Oxford

D
APPLICATION ESSENTIALS
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
Larger organisations often use assessment centres to assess candidates’ performance against
a range of competencies in more than one situation. By the time you attend an assessment
centre, you should have developed a clear understanding of the organization, its core values
and preferred competencies: even so, it’s well worth revisiting your research and your
application materials.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Assessment centres will usually last from half
a day to two days and will consist of a range of
selection methods such as aptitude tests, personality
questionnaires, case studies, group discussions,
spoken presentations, one-to-one interviews,
socialising (which is still observed!) and meeting
current trainees.
Because of this overall breadth of assessment,
assessment centres are often considered a better
predictor of future performance in the workplace
than just a final interview. They are also considered
fairer for candidates as a strong performance in
one task can compensate for a less impressive
performance elsewhere
A typical one day assessment centre may consist of:
• Introduction and company presentation.
• Psychometric testing (p.49).
• In-tray exercise.
• A presentation.
• Buffet lunch, socialising informally.
• Group exercise, solving a work-related
problem.
• Competency-based interviews (p.52-53)
EQUALITY & DIVERSITY:
DISCLOSURE?
If you feel that you might be at a
disadvantage to others sitting the test,
owing to a disability or dyslexia and
dyspraxia then do contact the recruiter
beforehand, to discuss if adjustments
could be made for you, eg, extra time
in the timed tests. Your experiences
of adjustments that are made for you
at University are a good guideline as
to what you can ask for, or advise a
recruiter to put in place.
The employer will have a checklist of ‘competencies’
(abilities, skills and behaviours) based on the
organisation’s core values to use as the selection
criteria. These competencies are likely to include key
transferable employability skills (pp.26-28) as well
as company specific competencies and/or technical
skills for some roles. Typically, competencies cover
areas like:
• Creative problem solving.
• Effective communication skills.
• Team-work.
• Business/commercial awareness.
• Ability to influence/persuade.
• Initiative and flexibility.
The assessors will keep notes of how each
candidate performs during every exercise and
interview, and they will score the candidate’s
performance against the relevant competencies.
Try to stay focused throughout the day, and don’t
allow yourself to lose confidence if you feel you
have under-performed in an exercise because the
assessors are looking at your overall performance.
“assessment centres are often
considered a better predictor
workplace than just a final
interview.
of future performance in the
“
50
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