Candidate’s Guide to Assessment
This guide will help you to understand and prepare for an assessment process at E.ON.
Contents
1 What is Assessment?
2 E.ON Competency models
3 Assessment methods
• Interviews
• Presentations
• Analysis exercises/Case studies
• Role-plays/simulations
• Group exercises
• Personality questionnaires
• Ability tests
4 Hint & Tips
5 Ratings guidelines
6 Outcomes
7 Further support
2
1. WhatisAssessment?
Personnel assessment is used to select the best person for a role or to identify the development needs of a current population of employees.
A variety of assessment methods are available and can be classified as either self-reported
measures or observed measures. At E.ON we follow best practice guidelines to advise managers
on using the most effective assessment methods. These methods support a fair and consistent
approach and provide you as the candidate an opportunity to demonstrate your relevant skills
and competencies.
The table below shows the methods that might be used as part of an assessment process at
E.ON. Please see section 3 for further information on each of these exercises.
Our assessments typically involve a competency based interview plus one or more additional
exercise(s) (depending on the role type/level). Performance is measured against our
competencies for employees and managers. For development centres and for some talent
positions you may also be measured against our potential indicators. These models and indicators
are detailed on the next page. You may also be assessed against the technical competencies that
are specific to the business area. If you are unsure which you will be assessed against then please
ask the manager or contact the Resourcing team.
Assessments are typically carried out by a senior manager and a second assessor should also be
present to support the assessment. This person will either be a member of a team for that area of
the business or a member of HR. The assessors will use rating scales to score your performance.
Please see page 10 for more information about these rating scales.
SelfReportedExercises ObservedExercises
Interview Analysis Exercises/Case
Personality Questionnaires Presentations
Group Exercises
Role-Plays
Ability Tests
3
2. E.ON’scompetencymodels
Employeecompetencymodel
Understandingthebusiness
E.ON employees create value through
aligned performance and take
responsibility
Demonstrate market and
customer orientation
Improve own business area
Actively collaborate across boundaries
Embracechange
E.ON employees embrace and
support change
Support change within the organisation
Open for change
EnhanceTeamwork
E.ON employees engage others and
value people
Build effective relationships
Demonstrate empathy and support
Personalimpact
E.ON employees reflect their behaviour
and walk the talk
Support diversity
Act reliable
Develop own skills and competencies
Leadershipcompetencymodel
Leadingthebusiness
E.ON Leaders create value through
aligned performance and
entrepreneurship
Demonstrate market and
customer orientation
Think and act as an entrepreneur
Actively collaborate across boundaries
Leadingchange
E.ON leaders embrace and
shape change
Drive change within organisations
Individually initiate change
Leadingpeople
E.ON leaders inspire, engage and
value people
Enhance people’s performance
Develop people
Personalimpact
E.ON leaders reflect their leadership
and walk the talk
Foster diversity
Build trust
Develop own skills and competencies
4
2. E.ON’scompetencymodels
Potentialindicators
Commercialanalyticalcapability
Analyses complex problems down to a full
grasp of their details.
Abstracts from detailed issues to a higher,
entrepreneurial level.
Sees interconnections between different
pieces of information, structures, or
processes, even if they are seemingly
unrelated.
Finds the hidden correlations even
between seemingly unrelated pieces
of information.
Emotionalstability
Will not be discouraged even by setbacks;
remains resilient and capable and displays
an appropriate and confident attitude.
Supports employees by showing a positive
attitude.
Remains confident and will not be
discouraged even by difficult problems
or interpersonal conflicts.
Copes with ambiguity in complex
structures.
Focusonvalues
Concentrates on credibility and accepts
responsibility.
Conveys a strong feeling of integrity;
seems positively predictable in their
behaviour.
Conveys trust and respect for others and
seems trustworthy in their attitude
towards them.
Presents himself as a role model for the
other participants in terms of values and
behaviour.
Selfawareness/reflectionskills Reflects on actions, personal strengths and
development needs.
Is aware of their behaviour, personal
impact, strengths and development needs;
has ideas for improvement.
Seems interested in feedback and is open
to criticism or recommendations from
others.
