4.4.

3 Assessment Center Exercises:

4.4.3.1 BUSINESS GAMES:

The business game consists of forming work groups in which simulated companies and
real market situations are represented.

Business Game A

Subject: "Danger with the importation of household appliances".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental manager.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Determine possible solutions to a current situation in the market; trying not to affect the
personnel involved.

Development of the Activity:

In Ecuador, the government has established a decree in which an increase in taxes for
imports of household appliances is observed, as a measure has established an increase of
up to 25% in the PVP of these products while increasing the labor force.

The scenario in which we will operate is as follows:

You are working as an administrator in a warehouse in which 50% of the electrical

appliances for sale are imported, and the people on the shop floor have to work longer
hours in order to meet the demands of their customers; for this reason, they are
requesting a salary increase to continue working.

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You, as the administrator, call the departmental manager to explain the situation;
however, the manager asks you to prepare a proposal specifying options to increase the
company's performance without having to lay off or affect the personnel in question.
This proposal must be clear and precise and will have to be exposed immediately before
the staff begins to resign.

Time:

The time used for the elaboration of the proposal is 15 minutes; after which you will
have to present your points and convince the manager that your ideas are the best; the
presentation time is 7 minutes.

Business Game B

Title: "Conflict in Austromotors".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental manager.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Establish proposals with which to intervene to improve the market situation.

Development of the Activity:

After decades of Austromotors' leadership in the automotive market, it declared

bankruptcy in August 2013, its innovations in the area of sales; however, were
maintained and developed by its competitors, while Asutromotors stagnated
dramatically.

A number of factors, such as rising costs due to Austromotors' insurance promotions, led

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to the company's failure for three different reasons:

- Accident insurance: Austromotors was the first company to promote this type
of benefit to its customers for the purchase of their vehicle; however, its
competitors were able to match this promotion quickly by making alliances
with professional insurance companies; leaving Austromotors in a difficult
position after raising its costs to be able to offer this service on its own.

- Theft insurance: after a growing increase in sales due to the benefits that this
insurance represented for Austromotors' customers, a change in the locks of
the vehicles sold by Austromotors made them an easy target for criminals.

- Mechanical insurance: despite the initial attractiveness of vehicle defect

insurance, the recent climate change and increased humidity in the air has
caused the continuous oxidation of certain automotive parts, causing the costs
that Austromotors had to face to skyrocket.

Being in its declining phase, the manager has requested that I present him with at least
two proposals so that Austromotors can return to market leadership without having to
take away from customers the benefits and insurance that have been offered so far.

Time:

- 20 minutes of case analysis.

- 10 minutes of presentation and dialogue with the "Manager".

4.4.3.2 GROUP DISCUSSION

This involves presenting a problematic situation orally or in writing by the selector until
a consensus or final situation is reached.

Discussion in Group A

Title: "Company in decline".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

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 - Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Establish key parameters to prevent the decline of a FMCG company by determining

oral skills, communication, conflict resolution skills, leadership.

Development of the Activity:

We form groups of 4 to 6 people; each of them will be given an envelope in which an

envelope states a problem that a mass consumption company is going through, in the
same groups they will have to define specific recommendations and solutions that will
allow the company to overcome the crisis they are going through at this moment.

At the end, they should select the most serious problem and present it to the other groups
and to the area manager, who will be in charge of questioning and inquiring about how
the purposes described above are going to be fulfilled.

Problems to consider:

• The company has not been able to compete with the competition due to a lack of
technological innovations: 45% of the technology remains the same as it was 3
years ago

• Lack of distribution channels: they currently have only 1 channel while the
competition has 3 channels.

• Lack of funding sources

• Lack of staff training: in the past, 6 to 8 trainings were carried out annually;
today there are no trainings.

• Unfair foreign trade practices.

• Need for new suppliers: as the cost of labor increases, the company reduces the
number of suppliers, causing a 30% decrease in sales.

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Time:

- The groups will have 25 minutes to negotiate and establish key parameters.

- The presentations will be made in a period of 15 minutes for each group.

Discussion in Groups B

Title: "Financial assistance for natural disasters".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

Spheres.

Objective:

Analyze and argue the need for each sub-area to receive economic assistance.

Development of the Activity:

You are an inhabitant of the North of Chile; in which there are different zones divided
according to the economic income of its inhabitants; these are:

- Zone A: high economic income.

- Zone B: moderate economic income.

- Zone C: low economic income.

