Sometimes also referred to as a selection centre, an assessment centre is a simulated context in which a mixture of group exercises and individual tasks are used by employers to look at how you would operate in a workplace. The aim of having a number of different types of exercise is to elicit a range of skills, with a view to gaining a more rounded picture of the candidate.
A key difference between assessment centres and other forms of interview is that candidates are tested within a group context. As well as testing a variety of attributes, employers are looking at how candidates interact with others. Typically run over one or two days, assessment centres allow employers to gauge candidates over a longer period than, for example, in an interview. Often used as the final stage of the recruitment process, employers also use assessment centre exercises to observe how well candidates work under pressure.
Assessment centres can also provide you with valuable information. As well as being an opportunity to learn more about the organization and role that you are applying for, the exercises you do can provide you with very useful insights into how you work, which skills you have developed and which competencies and qualities need honing or further development.
The specific activities, the format of the assessment day(s) and how tasks are graded will vary across organizations. In this chapter we will therefore look at a general overview of what happens in assessment centres, including the key competencies employers are assessing and examples of the tests they use to do so, general tips on how to prepare for the assessments and advice on how to ensure you do your best on the day(s).
Let’s start by getting an overview of how assessment centres work, from where they are held to who is involved.
Assessment centres are generally used by larger organizations and are often based at their headquarters, although some organizations use hotels and conference centres. Assessments often last a day but can be as short as half a day or as long as a week. Over the course of the assessment process, you will be observed and assessed as you participate in group tasks, as well as on individual tasks. The size of the group you are assessed in will vary, but it’s common for there to be around eight people in a group.
The assessors observing you may be assessment specialists with a human resources (HR) background, members of the organization’s HR team and/or line managers. Managers or HR staff from the organization you are applying to are more likely to run any interviews, so that they can draw on their knowledge of the role and organization in their questioning. Less commonly, psychologists are also brought in to observe behaviour, and on occasion actors are brought in to perform in role-play scenarios.
As you are being observed the assessors will generally mark you against specific competencies, grading your performance in each exercise, taking notes on how you approach tasks and putting together an assessment of your overall performance.
The first assessment day tends to start with an introduction about the organization you have applied to, sometimes referred to as an ‘information session’ and often delivered as a presentation. Informal discussion will often then follow, offering candidates the opportunity to ask questions about the organization. An ice-breaker exercise, where, for example, you might be asked to talk briefly about any hobbies, is designed to get candidates ‘warmed up’ and will frequently precede the start of the day’s assessments. The day, or final day if it is over more than one, will often end in a networking or social event. During the day(s) there will generally be one or two coffee breaks, and more often than not lunch will be provided.
The point of an assessment centre is to simulate the types of tasks and scenarios that you would experience in the role you are applying for. Ranging from individual timed exercises to practical activities undertaken as a group, you’ll be tested through a combination of some of the following assessment methods:
interviews, including panel interviews with a number of interviewers;
written exercises including:
letter drafting;
case studies;
‘in-tray’ and ‘inbox’ exercises;
psychometric tests, including aptitude tests (testing verbal/numerical reasoning) and personality questionnaires. It’s worth noting that this type of testing is commonly used as part of the screening for assessment centres;
group exercises;
discussions;
practical tasks;
social events and networking;
presentations, both done individually and as a group;
role playing;
evaluation/debriefing.
Key to success in an assessment centre context is demonstrating that you have the skills and characteristics the employer is looking for. To do this, you need to understand and familiarize yourself with what each type of task is testing. So, let’s now look at which skills and qualities the most common types of assessments are trying to identify. As we go through each assessment method, we’ll also look at some pointers for optimizing your performance.
Assessment days often include interviews. There may be a single one-to-one interview, or sessions with several interviewers, either in a series of one-to-ones or in the form of an interview panel. Doing well in these draws on the same principles as traditional interviews (see Chapter 16). Run through your job, organization and industry research, your answers for commonly asked questions, and keep in mind the basic principles for good answers.
Case studies are essentially problem-solving exercises, where candidates need to digest and interpret information. You are likely to be tested on how you summarize and analyse a problem, the logic and method of your process for solving it, and how clearly and persuasively you justify your decisions. As with most assessments, you need to keep careful track of time, break the task down into steps and communicate your approach as clearly as possible.
These exercises are aiming to gauge how you organize and prioritize tasks, as well as how you analyse and communicate information. Completing inbox/in-tray tasks well hinges on deciding what must be done and how, quickly: a key test here is how effectively you work under pressure. Identify which messages are most important, focusing on responding to these in the most appropriate way, both in terms of how you communicate (formally/informally) and the decisions you make on what course of action to take, for example, in addressing a complaint.