Aptitudeforlearningandchange Translates past experiences or lessons
learnt into new behaviours and styles
of working.
Actively invests energy in developing skills,
expanding their expertise, know-how or
skills and optimizing personal impact.
Performancemotivation Shows a lot of personal involvement and
commitment.
Sets demanding goals and likes to face
new tasks or challenges.
Enjoys tackling new problems and
challenges; is constantly in the pursuit of
improved performance.
5
3. AssessmentMethods
Competency-basedinterviews
Competency interviews consist of questions that are designed to target a specific skill or
competency. You will need to give examples of situations where you have demonstrated the
required skills and behaviours to meet the competency being assessed. Assessors will probe
your answers in order to build a picture of your strengths and development areas against the
relevant competency framework.
Competency interviews are based on the idea that past behaviour is the best predictor of
future behaviour. Accordingly the interviewers’ are looking for specific examples of when and
how you have shown particular behaviours.
Questions will typically begin with:
‘Tell me about a time…...….’ / ‘Describe a time…...….’ / ‘Give me an example of…...….’
E.g. If you were applying for a job which involves customer service, an interview question
might be:
‘Tell me about a time when you dealt with a difficult customer’
TechnicalQuestions
The interview may include some technical questions. These are designed to assess the specific
skills and knowledge that are relevant to the role. These questions will be specified by the
hiring manager and will be linked to the role profile.
Presentations
Presentations look at your ability to organise, structure and present information in a clear and
concise way. A presentation topic may be given to you on the day of assessment with time to
prepare or may be given out before the day of assessment. The topic will be relevant to the
business area or requirements of the role
Whilst the content and the quality of the presentation is important, the assessors will also be
looking to see how well you can deliver a well-structured, clear presentation and how you
respond to follow up questions. You may be allowed to use a powerpoint, or flip chart during
your presentation and this will be made clear in the invite to assessment.
6
Analysisexercises/Casestudies
An analysis exercise might be used to look at how you analyse a range of information and how
you make decisions about future actions and priorities. This information will usually be based on a
fictional company and scenario and may include graphs, charts and numerical data as well as
written information. The amount and type of detail will depend on the role. This approach allows
individuals to demonstrate key competencies and to gain an insight into the types of tasks they
may be involved in if they receive a job offer.
The specific details about what is being looked for will vary from role to role, but your ability to
identify key themes and trends, to link data and to make rational decisions and recommendations
are often important.
Roleplays/simulations
A role-play looks at how you behave and perform in a job- related situation. As the candidate you
assume a defined role and typically deals with another person in a one-to-one meeting. A role
player responds “in character” to your actions, comments and behaviours. Example role-plays
might include:
• Handling a difficult customer or complaint.
• Disciplining or appraising a member of staff.
• Negotiating a contract or project delivery.
• Meeting to discuss your company’s ‘equality’ record.
Groupexercises
A group-exercise requires you to work with other candidates as part of a team to resolve a
presented issue. These exercises are designed to measure interpersonal skills such as group
leadership, teamwork, negotiation, and group problem solving skills.
Personalityquestionnaires
Personality questionnaires look at personality preferences and are used to look at how you are
likely to behave under various conditions. They are often used to further inform the interview
process and as a tool for identifying future potential.
Abilitytests
Ability tests look at aspects of general mental ability. They ask multiple choice questions and are
timed, usually allowing 30 minutes for 30 or so questions. Common ability tests include verbal
(using words), numerical (using numbers), abstract reasoning (using logic). We will only use ability
tests that are supported by the regulatory body for Occupational Testing – The British
Psychological Society (BPS).
Qualified practitioners are available for colleagues and Manager to seek information, advice and
guidance on the use of ability tests. Please contact the Resourcing team if you require further
information.
7
4. Hintsandtips
Interviewhintsandtips
• Try to take every opportunity to demonstrate your skills throughout the interview. If you
don’t share information about your suitability then the assessors will not be able to include
it in their assessment.
• Take time to think before you answer.
• Try to turn any negative points raised into positive attributes.