Following the devastation of the earthquake measuring 6 on the Richter scale in June
2014 the government of Chile has considered the option of granting economic assistance
to one of the affected areas.

The zonal board has summoned the representatives of each sub-area to present the

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reasons why their zone should be the one to receive government benefits, considering
that zone A is inhabited mostly by large businessmen who demand work in this area of
Chile; zone B by the labor force; and zone C by unemployed and subsistence people.

Each participant will be given an envelope indicating which group he/she will represent
and will have to explain to the other participants the points for which his/her zone should
obtain the support of the Chilean government until an agreement is reached.

Time:

- 30 minutes of preparation.

- 30 minutes of debate.

- 10 minutes final conclusion.

4.4.3.3 ANALYSIS EXERCISES

They consist of the presentation of situations that encourage participants to reason prior
to making a final decision.

Analysis Exercises A

Title: "Fire emergency".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

State coherently the reasons why you would save one of the people mentioned in the
exercise.

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Development of the Activity:

After a devastating fire in a city building, firefighters come to the rescue of the people
living in the building.

Each participant will represent a firefighter who is in charge of a person to be saved; on

the other hand, each of the people inside the building has specific characteristics and
valuable reasons why they should be saved. Unfortunately, time is short to get everyone
out of the building as it will collapse. Only two people can be saved, you must defend
the person assigned to you and provide reasons why he/she should be saved.

- Inhabitant 1: 5 year old boy who lives with his parents, he is the only child
and his mother's uterus has been removed so she cannot have any more
children.

- Inhabitant 2: 20-year-old orphan with a 10-year-old brother.

- Inhabitant 3: 40 year old woman, single mother whose son is

disabled.

- Inhabitant 4: 70-year-old man responsible for the care of his granddaughter.

pregnant minor.

- Inhabitant 5: 35-year-old woman, pregnant, unemployed and widowed.

Time:

- 15 minutes of analysis.

- 10 minutes of exposure.

- 10 minutes of discussion and final decision.

Analysis Exercises B

Title: "Organizing an agency".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

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 - Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Conduct an in-depth analysis of the problems encountered in the agency, which will be
considered in an upcoming monthly work plan.

Development of the Activity:

You will be in charge of a group of 10 people for whom you will have to organize and
plan a monthly work schedule that ensures 50% of the staff's stability in the company for
at least the next 2 years.

In order to carry out such a plan, it is necessary to take into account the following
problems that the agency currently has:

- Decrease in sales.
- Lack of staff motivation and interpersonal and interdepartmental conflicts.
- Theft of goods.
- Process errors.
- Negative or bankruptcy rumors among competitors.

He must establish at least two solutions for each problem mentioned and present these
proposals to the departmental manager, convincing him that his proposal is the most
viable and recommendable for the company.
Time:

- 20 minutes to establish the plan.

- 15 minutes to present the ideas and discuss them with the departmental
manager.

4.4.3.4 . PRESENTATION EXERCISES

It consists of generating exercises in which the candidates have the possibility of
presenting themselves based on different slogans.

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 Presentation Exercises A:

Title: "I am a household appliance".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Generate an environment of participation among the applicants.

Development of the Activity:

The postulants stand in a circle and start with the following slogan:

Each person will have to choose an appliance that they consider identifies them; from
that moment on, they will have to go one by one to the center and explain the reason
why they consider that the selected appliance is the one that represents them and they
will have to sell themselves to the other applicants convincing them of its value and why
they should buy it.

Time:

- 7 minutes to prepare.

- 3 minutes to sell yourself.

Presentation Exercises B

Title: "Imagining a character".

Resources:

Human:
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 - Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:
- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

- Cardboard for the cards.

Objective:

Make an individual presentation based on the instructions given to each participant.

Development of the Activity:

A card will be given to each of the candidates; a profession will be written on the card.

The task is as follows: Each of your cards has a profession written on it; you will have to
introduce yourself to the other participants by imagining that you carry out the activities
that describe that profession. You should indicate your name, age and characteristics that
make you unique personally and professionally, which will convince managers that you
are the best in your area of work.

Time:

- 5 minutes to prepare.

- 3 minutes to introduce yourself.

4.4.3.5 INBASKET
Candidates will be required to handle various situations based on the presentation of
documents that are handled in the job for which they are applying.

In- basket A

Title: "In search of solutions".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.
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 - Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Determine solutions to the situation the company is going through.

