Embed Size (px)
Citation preview
Assessment Centre Skills Session 1st June 2012 Westminster University Ella Pilc & Sophia Swidzinska
To describe the context of the current graduate marketplace
To explain different tasks and activities that employers use at Assessment Centres, and know how you can prepare
To assess and analyse strategies that might ensure your success at Assessment Centres with a focus on Interviews and Group Tasks
Today’s objectives
The graduate marketplace
STARTER: Look at the statements below and decide whether or not they are TRUE or FALSE
1. The number of graduates receiving grade A at A-Level and receiving a 1st or 2.1 is higher than ever before.
2. Competition is fierce – in the current market it is harder to get the role that you want.
3. The current average starting salary for graduates is £29,000
4. There are an average of 83 graduates chasing every graduate job
5.Graduates from a Humanities background are in particular demand from employers
The graduate job market
Why do companies assess people? Why? Recruiting and selecting the right people is paramount to the success of
every company. It allows a company to check a persons skills, attributes, professionalism,
ability to make an impact, commercial awareness, potential and most importantly SUITABILITY.
the ability to make a
positive contribution to
the values and aims of
the organization.
Skills, Knowledge,
Experience and
qualifications = + A SUITABLE
Candidate
The ability to demonstrate
all of these are critical to success
How do companies assess suitability? It is widely recognised by many graduate recruiters that “The best
indicator for future behaviour is past behaviour” Companies need to ensure your knowledge, skills, qualifications and
experiences match the role and the culture of their organisation. What methods have you come across that employers use to assess
candidates?
Ways to assess
suitability
What is an assessment centre?
An opportunity for the employer to see what you can do rather than to hear what you can do
Measure skills and behaviours required to be successful
Features of a good assessment centre
Focuses on doing rather than talking Simulates tasks and situations in target jobs Ensures multiple opportunities to observe participants Ensures multiple assessors to reduce bias Provides an opportunity for candidate feedback post assessment
centre Provides the candidate with a better insight into the job and
culture of the organisation
“assessment of a group of individuals by a team of judges using a comprehensive and integrated series of techniques”
Prof C. Fletcher 1992
What activities might be used at assessment centre?
TASK: You will be split into groups and given information on how to be successful in one activity. As a group you have 8 minutes to prepare a presentation on that activity. BE IMAGINATIVE! Think about these questions. 1. What is it? 2. Who uses it? 3. What are assessors looking
for in this exercise? 4. How can you be successful
in this exercise?
Assessment Centre
Interviews
Psychometric Tests
Impromptu or prepared
presentations
Role Plays Group Exercises
Social Events
Panel Interviews
How can we be successful in each activity? Listen to the presentations and make notes of useful tips!
TASK What is it? What are assessors looking for?
Which sectors use each technique?
How to crack an interview..
Interviews are the single most successful way to asses suitability for a job
PLAN Logistics
Answers
PREPARE Research
PRACTICE Mock
Recite
Go to all interviews
POSITIVITY Visualise the outcome
Belief
Optimism
DON’T PANIC!
Interviewers want you to perform well
This is your opportunity to talk about nothing but yourself and sell your best bits -
where else can you do that?
Competencies are skills and abilities required to perform job tasks competently.
• Most widely used and objective of all interviews – notes will be taken
• Questions are predetermined and based on job analysis – asked in a standardised way
• Can seem impersonal as they remove subjectivity – don’t be intimidated by that
• Test previous behaviours and allocate scores against required competencies
• Look for examples of a specific set of skills
Use examples from:
Academic projects and achievements, Responsibilities during work experience or voluntary activities, Involvement in societies Management of sporting activities. Responsibilities travelling
What is a competency interview?
Understand all the competencies required…
Times Top 100 Graduate Employers
What do they look for in their assessment process? Skills / Competencies included:
Teamwork Leadership Communication
Commercial Awareness Company Awareness Responsiveness
Initiative Problem Solving Innovation
Critical Thinking Creativity Task Management
Ambition Confidence Adaptability
Personal Effectiveness Influencing Integrity
Thrives on Challenge Technical Ability Entrepreneurial
Top 5 skills that the Top 100 graduate employers look for?
- Teamwork / Communication / Problem Solving / Confidence / Creativity
What competencies may be tested?
