Leveraging Assessment Centre for
Targeted Recruiter Development
Anis Baig
Agenda
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Introduction
Why Assessment for Recruiters?
What is assessment and what it is not
Where do you start
Ground work
How to do it
Results
Follow up actions
Questions
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Why Assess Your Talent Acquisition Team?
Business drivers for assessing the team:
• Best-in-class staffing organizations require a team of Recruiters with wellrounded skills aligned with the business needs
• Complaints from the organization about Talent Acquisition’s lack of speed,
quality or cost-effectiveness often link directly to the team’s skill set
• Identifying individual strengths and development needs allows you to drive
sustainable ‘fixes’
• An assessment and development center itself is a tool to teach standards
and expectations
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Why Assess Your Talent Acquisition Team?
Purpose of assessment:
• To develop the skills of each recruiter of the Talent Acquisition team
• To provide honest feedback about their skills from an objective third party
• To drive personalized development
• To ensure team members are in the right roles
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Goals of Assessment Center
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Apply a series of simulations to directly observe team
perform job related activities
Identify Recruiter professional strengths and
opportunities for development
Provide feedback on how to further leverage
professional strengths
Recommend professional growth opportunities through
improving specific skills and abilities
Facilitate staff development and training
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Recruiters’ Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the
Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:
• Knows how to leverage technology
• Identifies and uses personal and professional networks
• Is creative and able to adapt, innovate on the fly
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Recruiters’ Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the
Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:
• Drives for results
• Takes initiative
• Influences effectively at higher levels
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Recruiters’ Skills Determine the Effectiveness of the
Talent Acquisition Function
The Business Case for Developing Your Recruiters:
• Identification of individual strengths to leverage
• Identification of individual needs to improve
• Group training intervention needs identified
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Recruiter Assessment
What it isn’t:
What it is:
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NOT a training program.
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A “Day in the Life” simulation
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NOT a test.
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Focused on the critical skills
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NOT a performance review.
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One-on-one coaching
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Personalized feedback and
development
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Tailored for internal relevance
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Functional Recruiting Competencies
Assessed
Intake with
Hiring
Managers
Intake Meeting
45 Minutes
Prioritizing and
Managing
Stakeholders
Finding
Candidates
inbox
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Cold Calling
Interview
45 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes
Closing
Candidates
Debrief
Offer and Close
45 Minutes
45 Minutes
T R A T E G I C
Assessing
Candidates
Research and Sourcing
45 Minutes
Influencing
Hiring Managers
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Engaging
Candidates
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Recruiting and General Competencies
Measured
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Assessment Exercises
Managing
Stakeholders
Finding
Candidates
Engaging
Candidates
In Basket
Research and
Sourcing
Cold Calling
45 Minutes
45 Minutes
Measures:
Measures:
•Understanding the
difference between passive
and active candidates
•Effectively planning for
candidate interactions
60 Minutes
Measures:
•Establishing positive
relationships
•Communicating effectively in
writing
•Building rapport quickly
•Creating effective sourcing
plans
•Linking issues and requests
to broader business needs
•Finding the right candidate
for key roles
•Demonstrating a bias for
action
•Leveraging technology
•Thinking creatively about
where to find talent
•Managing time and
prioritizing effectively
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•Ease of conversing
with new people
•Seeking opportunities
to mine sources for
candidates
•Persistence in pressing
forward despite
challenges
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Assessment Exercises
Assessing
Candidates
Influencing
the Hire
Closing
Candidates
Interviewing
Debrief
Offer/Close
60 Minutes
60 Minutes
Measures:
Measures:
•Identifying skills and
capabilities needed for a
position
45 Minutes
Measures:
•Exhibiting sound judgment
•Using facts and insights to
navigate conflict
•Building a strong question
set
•Influencing others and
guiding decision-making
•Ability to identify strengths
and gaps in candidates
•Using thoughtful, probing
questions
•Objectively presenting
strengths and weaknesses of
leading candidates
•Listening carefully and
challenging effectively
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•Tactfully negotiating
positions, listening to both
parties’ interests and needs
