ASSESSMENT CENTRES
Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
bw@kent.ac.uk
You can download a copy of this presentation at
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm
Career Ranking Exercise
Rank the following careers in terms of their value to society:
Nurse
Social Worker
Army Officer
Bank Manager
Politician
Lawyer
Architect
Engineer
Research Scientist
Actor
Farmer
Priest
Journalist
Policeman
School Teacher
What is an assessment centre?
• A series of exercises, carried out individually
or in a small group over one or two days,
designed to measure the competencies needed
in graduate recruits
• The final stage in the selection process
• Good news! Normally only 5% of the original
applicants will get this far
Who uses assessment centres?
Most large graduate recruiters including:
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The Civil Service
Local government; the NHS
Manufacturing companies
Banks, chartered accountants
Advertising agencies
Consultancies
The armed forces, police etc.
Why do employers use
assessment centres?
• They are one of the most reliable indicators of
successful future job performance
• They are a fair and objective selection method
• They assess candidates across a number of
dimensions
What happens at an
assessment centre?
A number of different exercises, which are likely to include:
Group exercises:
Individual exercises:
• Discussions
• Written tasks
• Practical tasks
• In-tray exercises
• Role play
• Psychometric tests
• Presentations
• Interviews
Plus socialising with assessors, fellow-candidates and recent graduates
Selection methods of top employers in 2014
The most frequently-used exercises
at assessment centres
• Interview
97%
• Psychometric test
91%
• Group discussion
89%
• Personality test
79%
• Case study
71%
• Presentation
61%
• In-tray exercise
48%
How will you be assessed?
• By people with clipboards or iPads!
• On a range of competencies that are
important in the job you are applying for:
For marketing it might be negotiating and
persuading skills
For computing it might be more problem
solving and analytical skills
• By more than one person
• On your own merits
What are assessors
looking for?
• Evidence of the competencies needed to
perform well in the job.
• You have already been assessed on these on
paper and at first interview…
• The assessment centre will look particularly at
your ability to work with others, influence
and persuade – and how others respond to
you.
Group exercises
• Discussions
• Practical tasks
• Role play
Group Discussions
Discussion of a general topic, e.g.
• Should tolls be introduced on all
•
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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 funding
• Shipwreck/desert survival
Group Exercises
Practical tasks, e.g.
• Constructing a Lego tower or
paper chain
• Creating an advertising
campaign for a specific
product
• Crossing a “shark-infested
river”
Role Play
• Discussion of a given topic or problem
• Each member of the group allocated a role,
e.g. Marketing Manager/Finance Director
• You will have information that other members
of the group do not
• Need to reach an agreement or produce a
recommendation
Tips for group exercises
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Use your watch! There is usually a strict time limit.
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Be yourself, relax and enjoy. You will feel challenged, and feel very tired, but that's
expected!
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You must speak and play a prominent part in the exercise, not just react to other
people. However, do not be overbearing and listen to others.
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You really are marked on the key competencies they provide you with
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The point isn’t getting to the correct answer but seeing how you got there
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One or two of the candidates tried too hard to impress and were very overbearing
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Take initiatives e.g. in group discussions use the flip chart, watch the time. Show
enthusiasm (EY)
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There are always people watching so be careful about what you say/who you say it to/when
you say it. Be friendly to the other candidates. (Deloitte)
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Encourage everyone in your group to contribute and listen to their ideas.
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The biggest thing that gave me confidence was the realisation that not only was
everyone else nervous.
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The other candidates were very friendly. I chatted to people in the breaks and I actually
forgot I was being assessed as I was enjoying myself! It helped to make small talk with the
interviewers.
Selector assessment form for group exercises
Criteria on which your contributions to a group
exercise might be assessed.
Participation
•
Participates enthusiastically in discussion.
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Actively influences events rather than passively
accepting.
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Acts on opportunities: originates action.
Spoken Expression
•
Expresses his/herself clearly and coherently.
•
Makes a clear persuasive presentation of ideas
and facts
Originality of Ideas
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Introduces new ideas.
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Builds constructively an the ideas of others.
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Brings a fresh approach to a problem.
Quality of Thought
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Analyses the problem well.
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Gets to the root of the problem: can recognise
which information is important and which is
peripheral.
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Can evaluate data and courses of action, draw
sound inferences and reach logical decisions.
Influence on Others
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Makes a point which is accepted by the other
members.
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Influences the direction and nature of the
discussion.
Open Mindedness
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Listens to carefully to other members' views.
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Incorporates the points made by others into their
own.
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Shows tact and diplomacy
Facilitation of the Discussion
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Makes a direct attempt to help another person.
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Squashes a dominant interrupter to allow someone
else to make a point.
Judgment
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Discriminates clearly between the important and the
trivial.
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Does not allow his/her feelings to sway decisions:
unbiased and rational.
Case Studies
• May be one of the group exercises and
discussions, often involving role-play ..
• … or an individual task
• Will 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
Presentations
In-Tray/E-tray Exercises
• Simulates the work you will be doing if selected
• You will be given a number of messages – plus
attached documents – that you might find in your
inbox one morning
• Need to sort, prioritise and take or recommend
action
• Time-limited: new emails
(and even phone calls) may keep coming in!
Interviews
• Likely 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 Side
• May 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
How you can prepare
• Practise for some exercises in advance
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/applicn.htm#Selection
• Keep up to date with current issues
• Think back over your previous interviews with this
organisation
• Assessment Centre Videos
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/IntVid.htm
• Web pages
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/selection.htm
Assessment Centre Workshop
Wednesday 18th November (2 weeks time)
2 to 4 pm
COLT 3
Practical group exercises to prepare for an
assessment centre
You must attend the whole workshop.
Careers Employability Award on Moodle
• Half the unemployment rate for students completing the award
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/moodle.htm
• DP2650
•
Email bw@kent.ac.uk if you have problems enrolling
www.kent.ac.uk/careers Telephone: 01227 823299 Email: careerhelp@kent.ac.uk
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9 to 5 including vacations
Drop-in times (no appointment needed: 15 minutes): 10.30 to 12.30 and 2 to 4 pm
Help given for up to 3 years after graduation
Weekly careers emails every Monday afternoon
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
Bruce Woodcock
University of Kent
Careers and Employability Service
bw@kent.ac.uk
You can download a copy of this presentation at
www.kent.ac.uk/careers/slides.htm