Assessment Centres - more info
The Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD) puts the cost of mis-hiring between four and six times the employee’s salary, while some surveys put this figure at as much as 14 times. Taking into account both the hard and soft costs, it’s a significant expense for employers.
The goal of an assessment centre is to improve the success of recruitment by simulating the competencies required in the job so that applicants can demonstrate skills or characteristics that would be effective in that role.
Why use Role Plays, In-tray exercises, written case studies:
These are the most popular exercises in assessment centres. This is because it enables organisations to see how well candidates behave with others and is applicable to almost every employee, from a supervisor to senior management. This type of exercise also allows the assessors to actually test how candidates respond when put on the spot or dealing with conflict. The key purpose of the exercises is to again see what competencies are displayed and how behaviours match those of the required role. The process allows employers to observe behaviours directly and to measure performance objectively against the specific key criteria or competencies that they consider important for a role. It allows them to see what the candidate can do, rather than what they say they can do.
Assessment centres also give employers the chance to:
The business benefits of assessment centres:
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The goal of an assessment centre is to improve the success of recruitment by simulating the competencies required in the job so that applicants can demonstrate skills or characteristics that would be effective in that role.
Why use Role Plays, In-tray exercises, written case studies:
These are the most popular exercises in assessment centres. This is because it enables organisations to see how well candidates behave with others and is applicable to almost every employee, from a supervisor to senior management. This type of exercise also allows the assessors to actually test how candidates respond when put on the spot or dealing with conflict. The key purpose of the exercises is to again see what competencies are displayed and how behaviours match those of the required role. The process allows employers to observe behaviours directly and to measure performance objectively against the specific key criteria or competencies that they consider important for a role. It allows them to see what the candidate can do, rather than what they say they can do.
Assessment centres also give employers the chance to:
- observe candidates over an extended period of time
- see how candidates react under pressure
- watch how candidates work with others and how they interact in social situations
The business benefits of assessment centres:
- They are far more accurate than a standard recruitment process as they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process
- They enable interviewers to assess existing performance as well as predict future job performance
- They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar - in terms of quality - on paper
- They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises which are typical for the role they have applied for
- They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who attend assessment centres which genuinely reflect the job and the organisation are often impressed by that company, even if they are rejected
- The cost of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential cost of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors
- They are a fair process – they complement an organisation’s diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone.
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