Interview Practice
You are going to have a go giving a competency question answer to your partner! 1. Choose the competency from the Top 5 2. (see bottom of powerpoint) 3. Prepare your example
RECENT (the last 2-3 years) Choose unique key events Use the STAR approach Extract the skills acquired and
lessons learnt
Don’t forget you can draw on
examples from:
ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
WORK EXPERIENCE
ACTIVITES AND INTERESTS
3. Deliver your example to your parntner
4. Get feedback – what went well/ even
better if
S
T
A
R
ituation
ask
ctions
esults
Teamwork / Communication / Problem Solving / Confidence / Creativity
Case studies come in different flavours
• How many piano tuners are there
in Birmingham?
• How many potential applicants are
there for Teach First?
• How could Teach First reduce its
overall cost per participant?
• Should Dinheiro Bank donate
£50,000 to Teach First?
? Brainteaser
Market share
Profitability
Strategy/
Creative thinking
Over to you…
So, how many piano tuners are there
in Birmingham?
Population of Birmingham = 1,000,000
One way…
Population of Birmingham = 1,000,000
1,000,000/ on average 4 people per household= 250,000 homes
Roughly 1 in 10 homes have piano so 250,000/10 = 25,000 pianos
25,000 pianos need roughly 4 tunings a day = 6250 days of work available
But you know that…52 weeks a yr/6 weeks’ holiday = 46 weeks = 230 days
6250/230 days’ work = 27.2 (or 28!)
How to come across well
Pay careful attention to instructions
Read written material thoroughly – don’t rush
Take part with whole-hearted commitment
Get involved – don’t work mainly on your own
Help others, be supportive, use others’ strengths
Be assertive, diplomatic, inclusive
Keep calm and use your sense of humour
Anatomy of a good case study
Defining
Questioning
Demonstrating
Beginning Middle End
• Paraphrase the
interviewer
• Question unknowns
• Look engaged
• Notice hints
• Understand the
problem
•Tell, tell and tell again
• Check understanding
• Look for help
• Explain assumptions
• Pursue each argument
• Make argument logical
• Check it makes sense
• Explore limitations
• Summarise process
• Explain limitations of answer
• Suggest improvements
• Involve external reference points
Case Study: Bunker Exercise
Read the packs you have been given – 2 mins
Discussion: 20 mins
Please write the team’s answers on an A4
sheet and hand them in. All team members
must sign the bottom to show that they agree
with the final answer.
Common errors
Do’s Listen to initial instruction
Make sure the question is fully
understood
Begin by setting a structure
Communicate your train of
thought clearly
Step back periodically & reflect
Be comfortable with numbers
Don’t fixate on “cracking the case”
Relax and enjoy the process.
Don’ts Misunderstand or answer the wrong
question
Proceed in a haphazard fashion
Asking a barrage of questions
Fail to synthesize a point of view
Not asking for help
Leave the quieter members out
Some people may feel…
Nervous Anxious Inferior Deflated Tongue-tied Talkative Stumped Panicky Overly analytical Overwhelmed Overly concerned about displaying certain behaviours
and come across as too dominant/too passive
ITS ABOUT BALANCE!
Key points to remember
Be yourself Positive Interesting/Interested Enthusiastic Truthful
Participate and don’t forget to listen
Remember it is not so much about the answer - show your skills! Prepare well and don’t panic! Enjoy!
Top 5 tips from a Recruiters’ perspective
1.Be prepared!
2.Have a clear understanding of why you want to work for the company and also why you’ve chosen this organisation over the competitors.
3.Remember you are being assessed all day. Don’t let your guard down at lunch time or on breaks.
4.Ask insightful questions in your interview (how much will I get paid? / How much holiday allowance? do not count!)
5.Remember the basics - don’t be late and wear appropriate dress
What have you learned?
…it’s as long as a piece of string…
Those people that have been given lengths of string have to talk about the following as they
wrap the string around their finger…
1) What you have learned in this Skills Session
2) An area that you need to work on
To describe the context of the current graduate marketplace
To explain different tasks and activities that employers use at Assessment Centres, and know how you can prepare
To assess and analyse strategies that might ensure your success at Assessment Centres with a focus on Interviews and Group Tasks
Let’s review the objectives
Questions?
