assessment centres 2010-11 updated

8/18/2019 Assessment Centres 2010-11 Updated

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© 2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

www.imperial.ac.uk/careers

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How to succeed at

Assessment Centres


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Aims

• What are assessment centres?

• Why are they used?

• A typical one-day assessment centre

• Individual and group tasks

• Practical exercises

• Tips for success

• Further help


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Assessment centres are about

Meeting people:

selectors, currentgraduates, senior staff,other candidates

Gathering information:

about the organisation,the job, and the workingculture

Demonstrating yourpotential:

tests and exercisesabout yourcompetencies


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Assessment centres …

… are used for selection by larger employersto assess competencies

… can last from 1/2 a day to two days

… are considered a fair way of assessingcandidate’s skills and abilities

… use a range of selection methods forindividuals and for groups


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A typical 1-day assessment centre

• Introduction of participants and candidates• Company presentation

• Individual presentations

• Coffee break, socialising informally• Psychometric testing

• In-tray exercise

• Buffet lunch, socialising informally

• Group exercise, solving a work-relatedproblem

• Interviews, ½ hour, skills-based


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Individual tasks

• Socialising- chance for networking, food and drink, still observed!

• Employer presentation, tour of premises

- description of company mission, structure, job functions

• Your presentation

- short presentation about a topic of your choice, oftenprepared in advance, testing your presentation skills

- can be short verbal presentation about yourself by way ofintroducing yourself in the group


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Individual tasks

• E-tray exercises

- about prioritising administrative tasks, timed exercise,putting items in order (reports, phone messages,emails, letters – providing notes with your responses)

• Interviews

- usually the “second” interview, small panel,competencies, technical abilities


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Individual tasks

• Role play- one of the assessors to take on a part which relates to therole you’ve applied for (e.g. complaining customer)

• Case study- scenario related to the role applied for, about analyticalproblem-solving; asked for recommendations

• Psychometric tests- verbal and numeric reasoning tests / personality tests


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Group tasks

• Group task with roles assigned- members assigned a specific role and aim; mayinvolve arguing your case, negotiating, persuadingothers

- not about winning or losing but communicatingeffectively in a group to achieve your goal

• Group task or discussion (no specific roles)

- topic given, often timed and required to make a grouprecommendation (often a group case study)

- get involved and contribute in whatever way you can(e.g. leading, facilitating, generating ideas, encouraging,monitoring progress, questioning, analysing)


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Group tasks

• Practical team exercises- Timed exercise, groups may be competing against one

another; task could be anything from building a structure

with simple materials to solving an imaginary problem

such as conveying ping pong balls from a to b

- Purpose to assess drive, leadership, creativity,

motivation, team working.


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Exercise 1:

Over to you!


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In-tray exercise:

• It’s Friday afternoon and you’re clearing yourdesk, as you’re about to start your holiday on

Saturday. You still need to pack.

• There are some items in your in-tray for you to

clear before you go. You need to decide:

A: What needs your immediate attention?

B: What can be postponed until you return?

C: What can you delegate to someone else?


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Your in-tray

1. Minutes of a recent management team meeting circulated for yourinformation and to check any possible action points.

2. A mail shot from a regular supplier, asking you to act within 5 days toqualify for a huge discount.

3. Phone message from the MD’s secretary. He needs to deliver a speechat a function next week and wants to clarify some figures.

4. An email message from the marketing department – have you had achance to look at her proposals for your product. Could you arrange ameeting to discuss strategy?

5. Annual report and financial information on a client company with whomyou are shortly going to be assigned to work with. You have a meeting todiscuss them on the day you arrive back.

6. An invitation from a colleague to go for some celebratory drinks thisevening after work. He has just got engaged.


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Exercise 2:

“ Movies R Us”

A case study


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Movies R Us – 1/3

• Your client is a small independent cinema.

• Profits have been in decline for some time

• Your tasks is to suggest possible ways to

increase their revenue.

• Background Information:

4 screens, opening hours 2pm – 11pm, snacks

and soft drinks are on sale, average age group ofvisitors 18 - 40


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Movies R Us – 2/3

• How would you tackle this exercise?

• What factors do we think may have led to

a decline in profits?• What recommendations would you make?

• Discuss with your neighbour – 5 min.


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Movies R Us - debrief

What recommendations would you make?

Key point: no right or wrong answers!

Answers might include: Show children’s movies to attract whole families

Include special midweek deals (2 for 1)

Extend opening hours to have morning screenings

for school children at weekends “Golden Oldies” nights to attract older people

Investigate snacks – what sells well? What not?What else might people want?


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Tips for success

• Relax, be yourself and enjoy the event

• Be pleasant and positive to everyone

including other candidates

• Prepare a short introduction about yourselfthat you could use in a group introduction or

during the interview (what you have to offer

and why you have applied)


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Tips for success

• Prepare as you would for an interview(research employer, read press releases,

practise questions and answers)

• Remain interested and involvedthroughout, show enthusiasm for tasks

• Make eye contact, speak up, speak

clearly, don’t interrupt


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Tips for success

• When working in groups: – join in

– try not to dominate, include others

– pay attention to time and check details – articulate your thoughts and ideas;

be concise

– respect other views, acknowledge better

ideas even if this means changing your

mind


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Tips for success

• You are NOT in competition with other

candidates!

• It’s about how you behave and work with

them - some, all or none may be selected!


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© 2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010www.imperial.ac.uk/careers

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Further help

• AGCAS DVD about assessment centres(approx. 25 min)

• Handouts about assessment centres, groupexercises, presentations

www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/resources

• Assessment Centre Workshops - presentationskills, in-tray/e-tray exercises and groupexercises

• Reference books

• Careers Service www.imperial.ac.uk/careers

assessment centres 2010-11 updated

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