Development of the Activity:

In a commercial company, each of the managers is required to submit a monthly report

on sales, losses and problems.

It is Mother's Day and one of the agencies is having problems due to the resignation of 3
people in the morning, the manager has to make an emergency plan because it only has
one salesperson and one cashier and the influx of people is large.

The following points should be considered so that you as the administrator can establish
quick and effective solutions to maintain order before backup personnel from other
agencies arrive:

- You are required to send the monthly report to the departmental manager
(there is no option to reschedule) you have 1 hour to do so.

- You must organize the agency to avoid losing customers.

- At that very moment, he receives a notification from the Ministry regarding

an eviction, so he must attend to the Inspector.

You should prioritize the above situations and discuss how you will address each of the
above issues.

Time:

- 15 minutes to establish ideas.

- 10 minutes to present and discuss with management.

In- basket B
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Title: "Product warranty problems".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Establish solutions for the following customer warranty case.

Development of the Activity:

A customer purchases a Tablet for $200. The advantages of the product include the
following:

- One month grace period prior to the first payment.

- 30-day warranty.

15 days after purchase, the customer approaches one of the agencies and reports damage
to the item. The technical service department is responsible for sending the item to one
of the workshops of the original brand of the product. The administrator tells the
customer that the Tablet will be sent to the authorized workshop within 42 to 78 hours
and that the brand has 30 working days to submit the damage report, after which the
customer will be notified of the results immediately.

The brand sends the report in which it is detailed and indicates that there is a blow to the
article; therefore, the warranty would not apply in this case.

The customer is upset and complains to the service representative, arguing that the item
has never been hit. To help the customer the following is indicated: $30 will be covered
for the damage for this occasion only, 15 days later a new report is received with

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photographs in which the brand indicates that there is no fix for the Tablet.

If you were the technical service representative, therefore the person who should notify
the customer about the problem, how would you do it; what measures do you consider
should be taken in order not to lose the customer's trust and explain that the
inconvenience is not the company's but due to the blow received on the Tablet; when
faced with an annoyed customer who wants his money back, what actions would you
take?

Time:

- 20 minutes to perform the pertinent analysis.

- 10 minutes to explain the arguments and debate.

4.4.3.6 DRAMATIZATIONS
Performance of the participants with respect to their professional qualification and their
behavior in a real work situation.

Dramatization A

Title: "Imagination to the test".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Box.

- Miscellaneous items.

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

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Objective:

Perform a simulated sale in which you convince the customer to buy your product.

Development of the Activity:

Several items are placed in a dark box, after which each of the applicants is asked to
come to the front and unobserved remove an item from the box.

Each participant must sell the item together with an appliance; there is no possibility of
the item being free. How would I go about convincing others that the object I take out
has utility and deserves to be purchased?

Time:

- 5 minutes preparation time.

- 3 minutes of presentation.

Dramatization B

Title: "The customer is always right".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Generate a convincing dialogue for a proper sale.

Development of the Activity:

You are working in an appliance store; suddenly you see a large vehicle pull up in front
of your store, a tall man gets out, approaches you and starts asking about the items on
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sale.

Unfortunately this man is overbearing and has little education.

Write down at least 6 strategies that you would use to convince him/her that your
products are the best; considering that one sale you make to that customer represents all
the sales needed in the month.

Once the strategies have been established, they will be shared with the other participants,
after which they will have to agree to select only 6 strategies among all of them.

The selected strategies will be presented to the evaluators, who will assume the role of
the "difficult customer" and refute your comments. You as a salesperson must defend
your position and convince the customer to make the purchase.

Time:

- 15 minutes to establish strategies.

- 15 minutes to socialize with participants.

- 15 minutes to present and discuss ideas with the customer (in this case, the
departmental managers)

4.4.3.7 ROLE PLAYING

Playing a role according to an established script, but leaving freedom when it comes to
achieving a goal.

Role Playing A

Title: "Incentive Proof".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

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 - Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Argue clearly and precisely the advantages and disadvantages of incentives for
employees.

Development of the Activity:

Two participants will be given the advantages and disadvantages of the company
implementing incentives for its employees; each of them will try to convince a manager
of their arguments, while debating among themselves.

Advantages:

- It is oriented towards the same objective.

- 5 minutes to present the strategies.

- 5 minutes to discuss strategies.

- Maintains focus on relevant actions.

- He is a motivator.

- Highlights positive behaviors.

- Increases satisfaction.

