This is a universal, most accurate diagnostic group assessment for selecting a candidate for a vacant position. The assessment center helps HR departments analyze the competencies of employees and adequately assess whether they are suitable for the position they occupy. The assessment is carried out by our own HR service or by external consultants and consulting companies.
What is an assessment center?
This is a series of procedures during which participants are asked to complete a series of tasks that simulate the main aspects of work activity.
This allows you to determine the employee’s key competencies (hard skills) and developed personal qualities (soft skills). For this purpose, a team of specially trained expert observers is assembled according to the developed assessment sheet. As a result, a conclusion is formed about the suitability (compliance) of the employee for the position held, the need and areas of training, as well as recommendations for promotion or inclusion in the personnel reserve. The assessment center assessment method is divided into several types, depending on its focus.
Let's take a closer look at them.
KEY COMPETENCY ASSESSMENT METHODS AND THEIR BASIC PRINCIPLES
The assessment center conducts different methods. They depend on the parameters being assessed and what is being examined. The choice is most often determined by the company's financial resources.
The main methods of personnel assessment are the following.
- Certification. The procedure for conducting it is set out in official documents approved by the company’s management. The evaluation criterion is the professional standard of the specialty and position. During the certification, the employee’s qualifications, level of theoretical knowledge and practical skills, business and personal qualities are assessed. Certification, as an effective assessment center method, is carried out periodically, from one to three times a year.
- Interview. A method of personnel evaluation based on questions and answers. It can be carried out in a free form or in accordance with a pre-developed scheme. The most effective interview is a situational-behavioral interview, when the employee is asked to recall a work situation, evaluate his participation in it and reproduce the behavior model. Questions should be specific, without ambiguous interpretation.
- Business games. Personnel assessment is carried out using situations simulating business activity. This assessment center method helps to model the actions of personnel in a given situation, assess their resistance to stress, behavior, ability to quickly respond and make decisions, and interact with colleagues.
- Simulation of situations. This is an assessment center method in which situations that arise in real work are reproduced. Participants make an individual or collective decision, look for a way out of the current situation, and show originality in order to achieve the goal as quickly as possible. Experts observe the discussion and draw conclusions about the competence of employees and their organizational abilities.
Phased implementation of the assessment center
Assessment center methods
If we group them a little differently, we can consider the following typology. Modeling exercises This includes:
- individual business exercises;
- group assignments;
- role-playing games;
- analytical presentations;
- information search exercises.
Simulation exercises reproduce real work situations and are used to analyze the competencies necessary for successful professional activity. They clearly highlight a candidate's strengths and areas for growth and can be used for selection, promotion or development purposes.
Individual tasks
In addition to group exercises, the assessment center provides candidates with individual tasks. Like collective assignments, they should identify the level of competencies required for a profession or position. Individual exercises can precede group classes or be used simultaneously with them.
"Testing". The candidate answers a large number of questions. The test results will show how ready the participant is to solve business situations.
"Report". The participant prepares a speech on a given topic. The “report” is then presented to the audience. At the end of the presentation, the speaker answers questions on the topic.
"Presentation". The candidate prepares a short speech about himself, trying to show the qualities the company needs. Listeners can ask additional questions.
"Data analysis". The participant independently analyzes the information provided and proposes a solution.
Additionally, inspectors can conduct interviews, consultations, and questionnaires of participants.
Personality questionnaires
- Occupational Personality Questionnaire OPQ 32 and OPQ 4.2;
- CCSQ Customer Contact Styles Questionnaire;
- CCQ Corporate Culture Questionnaire;
- WSQ Work Styles Questionnaire.
They show a person's prevailing work style, since it is critical in determining his suitability for the position held.
Aptitude tests
For example, the following:
- systems thinking SRT;
- dynamic ability tests DAT (numerical and verbal - ND1 and VD1, respectively);
- new generation (brainstorm, fastrack, scripts).
One of the most effective tools that can be used to identify the “right” place for a particular person is psychometric tests. Their important feature is the possibility of comprehensive use: when selecting personnel, developing a motivation system, analyzing the activities of the organization’s staff, and so on. Whatever combinations of assessment methods you choose for the assessment center, they should all be aimed at collecting complete diagnostic information, providing high reliability and validity of the results.
