Assessment Centres

After a first round of interviews some organisations will run a series of extended selection activities, each lasting one or two days and sometimes longer, before making their final decisions as to whom to appoint. These are known as assessment or selection centres, and are usually held either on company premises or in a nearby hotel; a 'selection centre' isn't, in itself, a building or place. An organisation is likely to be running a number of these selection centres, and will invite a small number of candidates to each.

Assessment centres are considered by many employers to be the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff; this is because they give different selectors a chance to see a variety of candidates over a longer period of time than is possible in a single interview. It gives them the opportunity to see what you can do, rather than what you say you can do, in a variety of situations.

You will be invited to an assessment centre after a successful performance during the first round of interviews, and, again, you will be told when and where it is to be held, its duration and given an indication of what will be expected of you. Again do not be afraid to contact the recruiter, if you are unsure about anything. Recruiters will often give you a choice of dates from which to select, but do not be afraid to ask whether you could attend a different session, if the first clashes with an engagement that you cannot postpone.

Selectors at assessment centres will measure you against a series of competencies, and each activity will be carefully designed to assess one or more of these areas. Do not worry if you think that you have performed badly at any stage; it is more than likely that you will have the chance to compensate later on. It is also worth remembering that you are being assessed against these competencies and not against the other candidates, so rather than trying to compete against them as individuals, make sure that you demonstrate the qualities the organisation has highlighted and is looking for. It is not unheard-of for an organisation to select every candidate from one assessment centre and no-one from another – they are not bound to select one from each.

Remember that assessment centres are extremely expensive to run, and that you have already come a long way to be invited – you may have as much as a one in six chance of being selected.

Assessment centres typically include a number of different elements:

Social events

These give you the opportunity to meet a variety of people – including other candidates, the selectors, recent graduates or senior management. They are excellent opportunities for you to find out more about the organisation and to ask questions in an informal setting.

Although these events may be billed as informal, and not a part of the assessment process, you should still behave in a way that will reflect well on you - avoid excesses of food, behaviour and alcohol, and don't use drink as a crutch for failing nerves!

Information sessions

These provide you with more information about the organisation and the job roles available; listen carefully, as such information is likely to be more up-to-date than your previous research. If you are unclear about anything - ask.

Selection activities

Tests and exercises are used at assessment centres to reveal not only your current level of competency but also your potential in certain areas. Different recruiters will favour different means of selection, but you are likely to come across some of the following:

• Interviews
• Psychometric/aptitude tests
• Personality inventories
• Case studies
• In-tray exercises
• Presentations
• Group activities

Interviews

Although you are more than likely to have had at least one interview by the time you get to an assessment centre, you will probably encounter another one-to-one or panel discussion at this stage. This is likely to probe any doubtful areas that may have emerged at the first interview, so it is worth reflecting back, identifying possible areas for concern, and thinking about how to handle them. Interviews at this stage are likely to be much more in-depth than those you experienced during the first stages of selection, and could be with someone from the department/division to which you are applying, or even with the person with whom you would work if you got the job. Questions may refer back to your first interview, to assessment centre activities or to aptitude test results; be prepared to be challenged on your answers, but keep calm, consider your answers, and avoid being defensive.

On the other hand you may be asked many of the same questions that you were asked at first round; don't assume that your interviewer is familiar with the answers you gave at that stage, but treat this subsequent discussion independently.

Psychometric/Aptitude Tests

These are timed tests, taken under examination conditions, designed to measure your intellectual capability for thinking and reasoning, particularly your logical/analytical reasoning ability. More and more organisations are using these tests at a much earlier stage in the selection process, however, and it may be that you will not be tested at the assessment centre itself. The tests should be carefully designed for the role for which you have applied, and are meant to be challenging, but will not depend on you having prior knowledge or experience of that role. Most tests are multiple choice in format, and you should be given sample questions with your letter of invitation. Before the testing session begins, you will have the opportunity to work through some example questions; these will not be taken into account when the tests are marked, but are there to ensure that you understand what is expected of you.

Whatever your experience:

• pay careful attention to the instructions
• ask for clarification if you don't understand the examples
• work as quickly and accurately as you can
• skip over any questions on which you get stuck, but make sure that you record the answer to each question in the correct box
• practise working without a calculator, as you may not be allowed to use one, and revise basic mathematical operations if you haven't done numerical work for a long time

Personality inventories

These assess what you are like as a person and how you might react in different situations. They are not usually timed, have no right or wrong answers, and are often used to help ensure you would 'fit' into the employing culture or to identify the working situation which would best suit you. You cannot practise for these tests, but you should answer honestly and avoid trying to second-guess 'correct' answers. Pretending to be other than you are during the recruitment process may later lead to disappointment on both your parts. There are several personality inventories available across the internet, but these are of variable quality and won't, in any case, affect your performance in a recruitment situation.

