What is an Assessment Centre?

Assessment centers are considered by many recruiters to be the most objective and accurate
method of selection. This document explains what they are, why employers use them and how
you will be assessed.

Introduction to Assessment Centers:

Assessment Centers are very common in graduate recruitment. They are usually a day or two
days in length and tend to take place towards the end of the recruitment process, often after you
have sat online tests and had a first round interview. The process tends to be pressured and
exhausting, but most candidates report that they enjoy the exercises and the opportunity to make
their own assessment of the organization.

Purpose of Assessment Centers:

Assessment Centers contain different exercises designed to test your suitability for the job and
organization. Recruiters can see how you operate in a variety of situations, to get a fair and
comprehensive picture of your abilities. They can see what you can do, rather than just what you
say you can do in an interview. They are beneficial for applicants too. They give you the
opportunity to demonstrate a range of skills, not just your effectiveness at being interviewed.

Types of Exercises at Assessment Centers:

Individual exercises
Each organization will design a programme of exercises to fit their requirements. Make sure you
are clear about the format of your assessment center. If in doubt ask the employer. It is likely that
it will include a number of exercises from the following:

Case Studies

Group Exercise
Interviews
Tests
Presentations
Role Playing

Tips for every exercise:

Listen carefully to the instructions given to you at the start of the day and always read the
information you are given thoroughly.
Make sure you are aware of the time constraints in any exercise and produce what was
asked for in that time.
Remain focused and motivated for the whole day. You will find it tiring but they will be
interested in your level of motivation throughout.
Try to keep calm and let your personality shine through.
Be systematic and logical in your approach
Be ready to give reasons for your decisions

Case Studies:
Case study exercises are designed to simulate a real work situation. They are a very common
exercise at assessment centers.

These can take a variety of forms, but usually involve analysis of a hypothetical business
problem. You might be given a set of papers relating to a particular situation and asked to make
recommendations in a brief written or spoken report with the assessor.

They want to see how you absorb and analyze information, solve problems and make decisions.
Can you think logically and use common sense to draw conclusions? Are you able to present and
argue your case effectively, and withstand cross-examination? There is often not one right
answer.

Assessors will be looking at your ability to handle lots of information within a limited timeframe,
and how you prioritize your workload and make decisions. Some employers may also want to
know why you made certain decisions and ask you to discuss this with the assessor.

It has been known for employers to use real live projects for the case study exercise with
sensitive information swapped for fictional examples

The sort of questions you will have to make recommendations on, in the form of a brief report or
an interview with an assessor are topics such as:

Which of the three proposals from the consultant should be implemented, and why?

Should the business invest in product X, and why?

Is the joint venture a good idea, and why?

Is the way forward online presence or increased high street outlets?

Which market has the largest revenue potential and why?

Group Exercise:

An assessment center is likely to involve some form of group exercise with other candidates this might be a practical task or taking part in some form of discussion. It gives the employer the
chance to see how you interact and work with others.
This is about good team work. Assessors will be looking at:
The quality of your contribution and involvement in the task
Your ability to make your point and achieve results
How you listen to and encourage others.
An effective team is made up of a variety of roles, and candidates will each have their different
strengths to bring to the group.
To ensure that candidates are assessed fairly in a group exercise, assessors are assigned to
observe maybe one or two at most, so your contribution (both verbal and nonverbal) will be
noted at all times.

Interviews:

The format will vary, but should not be a surprise to you on the day.
These are some of the possibilities:

One-to-one - this will often be in more depth if following on from a first round interview,
looking to see how good a fit you will be with the organization.

Panel - this might involve a panel of 3 or 4 people. Dont let it overwhelm you. Direct
your answer to the person who asked the question, but engage the others with eye contact.

Technical - this is to establish if you have the technical know how to do the job. If your
degree and background is directly relevant, it is likely you will be asked about specific aspects
and pushed to see how far your knowledge goes. Dont be afraid to admit when this runs out.

Case study - the case is generally a business problem or brain teaser, designed to make
you think on your feet, testing your problem solving skills, logic and suitability for the role.

