Assessment centers -final stamp of approval

For quite a few waiting to sign on the dotted line, an appraisal at the 'assessment center' may well be the last hurdle before the recruitment process. It is at the ‘Assessment Center’ that candidates are put through a battery of tests and exercises. These tests assess candidates’ potential and identify specific traits and qualities that a normal interview process may not reveal. The tests are also sometimes used as an internal evaluation tools to identify metrics raises and promotions.

Depending upon the purpose for which they have been set up, assessment centers use an assortment of techniques to gauge the performance levels and behavioural traits of candidates. Testing can stretch over the course of one or two days and may involve individuals or groups. Psychological evaluations, behavioural interviews, role playing, business or job simulations and in-basket exercises are standard fare, although the finer testing nuances may vary from organisation to organisation. The skills that employers seek to evaluate may include analytical ability, commercial awareness, computer literacy, decision making abilities, leadership, negotiating and time management.

According to workforce.com, typical assessment center testing could run the gamut covering behavioural interviews and role playing. Candidates could be asked to play-act a work related situation such as conflict resolution or negotiation, and in-basket exercises that require them to handle routine tasks such as answering calls, dealing with customers, prioritising, delegating and decision making. It may also involve business simulations that require participants to build a business case for their strategic planning decisions based on a given body of information. The last consideration is seen to be of particular importance when recruiting for executive or managerial positions.

Assessment centers confer organisations with the advantage of being able to make informed decisions. This reduces the risk of selected candidates turning incompetent later on. Nevertheless, financial constraints weigh them down. Assessment centers though are an expensive proposal. The organisation may also need the services of a team of professionals who have the ability to make expert judgement on applicants. Many organisations therefore choose to outsource the entire process to professional agencies. However, if assessment centers are part of your organisation’s long term recruiting strategy, it makes business sense to develop internal content and evaluation. It is more economical and gives your organisation the advantage of being able to use it as an internal evaluation tool for developing talent apart from determining promotions and raises.

With recruitment rates burgeoning in the IT and BPO sectors that routinely use such tests to evaluate candidates, the assessment center approach is finding favour with a sizeable section of the corporate community. It may not be long before other sectors catch up and assessment centers become as much a part of the standard recruiting process as the ubiquitous personal interview.

Bindu Sridhar

Courtesy : The Hindu Opportunities