Assessment Center: Explanation, Objectives & Approach

Surely you've heard of assessment centers before. But have you ever participated in one? Anyone who answers this question with "no" is probably grateful for that in the first moment. Most applicants think of uncomfortable testing situations and solving difficult tasks. But what exactly do we mean by an assessment center and do candidates really have so much to fear?

Definition Assessment Center: What is it anyway?

An assessment center, also briefly called AC, is one of the most popular diagnostic methods for personnel selection. It offers the opportunity to make further applicant selection on the basis of a complex evaluation process after a preselection. Various selection methods and processes are to be used to find the best-suited applicants for the respective position. "To assess someone" means as much as to evaluate someone, to determine their value. This complex evaluation process is usually carried out by companies (e.g. HR employees, executives) or external service providers (e.g. consultants). The number of participants in an assessment center varies from company to company. A rough guideline is between 5 and 15 candidates, although large corporations may invite more participants, who are then divided into different groups.

This type of selection process is particularly popular in the recruiting process when hiring apprentices, trainees or higher job positions. Especially for these positions, companies place a lot of value on sustainability - the more precisely the selection is made, the more likely it is that the perfect candidates for these positions will be found and remain loyal to the company for a long time.

There is a primary distinction between group assessment centers, individual assessment centers and online assessment centers. The great advantage of a group is that not only the technical skills, but also teamwork can be examined more closely. How do the candidates work in a community and what roles do they play in a discussion?

The tasks of the selection process can be very different and in most cases serve not only to test the technical, but also the personal qualifications and competencies, e.g. with the help of personality tests.

Sequence and components of an assessment center

While a normal job interview in most cases does not last longer than a few hours, a classic assessment center can take up to three days.

In an assessment center, personal and professional competences, skills and abilities should ideally be tested to provide information about the suitability of the candidates. The exact tasks and the course of one or more examination days vary from company to company. But there is a rough schedule that most companies use or something similar. These include self-presentation, individual exercises and group exercises followed by reflection.

Self-presentation

• Presentation of the person and previous career
• Representation of the own motivation for the position
• Highlighting of one's own strengths and weaknesses

Individual exercises

• Stress tests
• Presentations
• Individual interview
• Role play
• Intelligence tests

Group exercises

• Group discussions
• Partner presentations
• Case study

Reflection

• Self-assessment
• Thoughts on the previous tasks
• Feedback

Typical tasks in an assessment center

• In-box exercise: When asked about the typical stress test in the assessment center, everyone agrees: It is the inbox exercise. Anyone who ever searched in their preferred search engine for assessment center tasks will have come across this exercise. The inbox exercise is a classic where you have to prioritise 15 to 20 to-dos from the email inbox under difficult conditions (time pressure and mutual dependencies of tasks). The difficulties mainly consist in the fact that the tasks assigned can overlap or distractions by colleagues, calls and meetings may come up. The aim of this task is to better assess the stress resistance and organisational talent of the candidates.
• Group discussion: The group discussion is also a popular exercise within the assessment center. In most cases, the topic is preset - sometimes even the roles to be assumed in the discussion. The goal is to better assess the ability to discuss, criticize, and work in a team.
• Presentations: Presentations are at least equally popular - either alone or in a group. Usually a topic is given, for which you prepare a presentation in a set time and then present it. The subject areas can range from technical to economic or current affairs. In addition to appearance and presentation skills, stress resistance, media competence, comprehension and linguistic skills are also assessed.
• Role plays: Sounds more exciting than they really are. Basically, in this frequently chosen group task, it is a matter of assuming given conversation roles to solve professional conflict situations. Depending on the position to be filled, these roles can be correspondingly different. For higher job positions, for example, leadership skills can be tested in a simulated employee conversation, while other issues with conflict potential can be addressed for apprentices.
• Case examples: Case studies, also called case studies, are an excellent way to demonstrate both technical skills and problem-solving competencies. They are suitable for both individuals and teams and involve the analysis and solution of specific challenges from the company context. An important aspect of case studies is the ability to quickly and effectively analyse a situation and propose a solution, especially under time pressure. They represent a great challenge, but they also allow you to prove and show how you successfully solve problems.
• Reflection: A subsequent reflection may not seem like part of the selection process at first glance, but your self-reflection and assessment of the situation reveals more than you think. Again, the aim is to remain authentic and keep an overview.

What are the advantages of the assessment center for applicants?

Even though most candidates break out in a sweat at the word, there is nothing to fear from a good employer with a regular assessment center. After all, there is a reason why you applied for this position and with a little preparation you will also sell yourself well. Of course, the competition is great, since you can assume that all invitees have equally good qualifications, but you can also see this as an opportunity.