Case studies

In this kind of exercise you will be given a set of papers relating to a particular situation, and asked to make recommendations in a brief report. The subject matter itself may not be important – you are being tested on your ability to analyse information, to think clearly and logically, to exercise your judgement and to express yourself on paper.

In-tray exercises

These are business simulation exercises, where you will be expected to deal with an 'in-tray' full of 'typical' paperwork. The tray might contain company memos, telephone and fax messages, reports and correspondence, together with information about the structure of the organisation, your role and your objectives. You will be expected to take decisions on each item: deciding priorities, drafting replies, delegating tasks or recommending action to superiors, and so on. The exercise is designed to test how you handle complex information within a limited time, and how you prioritise your work and balance seemingly conflicting instructions. This kind of exercise gives you the chance to show you have the organisation, communication and planning skills necessary for the job. Some selectors will also want to know why you have made certain decisions, and may ask you to annotate items in the tray or explain the actions you have taken in a follow-up discussion.

At least one organisation has now replaced the in-tray with an 'e-tray' exercise, where candidates are expected to deal with an email in-box. The essentials - the competencies being tested - remain the same, however.

Giving Presentations

You may be asked to prepare a short talk for presentation to the other candidates and the selectors. Sometimes you will be asked to bring a prepared presentation to the assessment centre, but usually it will have to be prepared on the day. You may be given a subject or have completely free choice – and it can be worthwhile to have a brief presentation on a subject dear to your heart already prepared. Whatever the case, try to avoid talking about anything too commonplace or technical, but remember that you could be asked supplementary questions, so it will need to be a subject on which you have further information to hand. Again, the subject matter is not necessarily important in itself - the organisation wants to know whether you can structure a talk and put information across effectively.

Planning

• Plan your presentation carefully along A-B-C lines:
• A tell them what you're going to tell them
• B tell them
• C... and then tell them what you've told them.
• Limit your points to no more than 6 main messages.
• Pitch the level of your talk at your audience and keep it clear - don't give too much detail.
• Support your ideas and themes with (brief) anecdotes, examples, statistics and facts. Don't be afraid to use humour appropriately.
• Consider your timing, and note how long each part of your presentation should take.

Presentation

• Aim for a conversational delivery and talk from notes, rather than memorising, or reading from, a full script. You may find it helpful to fold or cut notes to hand size (5"x 4" index cards are just right).
• Talk to the group - not at it.
• Speak clearly, don't gabble or mumble, and talk a little more loudly than you think necessary.
• Keep to time. Bear in mind that your nerves can speed you up or slow you down on the day.
• Make eye contact at some point with all members of the group.
• Be aware of your body language, and don't fidget as you talk.

Visual Aids

• Flipcharts and OHPs can greatly enhance your presentation, but should be used judiciously. Use them, by all means, but let them illustrate rather than repeat what you are saying.
• Images are generally more effective than words.
• Don't overcrowd your visual aids - you want your audience to be listening to you, not reading!
• Avoid walking in front of the screen or flipchart.
• Avoid reading your visual aids out loud to your audience.

Questions

• Handle any questions using the mnemonic TRACT :
• Thank the questioner
• Rephrase the question for the rest of the audience
• Answer the question to the group
• Check with the questioner that s/he is satisfied
• Thank them again

Group activities

Most graduate jobs will involve you working with other people in some way, and most assessment centres involve a substantial element of group or team work. Whether you have to complete a practical task or take part in a discussion, the selectors will be looking for your ability to work well with other people. It is important to remember that good team working is not necessarily about getting your ideas taken forward, but also listening to, acknowledging and following through the ideas of others in the group. There are some basic rules to follow in this type of exercise.

• Get a good grasp of any information you are given, but don't waste time on minute details.
• In the light of the information given, decide your objectives and priorities, then make a plan and follow it.
• Be assertive and persuasive, but also diplomatic.
• Remember that the quality of what you have to say is more important than how much you have to say.
• Listen to what everyone else has to say, and try to get the best contribution from everyone in the group. Don't assume that shy or quiet members have nothing to contribute.
• Find the balance between taking your ideas forward and helping the group to complete the task set constructively.
• Make sure the group keeps to time.
• Keep your cool, and use your sense of humour where appropriate.

Group activities - practical tasks

As a group you may be asked to use unfamiliar equipment or materials to make something – a paper clip and pipe cleaner bridge capable of taking a golf ball from one table to another, for example. The selectors are usually more interested in how the group interacts than in the quality of the finished product, but they will also be assessing your planning and problem-solving skills, and the creativity of your individual ideas. As with any group activity, get involved – however silly you may consider the task to be.

Group activities - discussions and role plays

You may be asked to take part in a leaderless group discussion on a given topic, or in a more formal role-playing exercise, where you will be given a briefing pack and asked to play the part of a particular person. The assessors will be looking for your individual contribution to the discussion as well as your verbal communication and interpersonal skills.