Confident candidates leave less to chance! Excelling in Assessment Centres

Understanding Assessment Centres

maryhopecareersuccess

Confident Candidates Leave Less to Chance!

www.maryhopecoaching.co.uk

What are your concerns?

• Understanding Assessment Centres

what are they?why and how do employers use them?what can I expect?

• Understanding how to improve your score


Endless possibilities…

• Verbal reasoning• Numerical reasoning• Abstract reasoning• Spatial reasoning• In tray exercises• Report writing

exercises• Presentation• Interview

• Group discussion• Scenario

questionnaires• Personality

questionnaire • Role play• Work based exercise• Values questionnaire• Trial by knife and fork


Plan for an Assessment Centre

Competency Area

Occupational Personality

Questionnaire

Leadership Judgement Indicator

Group Exercise

Case Study Exercise/ Briefing

Abstract Reasoning

Leadership & Management Style

S

P

P

P

Communication Style

S

P P

Thinking Style S

P

P

P

Interpersonal Style

S

P

P

P


A day in the life

8.45 Introduction

9.00 OPQ Feedback

9.45 Prep for Presentation

10.30 coffee

10.45 Presentation to CX

11.30 Tenant Interview

12.15 Prep for GMT interview

1.00 Lunch

2.15 GMT interview

3.00 Critical thinking

3.45 tea

4.00 Business planning exercise

• Personality questionnaire on line in advance – feedback on the day

• Preparation of unseen presentation

• Interview/info gathering with CE• Interview with tenants• Preparation of material using real

budget papers• Psychometric test – critical thinking• Psychometric test –business skills


So how important is it?

• Where in the process is this?• Is it screening out or information gathering?• How many people are being tested? Is it

competitive?• How is the information being reported?

Scored? Narrative? Both?• What will the selection panel see? What will

they do with the information?


Verbal reasoning

• Deductions (judgements based on general principles)

• Inferences (conclusions based on given facts)• Valid assumptions• Strength of argument• Conclusions based on factual interpretations• Recognising bias

Examples………………..


Numerical reasoning

• Four basic arithmetic operations, percentage, ratio• Number sequences• Interpretation of graphs and tables• Basic statistics – mean, mode, median, average• Business numeracy


Abstract reasoning

• Logical analysis• Visual thinking• Problem solving• Ability to see an object in your mind


Scenario exercises

• Management or Leadership judgement or style• Commercial thinking• Sales drive• Problem solving

Real/imagined/multichoice or narrative answers


In tray/basket

• A pretend bundle of papers, in a pretend situation, that you have to treat as if it were for real

• Containing: memos/emails/reports/press releases/phone messages/diary etc -contents will be about a variety of issues

• Testing- Planning and organising, management control, delegation, judgement, problem analysis, decisiveness, strategic perspective, written communication, interpersonal sensitivity.


Report writing

• A bundle of papers relating to one issue (real or pretend) on which a decision needs to be made: reports, budgets, memos, statistics

• Candidates need to write a report setting out what they recommend (a strategy)– with action plan, costs, etc May also need to present orally and be questioned by the assessor.

• Testing: planning and organising, organisational sensitivity, judgement, problem analysis, decisiveness, commercial awareness, strategic perspective, interpersonal sensitivity, customer service orientation


Group Discussion

• Roles may be assigned or not assigned• Candidates may be expected to collaborate or

compete• Competencies being tested are interpersonal-

listening, persuasiveness, sensitivity, flexibility, team work, leadership….

• Intellectual- mastering the information, problem analysing and deciding, creativity


Personality Questionnaires

• Two main types: • Competency ie what you do in the work place• Trait ie what you are really like as a person

• Questions can be • Preferences• Most like me/least like me• Values/prioritisation of adjectives about me

• No right answers but comparison against a ‘norm group’


Personality

‘The Big Five’

• Extroversion, assertiveness or impulse expression - Relating

• Agreeableness, warmth, docility -Action• Conscientiousness or will to achieve-

Thinking• Emotionality or neuroticism - Feeling• Intellect or openness to experience -

Conformity


Performing well…..

• No good or bad – ‘useful in a circumstance’• Not absolutes – percentile of a norm group• Both ends of the continuum are problematic• ‘Faking’ detectors built in• Would you want to manipulate the result?


Anxiety

• Performance = potential – interference

Gallwey – Inner Game of Work


Reducing Anxiety

• Practice• Familiarise• Visualise• Change the ‘tape’• Rationalise• Relax


Next steps

• Practice the skills• Practice the skills……………• Sign up for a real test through us• Sign up for a real assessment centre with us• Sign up for individual coaching to ‘support

your path to excellence’ by reducing your anxiety


Career

Confident candidates leave less to chance! Excelling in Assessment Centres