•Creativity in problem solving
•Influencing the candidate
and the hiring manager with
the goal of closing the
position
•Driving for hiring decision
closure
•Making good selection
decisions
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•Effectively managing
interests of candidates and
the hiring manager
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Recruiter Capabilities
Managing
Stakeholders
(In Basket)
COMPETENCY
Accurate assessment of candidate skills and capabilities
Applicant needs assessment
Builds credibility and trust
Candidate care
Closing/selling the hiring manager
Collaboration/Teamwork
Consultative partner to hiring manager(s)
Customer focus
Effective Communication
Effective interviewing
Effective Negotiation
Effective use of technology
Engaging/Closing candidates
Hiring process management
Influencing others
Locating and identifying talent
Network and relationship building
Prioritization and time management
Problem analysis and decision making
Relating to others/building relationships
Relevant professional/technical and marketplace
knowledge
Strategic focus/planning
Understands the business
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T R A T E G I C
Finding
Candidates
(Sourcing)
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X
EXERCISE
Engaging
Assessing
Candidates
Candidates
(Cold
(Interview)
Calling)
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X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Influencing
the Hire
(Debrief)
Closing
Candidates
(Offer/Close)
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
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X
X
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X
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A L E N T
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The Outcome
For Participants . . .
For Leaders . . .
Summary Results by Participant
Participant
Working
with Clients
Finding
Candidates
Engaging
Candidates
Assessing
Candidates
Influencing
the Hire
(Managing
Stakeholders)
(Creative
Sourcing)
(Calling
Candidates)
(The
Interview)
(Debrief
Meeting)
M. Johnson
Strongest skilled:
F. Davis
P. Tabor
Least skilled:
T. Watsville
I. Dunworth
F. Davis
Strongest set of disciplines:
1. Ability to lead a debrief
session
2. Basic interviewing
A. Junga
T. Watsille
Areas to Invest:
1. Teaching the team the
value of ‘hunting for
talent’ and how to do
this well.
2. Modeling executive
recruiting practices,
including cold-calling and
talent assessment
P. Tabor
C. Lopez
I. Dunworth
KEY:
Very Good
Good
Needs Development
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Linking the Assessment to Your Organization
Running the Program/Exercises
• Participant and assessor
schedules
• One-on-one feedback and
development sessions with
personalized reports
• Management summary reports
Linking the Recruiter
Competencies
• Review of literature,
benchmarking from where they
came
• Validated competency model
• Ensuring link to organization’s TA
competencies and/or priorities
Tailoring the Development
Materials
• Language for situations
• Focus on relevant positions
• Incorporating organization’s
leadership competencies where
appropriate
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Validating the Development
• Review each exercise and
evaluation guide with key
leaders
• External I/O validation
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Methodology
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Exercises conducted by subject matter experts/assessors
Each competency and exercise was rated on a 5-point scale:
• 5 = Mastery
• 4 = Very Good
• 3 = Capable
• 2 = Needs Development
• 1 = Gap
Competency scores from exercises were average and placed onto a scale:
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Professional Strength (3.50-5.00)
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Effective (3.30-3.49)
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Growth Opportunity (3.10-3.29)
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Developmental Need (1.00-3.09)
Participants are given a report of results at one-on-one feedback sessions at
the conclusion of the Recruitment Assessment Center
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Sample Competency Scores
Accurate Assessment of Candidates
Applicant Needs Assessment
Builds Credibility and Trust
Candidate Care
Closing/Selling the Hiring Manager
Collaboration/Teamwork
Consultative Partner to Hiring Manager
Customer Focus
Effective Communication
Effective Interviewing
Effective Negotiation
Effective Use of Technology
Engaging/Closing Candidates
Hiring Process Management
Influencing Others
Locating and Identifying Talent
Network and Relationship Building
Prioritization and Time Management
Problem Analysis and Decision Making
Relating to others/building relationships
Relevant Knowledge
Strategic Focus/Planning
Understands the Business
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T R A T E G I C
3.31
3.63
3.78
3.78
3.88
3.94
3.94
3.96
3.85
3.25
3.42
3.00
3.58
4.00
3.29
2.88
3.38
3.25
3.34
4.00
3.13
3.71
3.44
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• Group scored highly and achieved “professional
strength” ratings in 12 of the 23 competencies
• They exhibited robust relationship building skills
for candidates, hiring managers, and organizational
partners
• Their lowest scores were for locating and
identifying talent and effective use of technology,
which show an opportunity to improve sourcing
skills
• Other areas in which this team had lower
performance include relevant marketplace
knowledge, prioritization and time management,
effective interviewing, and influencing others
• This group demonstrated the most self confidence
throughout the day; logistics were also far better,
which could have impacted scores.
