assessment centers

Assessment centers are usually used after the initial stages of the selection process.

This process usually involve large amount of time and expense in conducting it.

Conducting and Operating Assessment Centre

2

Elements of Assessment Centers

For conducting and operating assessment following are the elements.

1) Venue of assessment centre:

This is considered as the fairest and most accurate method of selecting staff.

Designed by MET-CET3


Employers Premises Hotel

Assessment centers are commonly held


1) Venue of assessment centre:

This considered as an accurate method for staff selection because:

• One can see different selectors over a long period of time.

• Participants performance in variety of situations.



Elements of Assessment Centers2) Nature of the assessment test:

• These may be conducted by HR personnel within the employer company or by outside consultants.

• Assessment test are highly structured in: Design Application Assessment procedure

• These test are specifically adapted to assess factors like: Level of skills Aptitude Compatibility with the organizational structure.




2) Nature of the assessment test:

• Each test measures a range of indicators within these factors.

• During each test, candidates will be rated on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale.




3) Evaluating candidates:

During each test:

• Candidates are rated on a range of set indicators, using a prescribed performance scale.

• Results are cross checked against the same indicators of the other tests.



On test completion observers meet to discuss the test results and reach a group consensus about the ratings.


4)

Prior to the assessment candidates should receive :

• Initial briefing about the time-table of tests, location of rooms, etc.

• Instructions describing the exercise, his role, timeframes, equipment, etc.

• Given detail about the measured individual indicators.

• Receive feedback on the results.




Assessment centers typically involve:

In assessment centers combinations of exercises and other assessment like



Participants completing a range of exercises which simulates the activities carried out in the target job.

Psychometric testing Interviews

Are used to assess particular competencies in individuals.


The theory behind this is….

If one wish to predict future job performance , the best way of doing it is to get the individual to carry out a set of tasks which accurately

sample those required in the job and are as similar to them as

possible.



• They are people one level above the position that a person has applied for.

• They will be ambitious and successful individuals within their own departments.

• These people will have a very clear idea of the qualities they expect to see in an individual performing the new role.


Role of Assessors in an Assessment Centre

Assessor

behaviors of the candidate.

• Assessment is done through



Observe Record Classify Judge

QuestioningDirect Observation

Assessment is done through:



Examining written or recorded material produced by the candidate.

QuestioningDirect Observation

Examination of work

• Agencies have a preferred list of assessors they like to use

• Human resource department will have key people they call upon for the assessment centre days.

• For senior roles assessors who are external to the organization may be used to bring a broader , perspective to the assessment.

• Exercise are performed in the assessment centre,

• multiple assessors are there.

• the panel will be made-up of diverse individuals; some may be external to the organization or department.

• So it is necessary for assessors to have different priorities and adapt to the behaviors accordingly.



• Play a key role at an assessment centre.

• Their job is to

– observing the behavior during the exercises

– make decisions about the employees' performance.

They make sure that the process is fair and objective for each candidate,

Assessors take formal training to make sure they are competent.



• Assessor needs to unbiased towards the candidate.

• For that they need to be :

– Non judgmental

– Minimum interaction with the candidates.



Role of the Assessor

Assessors need to have a thorough understanding of

• The organization and job being assessed.

• The competencies being assessed and its relation with the job.

• How to evaluate a candidate's behavior based on performance within the exercises.

• How to make decisions based on behavioral evidence.

• How to present accurate oral and written feedback about the candidate's behavior and performance.



For success of the centers:

• Assessors have to demonstrate the capability to observe and record the behavior of candidates.

• They should be able to withhold judgments.

• Organize behavioral observations by job-related dimensions.

• accurate rating of candidates on dimensions.



Role of assessors in an assessment centre

• Watch and scrutinize the performance actions of candidates during the Process.

• Document the observed behavior traits demonstrated by the candidate(s);

• Categorize the observed dimensional traits;

• Appraise the observed dimensional traits as measurable performance actions:

• Communicate the observed performance behaviors to other assessors when they meet to discuss the candidates' performances in the various exercises and to rate each in various dimensional areas



Role of assessors in an assessment centre

• Understand the purpose/intent of each tool to run/conduct as planned;

• Assess the candidates on the competencies identified for each tool;

• Observe the candidates as an individual and in a group:

• Judge evidence of performance

• Provide a summary in terms of :

– strengths

– Weaknesses

– potential areas for improvement

• For each candidate interviewed.



You’re a member of the assessment team, who assess candidates for the various roles in the company.

