Assessment centre design & facilitation
The Background
A brand-name and market-leader powertool manufacturer asked Nelson Griffiths to design a new competency-based assessment centre to aid the selection for high-profile roles on a graduate programme in marketing. Assessment centres were used, but were not competency-based and task did not reflect the real activities of the role.
What we did
After producing a competency framework and really understanding what the business wanted, we took what we could from the existing process and introduced a number of new elements.
Candidates completed a group session, which reflected a typical marketing managers' meeting; they constructed a work bench (using the company's powertools!) highlighting their team-working, communication and practical skills; they delivered a presentation in which they had to persuade the manages of a large DIY store to stock a new line of products. They also undertook personality profiling, and verbal and numerical reasoning tests. We worked hard to ensure there was a balance between the candidates' being assessed and their learning about the organisation.
We also organised and facilitated the event. It sounds simple, but to ensure everything runs smoothly and to time, and keep the candidates' perceptions high, a skilled facilitator is essential.
The Outcome?
The centre has been used many times, and the competency-based model is now a part of the organisation's recruitment culture. Minor changes have been made in the exercises, but each time we've recruited the number of candidates we wanted, and with no compromise on quality.
The presentations we delivered at the centre have also helped us to more realistically set the candidates' expectations.
"We tell them how it is, and we show them what kind of culture we have. Most are inspired - but if it is not for them, we want to know immediately."
Many organisations use assessment centres for recruitment and development purposes. There is no mystery - as assessment centre is simply a chance to see candidates take part in a number of job-appropriate exercises, then evaluate their performance against a set of measurable competency criteria.
We have been asked to design and manage large events, but equally we work with smaller organisations who simply want to put candidates through a couple of activities (role plays and business presentations remain popular) to ensure they select the best.
The results are powerful. Interviews alone are likely to produce a 20% success rate, but assessment centres around 60% - a trebling in effectiveness pays dividends many times over.
"As a line manager, I'm aware of an increase in high quality candidates. Watching candidates in action is illuminating - when one performs well across the board, we know we have a winner!"