• Use specific examples where you have played an important role, in order to demonstrate
your experience of the competencies and use ‘I’ inside of ‘we’
• Use a framework to help you to respond to questions in a well structured manner: STARR
(Situation, Target, Action, Result, Review/Reflection)
• Try to provide examples from a range of situations to offer breadth and depth
• Bring in evidence of how you keep up to date professionally, through reading, networking,
professional bodies, etc.
• There will be the opportunity for you to ask questions at the end of the interview. You should
stick to questions about the role, the team, the future strategy or direction of the team
rather than asking for initial feedback about your performance in the interview. It is good
practice to prepare some questions in advance.
Casestudyhintsandtips
This is an opportunity to demonstrate your planning, decision making and communication skills.
• Don’t panic if there is a large amount of paper involved
• Try to look through and identify priorities
• Ensure you understand the purpose of the exercise as this will help you focus on the right
elements of the task
• Ensure you plan your time well - you must leave time to achieve the objective
• Make use of frameworks, e.g. SWOT, Consultancy cycle to help digest, prioritise information
and gather evidence of reasoning in your decision making
• Think about pros, cons, risks associated with your decisions
• Look for opportunities to work in partnership with others externally and internally
• You may need to make some assumptions. You should make this clear and explain what you
would do in order to clarify your assumptions
• Demonstrate a plan of action including how you would proceed and take your
recommendations forward through implementation and evaluation
• Think about metrics and performance measures via key themes: people; customer;
financial, etc.
8
Roleplaystudyhintsandtips
• Build rapport in the role play with the other person
• Always listen to what is being said
• Use open rather than closed questions when you want to draw out more information – you
can always ask if there is anything else the role player can share that they are aware of but
has not yet been discussed
• Think about your body language and tone of voice
• Make sure your role play has a beginning, middle and end and treat this like a meeting you
would run following a degree of structure
• Don’t assume you have all the information to hand, use this as an opportunity to test what
you know and consult around the topic
• Think creatively about options and potential solutions, how can you drive change?
• Ask their opinion as well as offering your own
• Consider when it might be appropriate to use different influencing styles (push versus pull)
PresentationHintsandTips
• Consider using visual aids such as flip charts or power point (if available)
• Keep to time, otherwise you may be stopped before you have completed the presentation.
• Give your presentation a structure: tell them what you’re going to tell them, tell them, tell
them what you’ve told them
• There is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ as such but if you don’t have structure the point you are trying
to make may be lost.
• Speak clearly to person/s you are presenting to – not to the flipchart or your notes.
• Make brief notes or write down cue words to help keep you on track but make sure that you
do not read talk your notes word for word
• It is likely that you will be questioned at the end of the presentation so keep this in mind if
you make any assertions
• Be conscious of tone of voice and body language, words themselves only make up a very
small percentage of communication.
• Make eye contact and try to engage the audience
• If you’re asked to present options and a recommendation, think about taking it a step
further to implementation plan and evaluation: how will you measure success, ROI and the
commercial impact/benefits?
GroupDiscussionHintsandTips
• Read any information as quickly as you can and try to absorb the essential points.
• Don’t feel pressured to lead or chair the meeting, or take a role such as scribe, think instead
about making a valuable and valid contribution balanced throughout the meeting
• Ensure that the brief is followed by paying careful attention to the purpose and outcome of
the exercise.
• Make your contributions relevant, positive and well thought out.
• Be assertive but don’t dominate the group.
• Speak confidently and loudly enough for all to hear.
9
• Show regard for other group members - encourage others to contribute and listen to the
points being made.
• Ask others in the group for their points of view and feedback.
• Be aware of any time limits.
• Be ready to compromise if necessary – this is not a sign of weakness!
• Do not argue dogmatically; be polite and tactful when presenting an opposite view.
• If you find it difficult to get an opportunity to interject into the discussion, make some brief
notes of the key points you want to cover and use body language to make it clear you have
something to say – lean forward, raise your hand, etc., and be assertive, be confident and say
your peace
• Be yourself!
PersonalityQuestionnaireHintsandTips
• Read the instructions carefully
• Give yourself sufficient, uninterrupted time to complete the questionnaire
• Answer the questions honestly to best represent you, don’t try to second guess what the
questionnaire is looking for – there are no right or wrong answers when it comes to
personality!
