiences throughout the day. The self-evaluation is typically not an assessed exercise.

WHAT SHOULD I BEAR IN MIND DURING THE EVENT?

Although each assessment centre exercise will vary in terms of style and content there are a number of general points you should bear in mind throughout the event.

  • Be yourself. This is the best advice anyone can give you. Don’t try and be something that you are not as it will be impossible to maintain this role over the periods of the assessment centre, and indeed the effort is likely to have a negative impact on your performance. In being yourself you are more likely to find the job that best suits your personality and work style.
  • Treat assessed exercises as the ‘real thing’. Unless the assessor is taking part in the exercise, you should try to forget that the assessor is present. The more you treat the exercise as a real life situation, the better your performance will be.
  • Ask questions. If you have any questions, even if they seem trivial, ask them. It is better that all your concerns are resolved than you sit through an exercise with your mind on something else.
  • Forget the last exercise. Each new exercise is a new beginning. If you think you have made a mistake in a previous exercise then just forget it. The mistake can’t be changed, but going forward you can prove that it was not a good reflection of your performance by giving your full attention to the next exercise and thereby performing well. In addition, if an exercise went particularly well don’t just sit back on your laurels. Keep focusing on what you are doing and try to perform at the same level during each of the subsequent exercises.
  • Try not to worry. The organisation wants to see how well you can perform; they are not trying to trip you up. This is a genuine opportunity for you to show who you are and demonstrate how good you really can be.
  • Read the instructions fully. At the outset of each exercise you will be provided with written instructions indicating what needs to be achieved, within what timescale and the documents that have been provided. Make sure that you are clear on what you are expected to do and that you have all the necessary documentation.
  • Be aware of time. During the exercises try to be actively conscious of the time available and what needs to be achieved within that time. An effective, but simple memory aid is to write down the start time and end time at the beginning of the exercise. Often participants remember how much time they have available (e.g. 40 minutes) but forget when that time period commenced.
  • Focus on yourself. Focus on your own performance and not that of the other participants. There will always be the temptation to discuss your different experiences and approaches with others on the centre, but please remember that the assessors are there to observe your performance so avoid the worry inherent in comparing yourself and your approach with your colleagues’.