Transcript Slide 1
Understanding Assessment
Centres
Careers and Student
Employability
Session Aims
To help you
Gain an appreciation of how assessment
centres operate
Understand why employers use
assessment centres
Better prepare for assessment centre
activities
What is an Assessment Centre
‘A method for assessing aptitude and performance;
applied to a group of participants by trained assessors
using various aptitude diagnostic processes in order to
obtain information about applicants' abilities or
development potential”
Invitation to an Assessment Centre usually occurs
towards the end of the graduate recruitment process.
The typical process would be:
Application Form – usually online
Online Psychometric Test
Initial Telephone interview
Invitation to Assessment Centre
Assessment Centre Activities
Typically an Assessment Centre will run
over 1-2 days at either the company’s
offices or at an external location:
Activities might include:
Group Activities
In-tray Exercises
Individual Presentation
Psychometric Test- if not already used
Panel Interview
Group Activities
These vary but can include:
Discussion exercise: candidates given a topic and asked
to discuss
Planning activity: candidates given a brief and asked to
work together to organise
Role play: candidates asked to play out specific scenario
usually related to the roles on offer
Fun exercises: candidates asked to work together on
something more light-hearted as a means of developing
group dynamic, e.g building a paper tree!
General Tips on Group
Exercises
Remember that the assessors are looking for a
range of qualities – ability to lead, to listen, to work
in a team, to offer ideas
Try not to hog the discussion – you may come
across as bombastic!
Make sure you do contribute – assessors need
something to base their assessment on!
Find a balance between contributing your own ideas
and supporting the group.
Demonstrate active listening skills throughout.
In-tray Exercises
These can include:
Prioritising and justifying typical daily
activities
Writing an email/letter responding to a
query
Checking a document for errors
Evaluating a document and summarising
its contents/recommending actions
Psychometric Tests
They are standardised procedures for
measuring, usually, aptitude or personality
Employers use them to measure
characteristics against job-related criteria
They are useful to employers because they
help filter applicants
They can be used at different stages of the
recruitment process
Types of Psychometric Tests
Tests can include:
Ability or aptitude tests – verbal,
numerical, diagrammatic
Personality questionnaires
Ability or aptitude tests
Measure logical reasoning abilities
relevant to job
Possible to improve your score in these
tests by practising beforehand
Strictly timed
Taken under examination conditions
Usually multiple-choice tests
There is always a right answer
Personality questionnaires
Personality questionnaires
Less frequently used by recruiters
Designed to:
– measure character traits
– assess how your personality functions in different environments
No right or wrong answers
Not strictly timed
Usually taken online
Important to answer the questions as honestly as possible, and not
to try to predict what employer is looking for
No real advantage to practising tests beforehand, but may be worth
familiarising yourself with them in advance, in order to know what to
expect on the day
Before the test
Get some practice:
CaSE Website
Profiling for Success
– Find out from your recruiter which test publisher they
use
– See Useful resources section for info on other
practice tests
Brush up on your verbal reasoning and maths
skills
Let recruiter know about any special needs
During the test
Pay attention to any instructions
Raise any issues before test starts
Ensure you have been provided with a calculator, pencil and
rough paper
If you get stuck on a question, move on to the next one
Multiple choice:
– Try to work out answer, then see if it matches any of those given
– If no match, even after checking your reasoning/calculations,
make an educated guess
Concentrate, stay focused, and ignore what other people are
doing
Keep an eye on the time
Useful Resources
Profiling for Success: Practice tests in verbal and
numerical reasoning and the opportunity to undertake
personality assessments. Available through the CaSE
website.
Prospects: Information and advice about testing and
assessment days.
Psychtesting: British Psychological Society's
Psychological Testing Centre.
Saville Consulting: Preparation guides for a range of
numerical, verbal and diagrammatical tests.
SHL Direct: An information service about
assessment methods which provides an overview of
selection processes, interview hints, assessment
centre advice and sample tests. You can also take
example personality and motivation questionnaires.
Team Technology: Access the Myers Briggs Type
Indicator (MBTI), a commonly used assessment by
employers to discover a candidate's personality type.
Presentations: “It’s not what you say
it’s how you say it”
Body Language 55%
Tone of Voice 38%
Words 7%
First Impressions
You have 4 – 7 seconds to
make a positive impact and
good opening impression
Start with a good, strong, solid
introduction - practice it in
advance
Remember to introduce
yourself, smile and connect
with the audience through
confident eye contact
Set Objectives
What is this presentation about?
What am I seeking to achieve?
Is the purpose to inform or persuade?
What is my key point that I must get
across to the audience?
Nature of Presentation
Audience – how large will it be? What level
of knowledge will they have?
Venue – where will it be, what facilities are
there?
Timing – how long have I got?
Structure
Use the rule of three to structure your presentation
1. Introduction – Introduce what you are going to
tell them and why it is important, include a
hook
2. Main body of talk – 3 key points, stories etc.
3. Conclusion – Summarise what you’ve told
them, include a call to action
Content
Attention span of the average listener is only 6-8 minutes
Keep it simple
Strong start, make 3 main points, strong finish
Know your material – Use brief notes/words on cards
Grab the audiences attention and be memorable
Don’t apologise for anything
Include a call to action (if relevant)
Prepare and practice your opening and closing
statements carefully
Ways of Engaging your
Audience
Start with a Hook - pose a question, statistic, quote to
illustrate the key message
Consider using:
Anecdotes/stories to convey a particular point
Personal touches if relevant
Controversial quotes to grab attention
Interesting facts/opinions
Images to convey key points/messages quickly
Appropriate humour
Visual aids if appropriate – PowerPoint, Flip Charts
Interviews
Often the final stage of the process
Panel of Interviewers
Questions around your application
Competency based
Scenario based
Motivational Questions
Best advice- attend an Interviews Workshop
Book a Mock Interview
Try our Interview Simulator (CaSE site)
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Any Questions?