Tests:

Aptitude tests

Those most commonly used in graduate recruitment are verbal, numerical and diagrammatic
reasoning tests. Employers are interested in your innate ability in these areas.

You may have completed these online before your assessment center, but be asked to take them
again on the day.

Personality questionnaires

These are not tests as such, but are designed to give the employer an idea about your
personality and working style, for them to see if you will be a good fit for their organization.

There are no right or wrong answers, and you should answer truthfully. It is unlikely that this
will be a significant deciding factor in whether you are offered the job or not, but may highlight
areas for them to look out for during the day or discuss with you at interview.

Presentations:

What to expect

Delivering an effective presentation shows your ability to research, understand and communicate
information in an intelligible and appropriate way to an 'audience'.
It is likely the assessors will be looking at your communication skills, time management and
body language, plus your ability to think and deliver under pressure, including responding to any
questions which may follow.
The following points will help you in your preparation and delivery:

Content
Think about what key messages you want to get across
Give it some structure - have a clear introduction, middle and summary
Make sure it is tailored to the audience, at a level appropriate to their prior knowledge (if
known)

Delivery and body language

Speak clearly, succinctly and confidently
Make eye contact with different members of the audience to engage their attention
Avoid looking at the screen and turning your back on the audience
Be aware of your body language and dont fidget as you talk
If possible, talk from notes rather than reading from a script, to give a more
conversational style
Use of visual aids
Any visual aids should be clear and easy to read - dont attempt to put too much written
information on one slide / overhead
Make them interesting - graphs, pictures and diagrams can be more effective than lots of
writing
Make it relevant - be sure the visual aid you are using relates to what you are talking
about
Time management
Deliver in the allocated time, making sure you have enough time to cover all the material
without rushing your summing up
Remember that nerves can slow you down or speed you up. Try to deliver your
presentation in a natural voice at a steady pace
Practice
If possible, practice delivering your presentation in front of others beforehand to get
feedback on your body language, content, delivery style and time management

Role Playing:

Role play exercises are very common in graduate recruitment scheme selection, and are
particularly useful when assessing candidates for client facing positions such as consulting, sales
and law. Although many group exercises may incorporate aspects of role-play, typical role play
exercises are conducted one to one, either with a member of the recruitment team or an actor.
Candidates performance will be observed throughout the exercise and their performance will be
assessed, noting the candidates strengths and weaknesses. The content and context of role play
exercises will vary considerably depending on the role and the organization, however typically

candidates will be role-playing the position in which they have applied, and will need to act out a
common workplace scenario/problem. For a sales role, candidates will likely need to convince a
prospective customer/client to purchase their product/service, or handle a complaint. For a
consulting role, the candidate may undertake the role of the consultant, and the recruiter/actor
will play the role of a client, or a prospective client.

What you should know before a role playing exercise:

Role-play exercises are useful predictors of future job performance; however recruiters will
rarely base their selection decision purely based on role-play exercise performance. Instead
recruiters will incorporate evidence from numerous selection tools, therefore do your best not to
panic if this is your first time undertaking a role-play exercise.
If role-play exercises are part of the companys selection procedure, as a candidate you will be
told in advance that this may be part of your assessment center exercises. As a result you will
have time to prepare for your role-play exercise before you undertake your assessment center
day. Although companies are unlikely to make a decision solely on your role-play exercise
performance, particularly for client facing roles, your performance on this exercise will be a
major factor in getting selected for that position.

How you will be assessed:

You will be assessed on your performance in a range of activities, against
pre-determined criteria the employer has identified as being important.
Employers often explicitly tell you what criteria they will measure you
against.

A final overall assessment will be made at the end of the center. The exercises are designed so
that you can demonstrate a particular competency (such as communication) in more than one
exercise. This means you have more than one chance to meet each part of the criteria, so dont
worry if one exercise doesnt go particularly well.

You are not in competition with the other candidates. You need to meet the standard as set by the
employer. Everyone in your group could be successful or no one in your group could be
successful. Often youre not being assessed on what you know, so much as how you think. Just
be yourself - at your best.