- Measures progress.

- Increases permanence.

Disadvantages:

- Difficult to implement for all personnel.

- Resistance of some groups.

- Subjectivity in performance appraisal.

- Individualism and isolation.

- Antagonisms and competitiveness.

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 - Solely for economic purposes.

Fatigue and Stress.

- Lower quality.

Time:

They will be allotted 5 minutes to prepare and 7 minutes for the respective discussion.

Role Playing B

Title: "Leadership Theories".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

Material:

- Sheets of bond paper.

- Spheres.

Objective:

Establish arguments with which to defend a type of leadership that is ideal for you.

Development of the Activity:

Each participant will be assigned one of the approaches of Mc Gregor's "x" and "y"
theory with the purpose of defending the ideal type of leadership for the company by
means of the following postulates.

Theory "x":

- Employees dislike work and always seek to avoid it, so they must be coerced,
controlled or penalized to achieve goals.

- Employees avoid taking responsibility and seek formal direction whenever

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 possible.

- Employees seek security over other factors associated with the job because
they lack ambition.

Theory "and":

- Employees can consider work as natural as rest and play.

- Employees will seek self-direction and self-control if you are committed to

the objectives.

- Employees will seek and accept responsibility and are highly capable of
making innovative decisions.

In addition to this, the participant who defends theory "x" must also defend autocratic
leadership1, while the one who defends theory "y" will defend laissez faire.2

Time:

- 5 minutes to prepare.

- 5 minutes to present.

4.4.3.8 MOCK INTERVIEWS

It consists of conducting simulated interviews based on the presentation of ambiguous
situations.

Mock Interview A:

Title: "Labor contributions".

Resources:

Human:

Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

1 Autocratic: Authority rests with a single person whose decisions are absolute and cannot be
questioned, and does not take into account the opinions of others.
2 Laissez Faire: Means "let it be done", trusting in the employees' abilities with the minimum possible
intervention.
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Objective:

Determine previous employment actions of the applicants.

Development of the Activity:

During the activity, an interview will be simulated and conducted by the departmental
manager.

The Manager will ask the interviewee the following questions:

1. Tell me about a work experience you have gone through where you have had
difficulties to solve.
2. What contributions did you make in your last job to manage improvement in
your work area? Explain the details
3. What has been the most interesting work you have done?
4. What is the most boring task you have ever had to perform and how did you
handle this aspect?
5. How would you react to a customer's complaint about poor service, if the
customer is obfuscated and only asks for his money back? What strategy do you
consider appropriate to avoid losing this customer?

In each of the detailed questions it will be necessary for the Manager to seek as much
information as possible.

Time:

- 15 minutes.

Mock Interview B

Title: "Analysis of the past".

Resources:

Human:

- Observers.

- Departmental managers.

- Participants.

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Objective:

Generate a conversation in which information about previous work can be obtained.

Development of the Activity:

The person conducting the mock interview should ask the following questions:

Mention an occasion in which you have had to restructure your work schedule at the last
minute; having to redistribute activities and times. how did he act? what measures did
you take?

1. Indicate a situation in which you selected a new employee for your team, what
did you take into account to include him/her?
2. How have you reacted to the lack of cooperation from your co-workers?
3. How do you handle complaints and concerns from employees, managers and
customers?
4. When you are delegated activities that are different from the work you have been
doing, how do you react?

In each of the detailed questions it will be necessary for the Manager to seek as
much information as possible by asking for details.

Time:

- 15 minutes.

4.4.4 Assessment Center Evaluation:

- Sub phases:

a. Initial Phase:

In the initial phase, it should be taken into account who will be involved in
the Assessment Center process, after which each one will proceed to evaluate
the candidates using the evaluation matrices (Annex 1 and 2).

b. Development Phase:

The main activity of those involved in the process and the evaluation of
candidates is to focus on the competencies observed in each of the applicants
and to record these observations in the evaluation matrices.

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 c. Final Phase (Feedback):

- The results obtained at the end of the exercise should be socialized with the
area managers to indicate the highest scores, thus pointing out the best
candidates.

- This socialization will be carried out by the active observer who will be
aware of all the management carried out before and during the Assessment
Center execution process.

d. Post Assessment Center Phase:

It is important to highlight that the Assessment Center is a selection tool but

not the only method that should be used to select personnel. The selection of
candidates requires the use of interviews, psychological tests, among other
aspects that complement the Assessment Center tool.

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