• Transparency and fairness: In an assessment center, all participants are exposed to the same conditions and everyone knows on the basis of which tasks he or she is evaluated. The evaluations are made according to fixed criteria and tend to be less biased than a short job interview. Another advantage is that in normal job interviews you don't know who or how many candidates have applied yet - here on the other hand, you know your competition and know exactly who and what skills you are competing against.
• Increased chances of success: Everyone has a bad day. It is of course inconvenient if a job interview falls on this day. With several days, you have the chance to make up for a bad day and convince again. The variety of tasks can also play into your hands: not every task will suit you equally and that is also perfectly fine. In the assessment center, you can present your strengths, but also your weaknesses and show how you deal with them. Appropriate self-reflection and self-assessment are an important part of life and work.
• Better self-assessment: Not only the assessors will determine whether you are suitable for this job, but also you yourself. Ideally, many tasks within the AC also cover the requirements of the position to be filled. Are you overwhelmed with them or do you feel well-equipped for the job? Do you enjoy these tasks or do you perhaps even realize that you don't feel very comfortable in this role? In the end, you will learn a lot about yourself personally as well as professionally - whether you get the job or not.

What are the benefits of the Assessment Center for companies?

In times of a shortage of skilled workers, one can of course ask how useful this exclusive type of personnel selection really is, but for some companies the assessment center still has advantages.

Especially large and well-known companies that generate a large number of applications for trainee or leadership positions can benefit from this selection process.

• Comparability: The assessment center enables several promising candidates to be tested simultaneously in a work-like environment and thus better assessed. Especially in leadership positions, prior assurance of competence and qualification is particularly important to secure the future of the company.
• Better assessment options: In a short job interview, usually only a fraction of the hard skills such as expertise and technical competence can be tested, let alone the soft skills such as teamwork, conflict management and communication. The assessment center provides a clear overall picture that provides much more information about a candidate than a regular job interview ever could.
• Objectivity: Because in an assessment center several assessors evaluate the candidates based on fixed criteria, this type of evaluation is more objective than the short job interview with a maximum of two respondents.
• Lower follow-up costs: With the help of a well-executed assessment center, the error rates in personnel selection can be reduced and thus money can be saved. Not only for companies, but also for the employees, especially apprentices and trainees, it is nice to know that they fit the position and the company. In many cases, a good selection of apprentices even increases the chances of being taken on and capable young professionals stay longer in the company.

What disadvantages does the assessment center have for companies and applicants?

The ever-evolving labor market means that only a few companies can really afford a multi-stage selection process with a multi-day assessment center. The company must be very popular to be able to generate such a high number of capable applicants who also have the time and inclination for such a selection process. If you as a company already have problems attracting a sufficient number of potential applicants, you should not think directly about a classic assessment center. In addition, there are a few disadvantages that the AC can bring:

• High effort and higher costs: Organizing an assessment center and executing it for several days is expensive for companies and time intensive for all involved. You should be aware of your own cost-benefit factor.
• Validity and significance of tasks: The validity of the various testing procedures can be disputed. Can one really draw solid conclusions about the abilities of the candidates based on a very stressful "inbox exercise"? Not every person can bring their best performance in exam situations and not every person is good at presenting, which may not be of great importance in the particular position.

In many assessment centers, only rudimentary versions of their predecessors are now being implemented, which reduces the variety of methods and can lead to limited meaningfulness.

Tips for applicants in the assessment center

It's not always about the result in an exercise. In many cases, the assessors want to see how you approach tasks, what your analytical thinking is and how you behave in problems. So if you find yourself on the wrong track in one or the other task: Don't worry! Not infrequently, this type of test is designed so that a solution is not found directly. Focus and show your counterpart how you deal with these situations and requirements.

Following competencies are also evaluated in an assessment center apart from the direct tasks:

• Conflict resolution behavior
• Communication skills and rhetoric
• Self-confidence / Self-assuredness
• Teamwork capability
• Motivation
• Resilience
• Body language and appearance
• Fit with the company and cultural fit

All of this you can prepare for to some extent. What you as an applicant should definitely do, is to become aware of your strengths and weaknesses in advance. This not only helps in case you are specifically asked about them, but also so that these insights can help you in the process. If you're more introverted and calm, be aware of that and use these traits for you – let others rush forward while you observe and react a bit more considered. If you are the exact opposite of introverted, first observe yourself and remember to stay cooperative in the team.

See more the solution and less the problem – this not only applies to the characteristics, but also to all tasks in the assessment center.

You can prepare well for speaking freely and presenting. Choose a professional topic that is ideally unfamiliar to you and prepare for it within a certain timeframe. Ask your partner, friends or family if you can give this presentation and take their tips to heart.

In every situation it is important to stay attentive, listen to the other and not interrupt them. Even in a heated discussion, you should remain friendly and let the other person finish his or her sentence and look into their eyes.

Stay authentic and try not to be something or someone you are not. After all, the goal is to get the right job in a fitting company.

Tips for the process of an assessment center for companies

As a company, it is important to know and assess the advantages and disadvantages of an assessment center and to be able to decide if this very costly diagnostic procedure is the right selection process for the respective position.

If you have decided in your company to carry out an assessment center, the further procedure must be planned very precisely. The planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation is very complex and requires personnel, time and monetary capacities to carry out this selection process.

