Assessment Centres - How To Succeed
A CV Centre Guide
Assessment Centres
Assessment
Centres are becoming increasingly popular with employers and are considered
by many to be the most reliable, objective and fair process of selecting
suitable candidates. Traditionally, Assessment Centres have formed the
second stage of the interview process, but employers are now often using
them as a first interview, enabling them to create a shortlist of the
most suitable applicants.
Assessment Centres generally consist of a series of individual and group
exercises and tasks specifically designed to gauge your actual ability
to perform a job - rather than simply relying on what you say your capabilities
are. As a result, the employer can make an informed judgement on your
future job performance based on the personal and technical skills that
you have demonstrated.
The programme of events is often very intensive and may require an overnight
stay with the other candidates, so it is essential to create a positive
impression for the duration of the programme. Although certain stages
may appear to be informal, you are more than likely to be monitored throughout.
The programme may include a social or informal gathering with other candidates,
selectors, senior managers and employer representatives who have recently
graduated from the Assessment Centre themselves. This is an invaluable
opportunity for you to find out more about the company from people at
different levels within the organisation. The potential employer may well
be assessing your ability to entertain future clients so your behaviour
should be impeccable.
Group Activities
A number of the activities undertaken at an Assessment Centre will involve
working in groups enabling the employer to assess your teamwork skills,
your ability to listen to others and the way you react if your opinion
is challenged. Group activities can include discussions (where you are
assigned a particular subject and asked to form a conclusion as a group),
and role play exercises involving each member of the group taking on a
particular role and participating in discussions and negotiations to demonstrate
their interaction and communication skills. Additionally, business scenarios
can be simulated whereby the group has to perform certain tasks or challenges
that may well arise in a normal business environment.
One of the keys to success in group activities is to remember that you
will be competing against a set of pre-established standards, rather than
against your fellow group members. Also, the employer may not necessarily
be looking for someone who immediately takes the lead, but perhaps someone
who integrates well with others, is willing to take on board the opinions
of others and is capable of following instructions.
In-Tray
This is much more likely to be undertaken on an individual basis and involves
dealing with a typical in-tray, consisting of various forms of correspondence
and documentation. The task will be to ensure that appropriate action
is taken to deal with each piece of information which can include drafting
formal and informal written responses and preparing statistical reports.
You may be assessed on how you prioritise the workload that you are faced
with, how effectively you deal with each document, and how well you have
read and understood the information. You may also be assessed on any notes
you have made indicating further action that may be required, and on how
much of the workload you are able to complete within the allowed timeframe.
Interviews
The interviews that take place at Assessment Centres may differ from standard
interviews in that they may be more in-depth and may also involve facing
a panel of interviewers rather than just one interviewer. If this is the
case, it is important to focus your attention on the specific interviewer
posing the question whilst also ensuring that you include the other panel
members in your glance to show that they too are included.
As in any interview situation, it is always beneficial to have done your
homework on the company and be prepared to provide evidence of your skills
and knowledge. Advice and tips on successful interview techniques can
be found in Coping with
Job Interviews, also compiled by The CV Centre.
Presentations
Sometimes, you may be required to prepare and deliver a short presentation,
although you should be given prior warning of this to enable you to carry
out any necessary research and to practice your presentation. Some key
tips for the effective delivery of a presentation include: using notes
but not working from a script; maintaining eye contact with your audience;
using visual aids and handouts where appropriate, and ensuring that both
the introduction and conclusion of your presentation are strong and effective.
Further help on presentations can be found in Interviews
- Presentations, also compiled by The CV Centre.
Psychometric Tests
Psychometric tests are generally taken under exam conditions and are aimed
at assessing your logical/analytical skills and your capacity for reasoning.
Quite often, they will also be tailored towards the specific role for
which you are applying so that the employer can get an idea of how you
would perform in the role. It is essential to make sure you read and understand
each question before attempting to answer it - don't be tempted to rush
and risk making careless mistakes.
Another commonly used psychometric test is a personality
test where you may be assessed on how you respond to a given situation.
The trick here is to simply be yourself and make sure that your responses
are as genuine as possible. The interviewer will probably be trained to
pick up on any false behaviour. Further help on psychometric
tests can be found at PeopleMaps,
the UK's most popular personality
profilers.
Conclusion
In general, you should do your best to relax and enjoy the Assessment
Centre as much as you can, whilst remembering that
you may be under observation
at all times, even in seemingly informal situations. Try to be yourself
at all times and show the employer that you have confidence in yourself
and in your ability to perform the job for which you are applying.
Further Help
We
can offer no better recommendation than to get hold of a copy of the book
‘Great Answers to Tough Interview Questions’ which, despite
its title, actually covers every single aspect of the job-hunting process.
It’s the best book on the subject, is sponsored by The CV Centre,
and is available from us for just £12.50.
