Assessment centres
What are assessment centres?
Some employers use assessment centres to interview job candidates. A number of candidates attend, and several assessors administer and observe a series of assessments.
There is a mixture of group and individual exercises, such as group discussions, situational activities and in-tray or written exercises in addition to interviews and psychometric tests.
The assessments are designed to discover how well each candidate meets the personal competencies and technical skills required for the job.
Typical timetable
Day 1
Overnight stay prior to the selection day
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 18.00 | Arrive at venue. Welcome. Candidate briefing |
| 18.30 | Introductions. Ice breaker activity |
| 20.00 | Dinner with senior managers, other applicants, recent graduate recruits |
| After dinner | Preparation for the next day (e.g. reading documents, completing questionnaires) |
Day 2
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 09.00 | Introduction – programme for the day |
| 09.15 | Aptitude tests and personality questionnaire |
| 11.00 | Break |
| 11.15 | In-tray exercise |
| 12.00 | Group exercise |
| 13.00 | Lunch |
| 14.00 | Presentations |
| 15.00 | Group discussion |
| 15.45 | Break |
| 16.00 | Interviews |
| 17.00 | Debriefing |
| 17.15 | Organisation presentation |
| 17.45 | Depart |
Points to keep in mind
- Assessment centres are very expensive - you wouldn’t be invited unless you had a good chance of getting the job.
- The assessments are objective and are therefore relatively fair.
- The results of the observed exercises are arrived at by a consensus of opinion from a number of different assessors.
- You are assessed over a range of activities, so if you under perform in one you can redeem yourself in the others.
What employers say about assessment centres
…it's important to think about the impression that you are giving to the people that you meet at the assessment centre.
Gary Argent, Logica
Enterprise | Logica | KPMG
How will I be assessed?
Employers use various assessment methods to assess applicants objectively.