Understanding Assessment Centres

Careers and Student Employability

Session Aims

To help you Gain an appreciation of how assessment

centres operate Understand why employers use

assessment centres Better prepare for assessment centre

activities

What is an Assessment Centre

‘A method for assessing aptitude and performance; applied to a group of participants by trained assessors using various aptitude diagnostic processes in order to obtain information about applicants' abilities or development potential”

Invitation to an Assessment Centre usually occurs towards the end of the graduate recruitment process. The typical process would be:

Application Form – usually online Online Psychometric Test Initial Telephone interview Invitation to Assessment Centre

Assessment Centre Activities

Typically an Assessment Centre will run

over 1-2 days at either the company’s

offices or at an external location:Activities might include:

Group Activities In-tray Exercises Individual Presentation Psychometric Test- if not already used Panel Interview

Group Activities

These vary but can include: Discussion exercise: candidates given a topic and asked

to discuss Planning activity: candidates given a brief and asked to

work together to organise Role play: candidates asked to play out specific scenario

usually related to the roles on offer Fun exercises: candidates asked to work together on

something more light-hearted as a means of developing group dynamic, e.g building a paper tree!

General Tips on Group Exercises

Remember that the assessors are looking for a range of qualities – ability to lead, to listen, to work in a team, to offer ideas

Try not to hog the discussion – you may come across as bombastic!

Make sure you do contribute – assessors need something to base their assessment on!

Find a balance between contributing your own ideas and supporting the group.

Demonstrate active listening skills throughout.

In-tray Exercises

These can include: Prioritising and justifying typical daily

activities Writing an email/letter responding to a

query Checking a document for errors Evaluating a document and summarising

its contents/recommending actions

Psychometric Tests They are standardised procedures for

measuring, usually, aptitude or personality

Employers use them to measure characteristics against job-related criteria

They are useful to employers because they help filter applicants

They can be used at different stages of the recruitment process

Types of Psychometric Tests

Tests can include: Ability or aptitude tests – verbal,

numerical, diagrammatic Personality questionnaires

Ability or aptitude tests

Measure logical reasoning abilities relevant to job

Possible to improve your score in these tests by practising beforehand

Strictly timed Taken under examination conditions Usually multiple-choice tests There is always a right answer

Personality questionnaires

Personality questionnaires

Less frequently used by recruiters Designed to:

– measure character traits– assess how your personality functions in different environments

No right or wrong answers Not strictly timed Usually taken online Important to answer the questions as honestly as possible, and not

to try to predict what employer is looking for No real advantage to practising tests beforehand, but may be worth

familiarising yourself with them in advance, in order to know what to expect on the day

Before the test

Get some practice: CaSE Website Profiling for Success

– Find out from your recruiter which test publisher they use

– See Useful resources section for info on other practice tests

Brush up on your verbal reasoning and maths skills

Let recruiter know about any special needs

During the test Pay attention to any instructionsRaise any issues before test startsEnsure you have been provided with a calculator, pencil and rough paperIf you get stuck on a question, move on to the next oneMultiple choice:

– Try to work out answer, then see if it matches any of those given

– If no match, even after checking your reasoning/calculations, make an educated guess

Concentrate, stay focused, and ignore what other people are doingKeep an eye on the time

Useful Resources

Profiling for Success: Practice tests in verbal and numerical reasoning and the opportunity to undertake personality assessments. Available through the CaSE website. Prospects: Information and advice about testing and assessment days. Psychtesting: British Psychological Society's Psychological Testing Centre. Saville Consulting: Preparation guides for a range of numerical, verbal and diagrammatical tests. SHL Direct: An information service about assessment methods which provides an overview of selection processes, interview hints, assessment centre advice and sample tests. You can also take example personality and motivation questionnaires. Team Technology: Access the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a commonly used assessment by employers to discover a candidate's personality type.

Presentations: “It’s not what you say it’s how you say it”

Body Language 55%

Tone of Voice 38%

Words 7%

First Impressions

You have 4 – 7 seconds to make a positive impact and good opening impression

Start with a good, strong, solid introduction - practice it in advance

Remember to introduce yourself, smile and connect with the audience through confident eye contact

Set Objectives

What is this presentation about? What am I seeking to achieve? Is the purpose to inform or persuade? What is my key point that I must get

across to the audience?

Nature of Presentation

Audience – how large will it be? What level of knowledge will they have?

Venue – where will it be, what facilities are there?

Timing – how long have I got?

Structure

Use the rule of three to structure your presentation

1. Introduction – Introduce what you are going to tell them and why it is important, include a hook

2. Main body of talk – 3 key points, stories etc.

3. Conclusion – Summarise what you’ve told them, include a call to action

Content

Attention span of the average listener is only 6-8 minutes Keep it simple Strong start, make 3 main points, strong finish Know your material – Use brief notes/words on cards Grab the audiences attention and be memorable Don’t apologise for anything Include a call to action (if relevant) Prepare and practice your opening and closing

statements carefully

Ways of Engaging your

Audience

Start with a Hook - pose a question, statistic, quote to illustrate the key message

Consider using: Anecdotes/stories to convey a particular point Personal touches if relevant Controversial quotes to grab attention Interesting facts/opinions Images to convey key points/messages quickly Appropriate humour Visual aids if appropriate – PowerPoint, Flip Charts

InterviewsOften the final stage of the process

Panel of Interviewers Questions around your application Competency based Scenario based Motivational Questions Best advice- attend an Interviews Workshop Book a Mock Interview Try our Interview Simulator (CaSE site)

)

Any Questions?)