Posted by HR consultants emphasize that Assessment Centre participants usually have to compete among themselves for a single vacancy. This creates motivation to complete tasks to the best of their ability on the one hand, and on the other hand can have a stressful effect on those who are less active and open-minded. There is also time pressure during the session, as all the goals set for the participants must be achieved as quickly as possible. The participants’ form can also be weakened by the need to adapt quickly to new conditions and situations, as well as by the awareness of being observed and evaluated by experts.
It’s a kind of Big Brother for candidates,” says a personnel consultant from one of the consulting firms in Katowice, ”At first the participants try to appear as good as possible in front of the evaluators, but it’s easy for an experienced observer to recognize the candidate’s game. After a few hours, all the participants are so tired that everyone starts to behave naturally, just as they would after a few hours at work.
During a typical Assessment Centre, participants may encounter several tasks that are part of a comprehensive assessment of their competencies. Typically, these include:
- a biographical interview, similar to a regular job interview,
- behavioral interview, which includes a series of questions about behavior in specific situations encountered on the job, such as “What would you do if…”,
- a simulated interview, during which the participant is expected to solve a difficult problem, such as resolving a conflict in the team he or she leads, negotiating the best terms of a contract or restoring the company’s good name in the eyes of a disgruntled customer,
- a basket of tasks to test time management, prioritization and delegation skills, e.g.: “When you returned from vacation, you found a lot of unfinished business. Which tasks will you take up first?…”,
- group task, aimed at selecting a group leader and determining what roles in the team will be played by the various participants in the session,
- presentation, i.e. a suggestive presentation of a difficult to accept idea or solution to a problem; often the task of the other participants is to create conflicts and stressful situations at the same time.
The tasks used during each Assessment Center are tailored to the needs of a particular position in the company, the HR consultant stresses, but three rules should always be followed: read or listen carefully to the instructions, control the time and always start with the most important part of the task. It is also good to take notes.
Assessment Centre gives benefits not only to the employer, but also to the candidate it allows him to learn about his competencies against the competition, learn more about the company and learn specific skills, such as working in a group. He can use them in his professional work or…. during the next Assessment Centre.