If you want 1 year of prosperity, grow grain. If you want 10 years of prosperity, grow trees.

If you want 100 years of prosperity, grow people. Ancient Chinese Proverb

WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT CENTRE?

1.Measures psychological dimensions such as traits, qualities or competencies
2.Measurement of the competency of each of the participants. 3.Well-integrated sets of tests, exercises, simulations and instruments

WHY HAVE AN ASSESSMENT CENTRE?

1. To have people with the competencies that are in consonance with the objectives of the Organisation.
2.Employee participate enthusiastically in the advancement of the organisation, as this would inherently imply their own advancement too. 3.Employee introspection

Pre-requisites Before Initiating An Assessment Centre ?

Clear and Stated Objectives. Total Commitment on the part of the top management. Open Channels of Communication in the organisation. Employee trust and faith in the organisation. Management clarity about the objectives of the programme.

Decision to set up an assessment centre

Identification of Competencies

Data Collection

Assessors Training

Exercise validation pilot assessment centre

Exercise and Assessment Centre Design

Design Assessment / Development Centres

Review of Design

Follow-up Action Plan

Review Followup Action Plan

Commonly Used Competencies in Organisations

INTELLECTUAL - Comprehension - Analytical Ability - Innovation - Decision Making - Planning & Organising - Strategic Perspective INTERPERSONAL - Communication - Adaptability - Ability to Influence Others DYNAMIC - Initiative - Drive - Resilience - Stress Resistance - Result Orientation

BUSSINESS RELATED - Business Understanding - Customer Focus

Process of Assessment Centre

1. Briefing 2. Observation 3. Classification 4. Rating 5. Integration

Assessment Centre Report

It is the most important outcome of the Assessment Centre. The report should contain the following elements :

1. Brief Personal Profile

2. Summary of General Performance & Behaviour 3. Description of Performance by each Competency

4. General Strengths and Weaknesses

5. Developmental Advice and Action Plan 6. Organisational Actions.

Assessment Feedback
Feedback is the process where the participants are made aware of their observed behaviour in controlled circumstances and how they measure up to a set of competencies, which are relevant to the organisation. Features of Assessment Feedback: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Covers Strengths and Development areas. Behavioural observations and change of behaviour Explain the effectiveness of the behaviours. Examples of behaviour to be highlighted. Alternate or corrective behaviour are suggested. The esteem and secrecy about the participant must be maintained.

Life after the Assessment Centre

Follow-up is also very essential.

The suggested changes in the participant should be maintained and therefore the Developmental Plan is necessary.
A developmental plan for the participant consists of :

Competency-based Workshops Job Rotation or Enrichment Project-based learning E-learning programmes Open university programmes Counseling for problem areas.

Assessment & Development Centers

Advantage

Most powerful tool to predict profile you hire saves money over time Hiring managers can be involved and refresh their own assessment/coaching skills Performance and potential Broad range of competences, individually or in group Wealth of information available to feedback to all involved Offers great opportunity to seal psychological contract

Disadvantage Time investment required from

candidate though they get more in-depth feedback in return and can also make an informed decision Relatively expensive in short term though saves money in the long run

Conclusion

Identifying talent is going to become more vital with the predicted skills shortage and therefore more science must be added to the selection process Although it may look like an additional cost, adding science to selection can save thousands in the future It is important to identify the right solution for your organization and the types of roles you hire Always start with the right competencies for each role and build from there High potential is developed through a solid understanding of competency and behavior