This type of testing is designed to examine your reasoning and cognitive skills. How you interpret and evaluate data and other forms of information will generally be a focus, as will accuracy on, for example, spelling or mathematical questions. The tests are often based on multiple-choice questions, taken on a computer and in timed conditions. In many cases you will already have taken a similar test online prior to the assessment day, and you’ll be repeating the exercise to confirm your results for the employer. Test practice really makes a difference to how well you do in aptitude testing, so aim to get in as much practice as possible. You’ll find lots of free psychometric tests to practise with online, and your university/college’s careers service will also very likely be able to offer you practice opportunities, as well as test training. Use a variety of tests, especially if you haven’t done much maths since school. Tight timings are one of the greatest challenges in aptitude tests, and plenty of practice can help you get quicker at doing them.
These types of tests don’t have ‘correct’ answers and instead seek to understand how you would handle different situations, how you would work with others and in some cases aim to identify your personality ‘group’. There isn’t a preferred personality type, and it’s vital that you answer the questions in a personality questionnaire honestly. Trying to choose answers that you think will be preferable to employers simply risks revealing a disingenuous approach, through an inconsistent set of responses. There’s no need to practise personality tests, but it’s worth familiarizing yourself with their general format.
When you are being assessed as part of a group, the exercises are likely to run along the following lines:
Discussions. These are often based around a case study or involving a problem-solving scenario and generally focused on issues relevant to the organization.
Tasks. Group tasks may centre on a practical activity, for example having to make something working as a team.
Role plays. These would generally be based on a scenario you would experience in the job you are applying for, for example a customer service situation.
Social activities. These might include meals, coffee breaks and networking opportunities.
Group exercises are used to observe how you interact with others but also to scrutinize other qualities more specific to the exercise. So, for example, in a discussion, employers may also be looking at how you absorb information and subsequently summarize it for others. Engaging fully with your group is key, from really listening to other candidates and taking their contributions on board, to helping keep the group focused on the task and communicating your ideas in a persuasive but not domineering manner. Group exercises are an opportunity to deploy the teamwork and, where appropriate, leadership skills, discussed in Chapter 5. The strength of your verbal communication, from expressing your ideas coherently and clearly, to giving constructive feedback, will also help you to perform well.
Not all social activities are assessed, but it’s best to assume that they are. Social interactions provide a good opportunity to build relationships with other candidates that can be valuable during group exercises. Being open and friendly, and drawing others into the conversation, will help assessors to see your people skills.
You might be asked to give a presentation alone or as part of a group, and you may either be asked to prepare it in advance of the assessment day or within a given timeframe on the day. Assessors will be looking at how well prepared your presentation is, how closely you have stuck to the remit of what you were asked to do, and how clearly and confidently you deliver your presentation. In this context, assessors may also see how you handle questions at unexpected points, and possibly also how you deal with last minute changes to the focus of your presentation. We’ll look at what makes for successful presentations in the next chapter, but essentials include demonstrating good preparation, coherent and engaging delivery, and sticking to time limits.
At the end of the assessment process, candidates will often be asked to reflect on and analyse their performance across the exercises. From an assessment perspective, a central purpose of this part of the day is for employers to see how self-aware you are. Identify exercises where you think your performance could be improved, giving suggestions of what you could have done differently as well as any relevant skills you think could be strengthened and how. The assessors will likely be looking for evidence that you are able to critically assess your own performance, therefore careful reflection and honesty are key. Find concrete examples of what you found difficult and what you enjoyed, and if you were working in a group or observed others, mention elements of their performance that you think were strong. It’s also worth preparing thoughts on where you think you will perform less well in the assessments, before the day. If you don’t struggle in tasks you’d expected to but do in tasks you thought you’d find easier, for example, bring this information, and some thoughts on why that happened, into the debrief.
However strong a candidate you are, preparation for assessment centre testing is essential. From organizing the necessary practicalities in advance, to doing practice tests, preparation can make a big difference to how you perform.
First make sure that you have read all the information you’ve been given about the assessment centre. In some cases, employers will ask you to prepare for an exercise on the day, so ensure that you follow any instructions carefully. Employers will generally give you some details on the assessments they will be carrying out and often also what to practise. Keep in mind that this information may be on the organization’s website rather than sent to you, so go through all the recruitment process material they have available. It’s also worth emphasizing that the skills you will be tested on will generally be outlined in the job description. Employers are not trying to surprise you in what they seek to find, so go through the job advertisement noting the required skills and qualities, and keep them at the forefront of your mind at the assessment centre.