• Planning and preparation: As soon as the idea of the assessment center stands, you should note how many new employees are to be hired at all and what your expectations of the participants are. How long should the AC go and how many capacities do you have available for this? The question should also be clarified as to how many assessors the selection days are to be organized with and which employees and executives are suitable for this. You should also consider booking an external service provider (for example a consultant). Secure the necessary internal as well as external resources as quickly as possible so that the assessment center can be planned. This includes not only the human resources, but also the required premises, technology and catering.

• Work out the tasks: Once all the framework conditions have been clarified and invitations have been sent to the applicants, you can work out the tasks. In order to be able to guarantee the validity of these tasks, you should be very clean in the preparation. Which tasks really give insight into the abilities of your participants and how can you sensibly cover and evaluate them?
• Work as assessors and evaluation: Be prepared and get ready as a tester for questions - you need to understand what you want from the applicants and where the journey is going. Each of the assessors must know his or her tasks and know what he or she needs to pay attention to. Not only during the tests, but also during the breaks or at lunch, impressions of the respective candidates can and should be collected. Recording these impressions and subsequent exchange with co-examiners is important in order not to forget important impressions and to get a good overall picture.

When you tell the applicants your results afterwards, then be open and fair. Especially after multi-day assessment centers, in which candidates have put a lot of time and energy, they expect clear feedback on their performance and transparent feedback.

Online assessment center for remote selection process

Online assessment centers have become a very popular form of selection process especially since the pandemic. For companies with several 100 applications for certain positions, this type of applicant selection is particularly advantageous. They are not only significantly cheaper than the classic AC, but also less effort. Companies can acquire more efficiently online and at the same time address applicants who would otherwise have a very long journey. In our current remote work culture, the online assessment center is only consistent and the tasks overlap for the most part with the offline AC exercises. Even here, group and individual exercises take place and tasks such as interviews, topic and self-presentations, case study, role plays and group discussions can be conducted online under certain restrictions. In addition, online tests are conducted, which take a closer look at logical thinking, linguistic ability, abstract thinking and personality. Within an online assessment center, however, only very limited observations can be made of soft skills and personality, and the interpersonal interactions with fellow applicants or examiners are also missing.

Candidates will undoubtedly be excited about both selection procedures and the desire for tips and practice material is great. Some providers, such as Cyquest, offer a TestTrainer where applicants can practice in advance. Even if the exact same questions do not come up in a real online assessment center during a test run, the clock is ticking and can help you get a first impression.

Another interesting option in digital personnel selection is time-shifted video interviews. This is not a classic conversational situation where a direct exchange takes place. With the time-shifted video interview, there is no fixed time or place for the conversation, but only a predetermined period. For example, the respective HR department gives the candidates several days to several weeks to present themselves in a video and complete tasks and tests within this framework.

Most of the time you get a link that takes you directly to the platform where you are asked the questions and can also record the video directly. But don't worry, most of the time everything is explained in detail on these pages so that nothing goes wrong.

This type of interview is the most time-saving way, although only a fraction of the factors can be evaluated as, for example, in a regular assessment center. You can particularly impress as an applicant here with substantive know-how and convincing argumentation as well as body language.

Recommended online assessment center software for companies

As a company, to ensure that the hiring tests are really scientifically based, software providers should be used who specialize in online assessment centers. The procedures are continuously optimized and also save you a lot of time, costs and nerves.

CYQUEST

CYQUESTis renowned as the premier provider of online assessments for large corporations, SMEs but also smaller companies. The software offers seriously constructed and comprehensively scientific tests that are adapted to the respective companies. In order not to have to break through the digital applicant process, CYQUEST can even be connected to the common applicant management systems such as Successfactors, Beesitze, avature, Talentlink, or d.vinvi (and many more).

AON Assessment

Aon’s Assessment Solution also develops innovative online Assessments based on psychometric procedures. With creative test formats and scientific innovation, Aon is also one of the most well-known Assessment providers on the market and promises to transform the HR and recruiting strategy.

Interviewsuite by viasto

A renowned provider for video recruiting is interview suite by viasto. As explained before, recruiting decisions can be made regardless of time and location based on time-shifted video interviews. Viasto is a German company offering customized video recruiting solutions and thereby taking a lot of work off your hands.

The market for assessment providers has grown large by now and is just as varied as the testing procedures themselves. If you're looking for a good software, find out what solutions cover your requirements and fit into your recruiting process.

Conclusion

I hope that you, whether HR or applicant, have been able to get a good overview of what an assessment center is and what needs to be considered here.

Whether an individual, group or online assessment center is an option for your company and your HR strategy based on your open positions and capacities. Each of these selection methods has its advantages and disadvantages. While good group exercises can reveal more soft skills and personal characteristics, online assessment centers are very validated and much faster to implement.

As an applicant, you don't need to worry - if you fit the advertised position, are motivated and well prepared, there's nothing standing in the way of a successful assessment center.

Good luck to all!