Assessment Centres 2010-11 Updated

How to succeed at
Assessment Centres
Page 1
2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
Aims
Page 2
What are assessment centres?

Why are they used?
A typical one-day assessment centre
Individual and group tasks
Practical exercises
Tips for success
Further help

Assessment centres are about

Meeting people:
selectors, current
graduates, senior staff,
other candidates
Gathering information:
about the organisation,
the job, and the working
culture
Page 3
Demonstrating your
potential:
tests and exercises
about your
competencies

Assessment centres
are used for selection by larger employers
to assess competencies
can last from 1/2 a day to two days
are considered a fair way of assessing
candidates skills and abilities
use a range of selection methods for
individuals and for groups
Page 4

A typical 1-day assessment centre
Introduction of participants and candidates

Company presentation
Individual presentations
Coffee break, socialising informally
Psychometric testing
In-tray exercise
Buffet lunch, socialising informally
Group exercise, solving a work-related
problem
Interviews, hour, skills-based
Page 5

Individual tasks
Socialising
- chance for networking, food and drink, still observed!
Employer presentation, tour of premises

- description of company mission, structure, job functions
Your presentation
- short presentation about a topic of your choice, often
prepared in advance, testing your presentation skills
- can be short verbal presentation about yourself by way of
introducing yourself in the group
Page 6

Individual tasks
E-tray exercises
- about prioritising administrative tasks, timed exercise,
putting items in order (reports, phone messages,
emails, letters providing notes with your responses)
Interviews
- usually the second interview, small panel,
competencies, technical abilities
Page 7

Individual tasks
Role play
- one of the assessors to take on a part which relates to the
role youve applied for (e.g. complaining customer)
Case study
- scenario related to the role applied for, about analytical
problem-solving; asked for recommendations
Psychometric tests
- verbal and numeric reasoning tests / personality tests
Page 8

Group tasks
Group task with roles assigned
- members assigned a specific role and aim; may
involve arguing your case, negotiating, persuading
others
- not about winning or losing but communicating
effectively in a group to achieve your goal
Group task or discussion (no specific roles)

- topic given, often timed and required to make a group
recommendation (often a group case study)
- get involved and contribute in whatever way you can
(e.g. leading, facilitating, generating ideas, encouraging,
monitoring progress, questioning, analysing)
Page 9

Group tasks
Practical team exercises
- Timed exercise, groups may be competing against one
another; task could be anything from building a structure
with simple materials to solving an imaginary problem
such as conveying ping pong balls from a to b
- Purpose to assess drive, leadership, creativity,
motivation, team working.
Page 10

Exercise 1:
Over to you!
Page 11

In-tray exercise:
Its Friday afternoon and youre clearing your
desk, as youre about to start your holiday on
Saturday. You still need to pack.
There are some items in your in-tray for you to
clear before you go. You need to decide:
A: What needs your immediate attention?
B: What can be postponed until you return?
C: What can you delegate to someone else?
Page 12

Your in-tray
1.
Minutes of a recent management team meeting circulated for your

information and to check any possible action points.
2.
A mail shot from a regular supplier, asking you to act within 5 days to
qualify for a huge discount.
3.
Phone message from the MDs secretary. He needs to deliver a speech

at a function next week and wants to clarify some figures.
4.
An email message from the marketing department have you had a

chance to look at her proposals for your product. Could you arrange a
meeting to discuss strategy?
5.
Annual report and financial information on a client company with whom

you are shortly going to be assigned to work with. You have a meeting to
discuss them on the day you arrive back.
6.
An invitation from a colleague to go for some celebratory drinks this

evening after work. He has just got engaged.
Page 13

Exercise 2:
Movies R Us
A case study
Page 14

Movies R Us 1/3
Your client is a small independent cinema.
Profits have been in decline for some time
Your tasks is to suggest possible ways to
increase their revenue.
Background Information:
4 screens, opening hours 2pm 11pm, snacks
and soft drinks are on sale, average age group of
visitors 18 - 40
Page 15

Movies R Us 2/3
How would you tackle this exercise?

What factors do we think may have led to
a decline in profits?
What recommendations would you make?
Discuss with your neighbour 5 min.
Page 16

Movies R Us - debrief
What recommendations would you make?
Key point: no right or wrong answers!
Answers might include:
Show childrens movies to attract whole families
Include special midweek deals (2 for 1)
Extend opening hours to have morning screenings
for school children at weekends
Golden Oldies nights to attract older people
Investigate snacks what sells well? What not?
What else might people want?
Page 17

Tips for success

Relax, be yourself and enjoy the event
Be pleasant and positive to everyone
including other candidates
Prepare a short introduction about yourself
that you could use in a group introduction or
during the interview (what you have to offer
and why you have applied)
Page 18

Tips for success

Prepare as you would for an interview
(research employer, read press releases,
practise questions and answers)
Remain interested and involved

throughout, show enthusiasm for tasks
Make eye contact, speak up, speak
clearly, dont interrupt
Page 19

Tips for success

When working in groups:
join in
try not to dominate, include others
pay attention to time and check details
articulate your thoughts and ideas;
be concise
respect other views, acknowledge better
ideas even if this means changing your
mind
Page 20

Tips for success
You are NOT in competition with other

candidates!
Its about how you behave and work with
them - some, all or none may be selected!
Page 21

Further help
AGCAS DVD about assessment centres
(approx. 25 min)
Handouts about assessment centres, group
exercises, presentations
www.imperial.ac.uk/careers/resources
Assessment Centre Workshops - presentation
skills, in-tray/e-tray exercises and group
exercises
Reference books
Careers Service www.imperial.ac.uk/careers
Page 22

Good luck!
Page 23


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How to succeed at

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

What are assessment centres?

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Assessment centres are about

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

A typical 1-day assessment centre

Introduction of participants and candidates

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Employer presentation, tour of premises

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Group task or discussion (no specific roles)

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Minutes of a recent management team meeting circulated for your

Phone message from the MDs secretary. He needs to deliver a speech

An email message from the marketing department have you had a

Annual report and financial information on a client company with whom

An invitation from a colleague to go for some celebratory drinks this

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

How would you tackle this exercise?

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Tips for success

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Tips for success

Remain interested and involved

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Tips for success

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

Tips for success

You are NOT in competition with other

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

2010 Imperial College London Careers Advisory Service 2010

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