Assessment Centre
1 What is an Assessment Centre?
When I heard the term assessment centre for the first time I thought that it is a physical place and its purpose is performance assessment of employees of various organizations that visit assessment centres with such a need. In fact, assessment centre is a method, not a place or organization. It is a personnel selection method. Normally, assessment centre consists of a series of testing exercises. These exercises might be written, oral or job-situation simulations. Exercises are, observed graded and evaluated by a group of assessors. The assessment centre approach is utilized in a variety of settings including industry, business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. These assessment centres vary in length, time, and selection of exercises. Assessment centres are operated either by organization itself or by another organization specialized in this field.
1.1 Types of exercises
Each assessment centre is an assortment of various exercises so that candidates are allowed to show their abilities and skills in different areas. Both candidate and organization benefit from such a variety: Organization can filter the candidates more precisely and if a candidate performs rather poorly in one section he might excel in the other field and defeat others. Assessment techniques are e.g. interviews, psychological tests, ability tests, job simulations, group exercises and in-basket methods.
1.1.1 The In-basket method.
In this exercise you applicants are asked to handle letters, reports, memoranda and messages that are typical for manager’s job. Everyone works alone on the issues and problems presented, and are asked to explain in writing the reasons for your strategies, plans, actions and decisions. This method is objective and very practical, since it does not take as much time to both assessors and assessees as for
When I heard the term assessment centre for the first time I thought that it is a physical place and its purpose is performance assessment of employees of various organizations that visit assessment centres with such a need. In fact, assessment centre is a method, not a place or organization. It is a personnel selection method. Normally, assessment centre consists of a series of testing exercises. These exercises might be written, oral or job-situation simulations. Exercises are, observed graded and evaluated by a group of assessors. The assessment centre approach is utilized in a variety of settings including industry, business, government, armed forces, educational institutions, and safety forces to select individuals for supervisory, technical, sales, or management positions. These assessment centres vary in length, time, and selection of exercises. Assessment centres are operated either by organization itself or by another organization specialized in this field.
1.1 Types of exercises
Each assessment centre is an assortment of various exercises so that candidates are allowed to show their abilities and skills in different areas. Both candidate and organization benefit from such a variety: Organization can filter the candidates more precisely and if a candidate performs rather poorly in one section he might excel in the other field and defeat others. Assessment techniques are e.g. interviews, psychological tests, ability tests, job simulations, group exercises and in-basket methods.
1.1.1 The In-basket method.
In this exercise you applicants are asked to handle letters, reports, memoranda and messages that are typical for manager’s job. Everyone works alone on the issues and problems presented, and are asked to explain in writing the reasons for your strategies, plans, actions and decisions. This method is objective and very practical, since it does not take as much time to both assessors and assessees as for