• Be mindful of your mood, or anything that might have happened prior to you completing
the questionnaire, that might impact how you respond to the questions, e.g. a disagreement,
a stressful meeting or travel experience, etc.
• Give yourself sufficient time for receiving your feedback, and also to read your feedback
report and reflect on the additional insight this gives in respect of your ongoing
development beyond the immediate selection process
AbilityTestsHintsandTips
• Read the instructions carefully
• You may wish to complete a practice tests and you can do so via the link
http://www.shldirect.com/practice_tests.html
• Please note that we use SHL and Saville as our main test providers. Therefore, there will be
some differences in the layout and format of the tests depending on the provider and the
type of test being used.
• Familiarise yourself with the type of questions and timing of the tests
• Some tests recommend that you use additional materials/tools e.g. a calculator for
numerical tests. Therefore make sure that you have these to hand.
• Complete the practice questions and only proceed when you are ready
• Give yourself sufficient, uninterrupted time to complete the test
10
5. Ratingguidelines
For interviews and observed exercises (excluding personality questionnaires and ability
tests), assessors will score your performance using standardised indicators that align with the
below 5 point rating scale A rating of ‘3’ represents the benchmark for adequate performance
in the role.
1 2 3 4 5Significantly
below
expectations
Below
expectations
Meets
expectations
Above
expectations
Significantly
above
expectations
The indicator is
either:
a) represented
by the
negative
statement
b) there is no
evidence of
the positive
indicator
c) or reveals
considerable
need for
development
The positive
indicator has
been partially
met
The positive
indicator
fulfils the
requirements
of the position
assessed for
The positive
indicator is
strongly
developed in
relation to the
requirements
The positive
indicator is
exceptionally
well developed
in relation
to the
requirements
This rating scale is broken down into a range of indicators for each competency.
These indicators support a standardised and consistent scoring approach
11
12
6. Outcomes
Outcomesforselection
If you are being assessed for a role then you will be informed whether or not you were successful
by the manager or by a member of our Resourcing team. Sometimes you might be asked to come
back in for a second stage assessment before a final decision is made. If this is the case then you
be contacted and a convenient time will be agreed.
If you are successful and offered a position we will talk you through the conditions of any offer
and agree a suitable start date. If you verbally accept the offer you will be sent a written contract
for you read, sign and return. If you have questions then please feel free to contact a member of
our Resourcing team or the hiring manager at any stage.
If you are not successful you will be given feedback on your performance about key strengths and
key development areas that were displayed during the assessment. This is typically provided over
by an assessor who observed your performance on the day. Please use this feedback with your
line manager to help inform your personal development plan.
OutcomesforDevelopment
If you are assessed as part of a development centre, you will be contacted by an assessor or by a
member of the Talent Team who will let you know the outcome and arrange a date for you to
receive thorough feedback.
Most development centres specify an outcome in terms of how much time and development you
need in order to be ready to move to the target position or grade. Some development centres will
determine whether or not you should move into a ‘talent pool’. Those in the pool will be expected
to continue to develop and progress towards a relevant role at the assessed levelIf you are not
immediately placed into a talent pool, you will be given feedback on areas for development and
suggested ways to address these areas. This may include a side-ways move before being assessed
again. Most development centres will specify a minimal time that you can go back through the
process and you will be informed of this at the time.
The main aim of a development centre is to provide you with meaningful feedback and to give
you an understanding of your potential to progress within the business. You should make the
most of this opportunity to gain thorough feedback and to reflect on your own strengths and
development areas. Please use the L & D portal site to help guide your learning interventions.
13
7. Furthersupport
Going through an assessment process can be a nerve racking experience, but it is important that
you take it as an opportunity to showcase your relevant skills and competencies. The assessors
will not be there to catch you out but to guide you in giving full, detailed answers.
If you have any questions on assessment and selection at E.ON then please use HR Online or
check out our talent pages on portal.
14
Notes
15
Notes
E.ON Energy Solutions Limited. Registered office: Westwood Way, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV4 8LG. Registered in England and Wales No. 3407430. H
RSS
A/0
7/13