Business game
The main component of the assessment center’s methodology is a business game. It models business situations typical for the functionality of the position whose competencies are being assessed. A business game is characterized by:
- the vitality of the situation;
- repetition of tasks and procedures that are the essence of the game;
- presence of conflict;
- the existence of hidden reserves.
Business cases reveal a person’s ability to work in a team, the ability to smooth out conflict situations and take a role that corresponds to knowledge and skills.
The leadership qualities of the participants are assessed, as well as the compliance of the given goals with the results of the game. The ability to distribute time among the stages of a task is tested.
The basis of a business game is the assumption of the similarity of behavioral characteristics in different situations. That is, it is assumed that human behavior in the game will be the same as in reality. A business game can be used both to assess a person’s qualities and to train and develop certain competencies.
How to spend online
The realities of modern times, caused by the global pandemic and the increasing share of remote work, have cast doubt on the very possibility of using CO: such a labor-intensive and resource-intensive technique seems impossible to transfer to an online format. But we will still try to suggest some steps for its implementation.
- Draw up a program and determine which competencies are assessed using which tool. We remember that for one competency, at least, you need to use three different techniques (basic, additional and indirect measurements).
- Select technologies and identify IT specialists who will help implement the necessary mechanics.
- Develop a methodology for the program. We take into account that all cases and tasks should be as close as possible to the work process (especially in modern realities), and also have the opportunity to demonstrate competencies and potential. It is also necessary to work out the instructions for participants in as much detail as possible.
- Carry out the procedure online. It is important to appoint not only a presenter-moderator, but also a co-presenter in order to retain the attention of employees.
What problems does Test-Assessment solve?
Test Assessment is useful for companies for:
- Selecting a candidate
- who is better suited for the position than others? How do the candidate’s values align with the company’s values? Whose potential will be most fully realized in this position? - Individual assessment
- employee strengths and weaknesses. How do the individual characteristics of an employee affect the performance of his work? What opportunities exist for a more complete and profound development of an employee’s managerial and business potential? - Formation of a personnel reserve and identification of HiPos
- which of the current employees has the greatest potential for leadership? Who should be appointed to a vacant managerial position while minimizing risks? - Creation and evaluation of project teams
- who should be entrusted with execution and who with management in a new project? Will employees who don't work together be able to achieve good results? What can you expect from virtual team members to work together if they don’t even know each other? - Trustworthiness assessments
- how to limit the possibility of abuse of official position? How honest and decent are candidates for positions that require access to the company's material resources? Will the new employee follow company rules?
The assessment center can be reduced to the following stages:
- Remote testing
- "360 degrees"
- Developmental online conversation with each employee (feedback, recommendations and motivation for development)
- Reporting for each participant (individual development programs, group report)
Of course, conducting such in-depth technology in an online format can be challenging. However, if you foresee possible risks, you can avoid encountering many pitfalls.
- Problems with connection instability can be minimized if the event is served by several IT specialists, rather than just one. In addition, it is important to share responsibility between the organizers.
- Reduced involvement in the process due to the online format can be solved by distributing roles between presenters, frequent breaks and preliminary preparation of your colleagues for the event format.
- Exercise confidentiality can be ensured by finding reliable tools and keeping them as secure as possible.
- The risk that the quality of the assessment will suffer and participants will not be able to demonstrate their competencies to the maximum can be reduced through high-quality materials, inviting highly qualified observers and motivational and explanatory conversations with staff.
As you can see, forced remote work is not at all a reason to postpone this procedure for an “indefinite period.”
Identify key competencies, explore the capabilities of remote tools, work out programs in detail - and you will implement an assessment center with high efficiency, even in an online format. Source
Other group exercises at the assessment center
The development of technology has led to the emergence of a large number of new exercises that allow assessing certain competencies of candidates or employees. Let's look at some of them.
"Group Discussion" A team of several people is presented with a problematic situation. Within a specified period, it is necessary to discuss the situation, identify possible development options and develop a solution to the problem.
"Brainstorm". We need to find as many solutions to the problem as possible. In addition to the obvious options, it is necessary to identify implicit answers. During brainstorming, criticism of other participants' options is not allowed.
"Mailbox". The team is offered materials in the form of official papers, letters, notes. It is necessary to analyze the information contained in them and propose a solution to the problems presented.
Like business games, group exercises show the behavioral characteristics of a person in a team, his ability to work with other people and his role. In addition to assessing candidate competencies, team assignments can be used to identify skills that need development to improve job success, as well as to train employees.
