Assessment centres

Many of the larger graduate employers run these. An assessment centre might last anything from half a day to two or more days, including an overnight stay. During this time you will typically be asked to take part in a number of different activities and tests designed to assess your skills and potential suitability for a role. These activities and tests could include a second interview, group discussion, case study, role-play, psychometric test and presentation.

Assessment centres are routinely used by many of the larger graduate recruiters to assess candidates. However, some elements of assessment centres, such as psychometric testing and in-tray exercises, are also being introduced by many smaller companies.

Estimates put the cost of putting a candidate through a full assessment centre at about £3,000. So, why do employers go to all this expense?

• Research by business psychologists into various recruitment methods demonstrated that traditional interviews are not a particularly accurate predictor of performance in the job role. Interviewing alone can also lead to bias in the selection process.
• The most predictive selection method is a combined approach, including work samples, business case studies, ability tests and structured interviews (where behavioural questions are objectively scored).
• Assessment centres allow employers to see how you perform in a variety of tasks. Some of these are designed to mirror tasks you would be doing in the job, so they are measuring you directly against the skills you need to do the job well. Others focus more on certain core competencies or behavioural characteristics that particular employer looks for.
• These exercises also enable the assessors to see how you perform under pressure and how you work with other people.
• Being assessed by a team of observers makes the process more objective - the final decision must be agreed on by a team of assessors, using a range of methods. This enables them to build up a more comprehensive and accurate picture of your skills and core competencies to do the job.