Suggest methods through which you would evaluate people for a particular job.


Let’s Think

• Designing a potential assessment centre should follow basic principles in term of

• Accuracy, fairness, reliability, legality, efficiency, multiple assessors, multiple tests and optimal stress to increase performance.

• The design of the assessment centre should

– reflect the ethos of the organization,

– the actual skills required to carry out the job,

– potential sources of recruits,

– the HR strategy.


Designing Tools in an Assessment Centre



Psychometric Test Interview Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

• These are personality tests.

• Personality test are selected keeping in view the following:

– Measurement objectives

– Reliability and validity

– Time required for administration

– Cost involved

Three types of tests are used:

Aptitude test

Ability test

Personality test

Three types of tests are used:

Measures awareness, knowledge,

problem solving etc.



Ability test Personality test

Measures verbal and numerical

reasoning ability

Measures dimension of the

personality.

Chapter pencil test

MBTI and 16PF

Aptitude testPsychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Interviews are

• Structured interviews are used for increasing reliability.

• In this type :

Questions decided

Sample responses formed

Good

Bad

Average

On these parameters participants responses are rated.

Structured Background Situational



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Interviews are

When it is used?

• Candidates performance on his current and previous jobs would be the indicator of his success for the role for which he is being assessed.

• Candidates give specific examples of how he has performed job duties or handled job problems in the past.

Structured Background Situational



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Interviews are

Three types of questions are asked

Situational

Candidates are asked to react on a given job

situation.

Job knowledge

• Defining a term• Explaining a procedure• Demonstrating a skill

Willingness to comply with the job

requirements

BackgroundStructured Situational



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Interviews are

BackgroundStructured Situational

• Here situations are based on critical incidents arising from job analysis.

• In case of Behavioral Event Interview (BEI)

Obtain detailed behavioral description of how candidates performs work.

Purpose is to find out what people actually do.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Time: Type: Pair

Read the given handout

Perform the task mentioned.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

How Leaderless group discussion works

Group of people (4-6)

Problem situation

Arrive at a group discussion

Within specific given time.

given

In this:



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

In this:-

• Real life problems are given to the group to solve.

• Various roles are assigned to the group members.

• No candidate is given the role of chair person.

• LGD’s stimulate decision making meetings in which the resource have to be divided equitably.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

• This represents day to day decision making situation in this manager is likely to face in the written form from various situations.

•



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

• Candidates are given a fictitious role to play. E.g : Role of a manager.

• Varity of materials are given to the participants such as memos, correspondence, telephone message, notes, requests etc.

• Content is designed for the participants, on the basis of job analysis done of the given role.

• The candidates are then asked to behave in the assumed roles and write how they will behave in the particular situations.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

• Real life situation is simulated for an entire group.

• In this degree of complexity varies.

• The common denominator is unstructured nature of the interaction among the participants and the variety of actions that can be taken by all participants.

• Often a computer program is used to generate information and simulate the game.

• Candidates are not allowed direct access to the computer.

• There is a mediator between the candidates and the computer.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Interactive nature of these game provides opportunity to assess dimension like:

Assessor needs to undergo extensive training for this.

Strategic Planning Team work Team skills

Analytical abilityLeadership



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Time: Type: Pair

Read the given handout

Perform the task mentioned.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Role playing is described as…

• It is a method of adopting roles from real life.

• It can be used as an evaluation technique for gaining insight into

• various process of human relation

• person’s attitudes and behavior in a particular role.

“Method of studying the nature of certain roles by acting out its concrete details in a contrived situation that permits better and more objective observation.‘’



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

It can be used as an evaluation technique for gaining insight into

Various process of human relation

Person’s attitudes and behavior in a particular role.



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Dimensions that can be evaluated with the help of role-play are :-

• Conflict management

• Leadership skills

• Group problem solving

• Team skills

• Verbal and non verbal communication

• Interpretation skills

• Flexibility

• Motivational styles



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

Effective technique

• In this, giving feedback to the person is easy.

• This technique is effective in giving feedback without posing any threat to the candidates ego.

Makes it possible to minimize distortions of

real life situations.

Helps to magnify the situation to focus on

certain aspects.

Effective Training



Psychometric Test

Interview

Leaderless GD

In-Basket Exercise

Management Games

Presentations

Role Playing

• Individual presentations are extensively used in assessment centers.

• Presentations on vision, organizational issues, case studies, etc, are extensively used for assessing employees / participants.