Assessment Centre
Assessment Centre Concept and Process
- Assessment Centre is described as a set of skill tests, performed before different observers, to assess the competencies of both the existing employees for promotion and placement as well as new recruitments for a particular job in a company. This also helps in finding skill gap of existing employees to map training needs. Competencies as already described are a set of underlying charactersitic to perform a given job.
- Till late 1990s the process of recruitment was based on CV and interview. The CV certainly gives some idea of any candidate about qualification and work experience. But how the candidate performed in a given situation is not properly known. In case of existing employees also only the supervisor knows how the employee performs. Others in the management are not aware of this. So an element of bias exists in assessment of performance and recommendation for higher role.
- In current business scenario management desires suitable candidates with right skill to match the demands to improve overall performance of the company with a Corporate Vision.Management also desires to identify employees for succession planning and training needs to take care of both internal promotion and recruitment.
- Assessment Centre plays an important role to perform the task. Skill tests are designed with the help of HR managers in the company. The competencies required for a particular job need to be identified. Skill tests, known as tools, are designed to assess any competency through multiple tasks and by multiple observers.
Assessment of Competencies
Assessment of competencies are two types, Self Assessment and Managemnt Assessment. As per definition of Emotional Intellegence it has two aspects as Self Assessment and Social Assessment.
- Self Assessment is basically knowing one’s own competencies in two aspects Self-awareness and Self management. Self-awareness is knowing one’s own behaviour and Self managemnt is to demonstrate the behavioral characteristics to interact with others meanigfully.
- Social Assessment similiarly deals with two aspects. Social awareness deals with knowing others fully well, Social Management deals with managing others as per the needs.
- The quardrant Self awreness and Self managemnt, Social awareness and Social management is generally assessed by responses mapped in a 5 point rating scale to a set of 30-40 questions. The rating sacle is Strongly Agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly Disagree to a set of questionaire. Each individual question is linked to one of the items of quardrant and final response can be observed by anyone who attends to the set of questions. Similar rating scale to a set of questions may be Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Usually, Always. So rating scale and the set of questionaire can be designed as per needs to assess competencies by self.
- Management Assessment is performance in designed skill tests and 360- degree feedback from all stakeholders.
Critical Skill Test
Critical skill test is done in one full day by management along with experts and HR team with the tools as mentioned below. The number of candidates are divided in groups of 10 each. As per attendance the number of groups are ascertained and accordingly expert teams for each group are formed.
Introduction followed by briefing session is done at the beginning of any Assessment Centre for awareness.
Psychometric test for reasoning, aptitude test are coducted to map intelligence, time management, etc.
In basket excercise- A set of 3 to 5 problems are given in a question paper to answer. The test is to judge the domain knowledge and businees knowledge, intelligence, planning, time management.
Presentation – Relevant topic is given to canidates. Reading time is 10 minutes,after this presetation by each canidate in 2 minutes, total 30 minutes is given for this excercise for a group of 10 candidates.Domain knowledge, planning and organising, time management are assessed.
Group Discussion- A topic is given to candidates and reading time allowed is 15 minutes and then open discussion is allowed for next 15 minutes. The test is to assess, communication, planning, domain knowledge.
Technical Interview- To assess technical knowledge and business, communication skill.
The set of tests and competencies mapped are indicative, it can be simulated as per the needs in job role.
Competencies
- Competencies are underlying characteristic of behavioral pattern of any person to perform a job. A general indicative list given here. These are not exaustive as few more can be added as per job role in fianancial sector, manufacturing activity, ITES services, Electriciity sector,service industry etc. Competencies indicate the behavioural pattern.
- Domain Knowledge – It indicates the business awareness and knowledge about latest development in technology.
- Problem Solving – It indicates analytical skill, planning and approach to solve the problem within given time.
- Result Orientation – It indicates committment, planning and goal orientation along with others to complete task.
- Communication – It demonstrates comprehension of any subject and then clarity in expression for motivation.
- Inter-personal – It indicates listening habbits and capability to interact with others in a positive manner.
- Leadership – It indicates the ability to work in a group to motivate the group to achieve a result without bias.
- Adaptability – It shows how you value good inputs of others in problem solving and focussing the inputs.
- Initatives – It indicates will to accept challenge and achieve target with complete planning and execution.
- Customer Orientation – Customer is main and their cognitive behaviour for a product to be attended promptly.
- Teamwork– It indicates performances within a team and motivational efforts to re-orient others for result.
Download Assessment Centre Guide
Going to an assessment centre? Want to know what to expect and what the assessors are looking for? Our Candidate Guide to Assessment Centres will tell you everything you need to know and how to succeed.