Assessment Centre

When it comes to finding a new person to fill an ‘open’ position, there are a number of questions that need to be asked by those making the hiring decision. Here are just a few:

• Is it better to search for Candidates among your own employees or on the job market?
• Who among the internal Candidates should be promoted to this position?
• Among several interesting shortlisted external Candidates, who would be more effective in our company in the position in question?

The right preparation and execution of an Assessment Centre process facilitate finding the right answers to these questions. For this purpose, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the responsibilities and duties of the position, combined with the specifics of the Client company’s organisational structure and culture. We also take into account the anticipated direction of market changes in the company’s market segment.

Method description:

Based on an in-depth analysis of the situation, we define a model of competencies, including knowledge, skills and attitudes that are essential to start work in the position in question, as well as which are ultimately desired on this position. The Assessment Centre method allows us to place the Candidate in various situations that simulate the real challenges of the position. The way the Candidate fulfils the tasks during the AC session is observed by custom-selected and trained assessors with appropriate business experience and psychological background. PSI Polska consultants are the main assessors, but it is also possible to include representatives of the Client’s company as observers.

On each occasion, we prepare a set of tasks with regard to the specific situation and skills involved. These tasks may include:

• group discussions with or without specific roles assigned,
• group/individual executive tasks to be carried out,
• presentations in a larger group or in front of assessors only,
• simulated ‘difficult conversations, for example, with Clients, employees, superiors, etc., where the interlocutors are played by specially prepared ‘actors’,
• written ‘case study’ tasks, ‘in basket’ tasks (analysing a large number of documents and making decisions on the basis of them), ‘fact finding’ (establishing facts on the basis of given information),
• knowledge tests,
• tests of the ability to analyse verbal and numerical information,
• tests of creativity and perception,
• professional personality questionnaires.

When recruiting externally, we pay particular attention to the confidentiality of participants. For this reason, all the interactive tasks are performed with actors, sometimes played by selected assessors.

A well-run Assessment Centre process allows us to make optimal recruitment decisions for the position in question. The participant, thanks to the feedback received, is in a much better position to make an appropriate self-assessment, gain a fuller awareness of his or her competencies and build a professional career based on his or her strengths.