Brief Assessment Center History

Used by Germans in 1st World War to select officers

Used by U.S. to select spies (OSS)

In Private Industry, 1st used by AT&T to predict performance of
managers (Management Progress Study)

AT&T Manager Progress Study

1st application of AC method in US industry (Douglas Bray)
Longitudinal study of 400+ recently hired managers
Inbasket, LGD, manufacturing game, interview, personal
history, p&p tests (g & personality)
Predicted progress over a 15 year period
Implemented throughout the whole Bell system

Talent Assessment

An important part of your overall talent management strategy is the development

of the process organizations will use to evaluate performance and potential, and to
identify future leaders, successors, and/or high potential employees.

An effective talent assessment process should be:

Consistent across your organizations business units
Aligned to your organizations business needs and future leadership needs
A multi-level process that involves several data points
Well-defined and understood across the organization

Assessment is often equated and confused with evaluation, but the two concepts
are different. Assessment is used to determine what a person knows or can do,
while evaluation is used to determine the worth or value of a course or program.
Assessment data effects employee advancement, success and development (Herman &
Knuth, 1991).

What Types of Assessment?

How can organizations assess existing staff to track high potentials
and ensure new hires meet the future needs of the business?
Assessment:
Online Psychometric Assessments
Leadership/Management Assessment Batteries
Assessment and Development Centers
360 degree feedback surveys and business assessments
Competency model profiling, behavioral based interviews, multi-rater
assessment tools

Assessment Benchmarking
Identify
incumbent
sample

Define
performance
standards
Identify
appropriate
assessments

Gather performance data

for each employee

Each employee completes

assessment(s)

Match employees
performance data with
their assessment data
Statistically analyze data to
determine which
assessment(s) scale(s)
predict on-the-job
performance

Develop recommendations
and plans regarding future
assessment and selection

Assessment/Development Centers?
What is an assessment/development center?
An assessment/development center is a process designed to identify an individuals
strengths, weaknesses, and potential in a current or future role.
The assessment process is characterized by:
Multiple participants rated by multiple assessors on several varied exercises
Many of these exercises are designed to assess competencies
Data integration: a structured evaluation of the participant in which assessors
present objective evidence and reach a consensus decision
The outcome of an assessment/development center are:
Written reports detailing a participants competencies as they relate to job
requirements
One-to-one sessions examining the reports

Why Assessment Centers?

Combine multiple assessment and business simulation methodologies to achieve

the best possible predictor of future performance
Offers comprehensive secondary evaluation of preferred candidate strengths and
weaknesses
Are the most powerful tool to predict the profile you want to hire save money
over time
Measure performance and potential therefore strengthening the leadership pipeline
allowing organizations to develop training strategies to further develop and grow
talent
Hiring managers can be involved and refresh their own assessment/coaching skills
Offer broad range of competencies, individually or in group
Provide wealth of information available to feedback to all involved
Offers great opportunity to seal psychological contract

Uses of the Assessment Center Method

Selection and Promotion

Diagnosis
Identification of training & developmental needs

Development
Skill enhancement through simulations
Not the same as diagnosis (Carrick & Williams, 1999)

Assessment Centers Drive Performance

Competencies

Trainable

Technical Skills
Discipline Understanding
Knowledge & Experience
Capability
Demonstrated competencies

Untrainable

Attributes
Behaviours that infer potential

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Questions
Do they have the required
technical skills?

Do they have the

experience and
understanding
necessary?

Can they demonstrate the

behaviours necessary for
high performance?

Do they have
development
potential?

Drivers

Motivational Fit

Will aspects of the role

motivate them?

Career Fit

Does the role meet

their current career
objectives?

Untrainable

Trainable

and Tools To Assess Each Area

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Technical Skills

Resume Screening
Technical Tests

Discipline Understanding
Knowledge & Experience

Preferential
Interviewing

Capability
Demonstrated competencies

Behavioural
Interviewing

Attributes
Behaviours that infer potential

Psych Assessment

Motivational Fit

Behavioural Interview

Career Fit

Preferential Interview

Assessment 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

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