More and more companies are using assessment centres to enhance their recruitment process – particularly for senior positions where the stakes are high and it’s vital that you bring the very best person for the job on board. Assessment centres are generally regarded as useful because they enable an equal situation for all candidates, and a good opportunity for the employer to observe them in a ‘real’ situation rather than an interview scenario.
An assessment centre isn’t a physical place as the name suggests, but a method of selection. Employers will shortlist a small number of candidates (generally between five and twelve) and invite them to an appropriate location, often a hotel or function suite. Candidates will be welcomed and a series of tasks will have been scheduled for the course of the day. Some assessment centres will last for two or three days, so candidates should be prepared for some level of intensity.
It’s worth being aware of the form. The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development's ‘Recruitment, Retention and Turnover Survey’ highlights that around 34 per cent of employers use some form of assessment centre when recruiting managers, professionals and graduates, so they are perhaps more commonplace that one might expect and increasing in popularity.
For candidates who are nervous about interviews and struggle to make a strong impression in such a short space of time, assessment centres can help. Key things to remember include:
Preparation – Try to find out as much as you can about the format for the centre. Whilst it’s hard to prepare for the unknown, you can spend time thinking about your approach to group exercises and how you will tackle difficult questions or difficult people!
Teamwork and Leaderships Skills – Your approach to teamwork is likely to be scrutinised. You will need to find the right balance between a quiet and reflective approach coupled with a confident and authoritative manner. You may need to play the role of group leader in some tasks. Again here, you will need to be confident and authoritative without being bolshy, bossy or overly directive. Listen in a consultative style and ensure you facilitate the input from all team players.
Stay Positive – Don’t lose confidence during the process if you feel you could have done better in a particular task. Stay positive throughout. You are being observed on a number of tasks, not just one.
For employers thinking about conducting an assessment day, the key to success is in planning and professionalism. Concentration is critical – so prepare for a challenging day or two and ensure you have mechanisms in place to capture your thoughts and observations.
External can help, in terms of doing the preparation and/or ensuring effective facilitation of the day. They will help you to crystallise what you are trying to achieve, and combine of elements to ensure optimum results. For example:
- Informative group meetings, where you can provide more detailed information about your company, its history and recent developments
- Exercises and tests, that can include group work, individual work and problem solving, practical tasks, psychometric tests, presentations, group exercises and role-playing
- Informal events, such as an evening dinner or social event, designed to find out more about the candidate and their personality and for questions to be asked and discussions to be had in more of an informal setting
If you would like to find out more about facilitating an effective assessment centre, contact Phil Hill or Cliff Sewell at Sewell Moorhouse on 0114 268 3313. Sewell Moorhouse is an independent financial, accounting and administrative recruitment consultancy with offices in Sheffield, Leeds and Doncaster