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Recruiter Capability Results
Overall Professional Strengths:
• Relating to others/building
relationships
• Effective Communication
• Customer Focus
• Selling/Closing the Hiring
Manager
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Most Consistent Professional
Development Needs:
• Engaging and Closing
Candidates
• Locating and identifying talent
• Effective Negotiation
• Influencing others
• Prioritization and time
management
• Strategic Planning and Focus
• Effective Use of Technology
• Relevant Technical and
Marketplace Knowledge
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Leveraging Professional Strengths
The highest rated competencies demonstrate Recruiters generally
have:
• Excellent relational skills
• Excellent communication skills
The skills which need to be leveraged :
• Quickly establish meaningful rapport with stakeholders
• Build relationships to deliver additional support and services
• Better influence stakeholders
• Drive effective talent decisions
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Key Developmental Observations
The lowest rated competencies demonstrate Recruiters’ opportunities to improve:
• Locating and Identifying – Recruiters showed limited ability to source, struggled
to leverage technology as a research vehicle
• Influencing others – Recruiters were managing processes without leveraging
their positions to influence decision-making
• Prioritization and time management – Determining what was most important
and fully addressing critical components of exercises was an area for
improvement
• Strategic planning and focus- Often, the teams would lose sight of the strategic
impact of their work and get lost in the transactional aspects instead
• While there were overall strengths and weaknesses, individual teams exhibited
differing professional development needs
• At the core, the two macro themes emerged: “talent hunter/identifier/woo-er”
and “strategic talent advisor” were gaps
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Follow-up actions
1. Competency model /success profile for recruiters
2. Custom 360 feedback tool against competency model as a follow
up measure to provide feedback on development progress
3. Leverage success profile for matching internal team to right job fit
4. Job aids and tools to support recruiters (“core capability” card
decks, “motivational fit” decks, etc. to influence and facilitate
Hiring Manager discussions )
5. Predictive selection tools for hiring recruiters (customized
structured interview guides)
6. Customized workshops and learning events
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Accelerate good performance and close the gap on weak
performance
Consider grouping sessions by skills gaps and / or business units
Leverage strengths for peer training
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Feedback Survey
= Professional Strength
= Growth Opportunity
= Effective
= Development Needed
• Participants gave very high ratings to the value that they
received from the Recruiter Assessment Center
• Exercises were seen as effective at measuring skills
• Participants felt the exercises addresses areas important to
their job success
• The feedback sessions were seen as relevant and useful to
improving their skills as talent acquisition professionals
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Feedback from participants
“Overall it was very positive and the feedback I received was valuable and
most importantly I was given action items to start the improvement process
walking out the door. Most people don't know (or want to know) their
strengths and weaknesses, for me this was enlightening.”
“The exercises were all relevant to our daily work activities. The instructors
were excellent in role playing; and provided a detailed, easy-to-understand
assessment at the end of the session.”
“I felt overall that the entire exercise was productive.”
“Fast paced exercise that certainly unveiled and/or verified my selfawareness. This is truly an event I would strongly recommend to anyone
and any company! Thank you for the insightful, engaging and rigorous
event.”
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Outcomes
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Individual Development plan
Alignment with role
Movement form transactional to consulting
Proactive stakeholder management
Higher customer satisfaction
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Questions
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