Even if practice doesn’t make your performance perfect, it will mean that you are well prepared. Most of the individual tasks we have looked at can be practised, with practice materials widely available online and through your university or college careers service. Where possible, aim to replicate assessment centre conditions, such as giving yourself limited time in which to complete tasks. Some careers services also offer workshops that run through the types of exercises you’d be assessed on at an assessment centre and even give you one-to-one coaching for them. Make the most of every available practice opportunity, and ask your careers service whether they have feedback from past students about their assessment centre experiences.
As recommended in the last chapter for interview preparation, go through your application materials before attending an assessment centre. From your application form and/or covering letter, to your CV and any interviews you’ve had, refresh your memory on what you’ve written, and, if you’ve had an interview, remind yourself of what it focused on as well as the strengths and weaknesses in your performance. Just as you would for an interview, also ensure that you read up as much as possible about the organization and the wider industry.
Follow the pre-interview practicalities’ drill: prepare your clothes, identify the exact location and plan your journey. If you’re staying at a hotel the night before, make sure you know exactly where to go for the first assessment day, and leave enough time in the morning in case you get lost.
When going into an assessment centre, the right attitude is vital. A common misconception about assessment centres is that you are competing against the other candidates; in reality, however, you are being assessed against the employer’s desired competencies, and in some cases all or none of you may be recruited. This more positive approach can make a significant difference: you need to tackle exercises with the aim of being your best rather than the best, and crucially, cooperating well with others, rather than being competitive, will help you to do that. Along with this mindset, it’s also worth following these three basic rules during the assessments:
Listen to or read instructions very carefully. It’s easy to panic, not take in instructions fully and find you have misunderstood a task half-way through. Not following instructions properly is one of the most common mistakes candidates make and can slow you down considerably.
Time management should be at the forefront of your mind. A key part of the day’s testing will be on your time-management and organizational skills, so work out your timings at the start of each exercise and try to stick to them.
Keep moving on. Approach the assessment day(s) as a whole, rather than focusing on specific tasks: if you struggle in an exercise, tackle the next one without worrying about how you performed in the last. Keep in mind that you won’t be good at everything; just as your skills are better in some areas than others, you will do less well in some of the tests. Never fall into the trap of losing motivation if you feel you have performed badly in an activity: carry on positively, aiming to demonstrate your strengths elsewhere.
Having experts carefully scrutinize your competencies provides you, as well as employers, with invaluable information. Therefore, whether you get the job or not, make sure you get as much feedback as possible from the assessments. The assessors’ evaluation of your performance across different tasks can amount to very useful advice on areas to develop, as well as providing useful insights into where your strengths currently lie and aspects of your performance that you should aim to replicate. It’s also worth reflecting on your own assessment of how you did. Look at whether your performance in each task was scored as you would have expected. Aim to work out what you need to do differently, or what you need to hone if you didn’t meet a competency. Did you score less well in an exercise because you didn’t get a skill across effectively, and, if so, why was that, or do you need to put more work into developing that skill?
What I found useful:
‘I very nearly didn’t turn up to the assessment centre. I was sure that I didn’t want a corporate job. I looked up the hotel while I was half-heartedly packing to check if I needed a towel. I found out it was a five-star hotel, which I thought sounded fancy, so I went along. It’s terrible that my love of luxury towels changed my career. Because I was quite relaxed about the whole thing I was really listening during the assessments. I think sometimes nerves mean you stop engaging and just panic. I asked actual questions – properly challenging questions. I also didn’t speak up too often and focused on where I was comfortable. It’s easy to become really overbearing in these situations. When I got the call to say I’d got a place I remember being gobsmacked to hear how few of the group had got through. I guess not thinking about competition during the assessments, by not fully appreciating how competitive it was, might also have helped me.’
What I wish I’d known:
‘I thought I really wanted to work in start-ups, but I now realize that I’d underestimated how much value there is in really quality training, which I got working in established global companies. The few years I spent in a big consumer goods company really set up my career.’
L.U. (Brand manager)
Thinking about the industry you’re targeting, sketch out an assessment centre day for a specific job you’re interested in applying for. If you were trying to find the most suitable candidate, what skills, personal characteristics and competencies would you be looking to identify? Drawing on the assessment methods discussed in this chapter, how would you test candidates to identify these?