Assessment Centre Advice
Assessment centres are usually the final stage of the application process and are widely used in the graduate and internship application process to assess how candidates react with one another and with current employees of the company.
Assessment centres can last anything from a few hours to a few days depending on the company and the role you are applying for. They can be nerve wracking and daunting but, like anything, with preparation and practice you will get better and feel more comfortable.
Here is the RateMyPlacement guide to surviving an assessment centre
Between the 4 of us we have racked up 10 assessment centres so we have done our fair share; we have also sought the advice of Lisa McReynolds, an HR Advisor from Schroders, to give you the recruiters view.
What can you expect?
Every assessment centre will be different, but these are the usual things you could expect:
- Panel Interviews and/or one-on-one interviews, with behavioural questions
- Group Exercises
- Numerical Ability tests
- Verbal Reasoning tests
- Presentations
1. Panel Interviews and/or one-on-one interviews, with behavioural questions
It would be reasonable to expect 2 or 3 interviews at an assessment centre and they could last up to an hour each. You could also expect more than one manager interviewing you at any time.
You are likely to be interviewed by a department head, a line manager and an employee who is currently doing a similar role. After the assessment centre, the managers and HR will come together to discuss who is suitable for each role.
Do your research
Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. You will also undoubtedly be asked specific things about the organisation to show that you have researched the company. Do your research on this….
• Visit the website
• Get some stats on number of employees
• What market are they in
• Who are their biggest clients/competitors
• What can you expect to do in the role?
There is plenty of information out there, so not doing your research suggests you are lazy, uninterested and unprepared.
Your education and development
You will probably be asked to describe your educational experiences and how they have led you up to this point in your life. Talk about your degree (MSc, PhD) and any relevant work experience you may have, be prepared to talk in depth if you have relevant work experience. Justify any obvious changes in career path and why you applied to, and would be suitable for, the company you are interviewing for.
Your competencies
Interviews will be largely competence based (i.e. name a time when you…) so look at your past experiences and describe an occasion that demonstrates a particular skill they are looking for. It may be helpful to get example competency questions from the internet beforehand as they are standard questions that most companies use and having a specific example in mind always helps rather than putting you on the spot and panicking.
Technical knowledge
You may get asked some basic technical questions, especially if you have stated that you have experience in the field or have studied the subject at university; if you are going for a technical role your skills will undoubtedly be questioned. If you are applying for a finance role read the Financial Times regularly. Read over any notes you made at university that you think might be relevant and don’t be afraid to use them in the interview. Ultimately, think on your feet and if you have a stab at an answer and justify your assumptions. Always try and answer and if you don’t know guess as it shows you can think under pressure.
2. Group Exercises
Group exercises take many forms and may combine elements of communication skills, team building, marketing, basic maths and strategy. When undertaking a group exercise it is worth identifying what recruiters look for from the candidates; they are observing how you interact with and approach a group situation; rather than looking for the “right” answer.
Lisa’s group exercise Do’s and Don’ts
• Do – consider what the objectives of the exercise are at the start and always remember to consult with the group rather than doing anything independently.
• Do – take others views and points into consideration at all times. Remember they are trying to examine how you work in a team.
• Do – be aware of timescales, begin to wrap up the exercise with about 5 minutes to go by summarising key points and any actions you need to agree.
• Do – make sure all your objectives have been met, if possible draw some conclusions that meet the task that has been set.
• Do – present a different view point to someone else if you think you are right, but make sure you back up your argument and don’t do it in a confrontational way; the assessors will be looking for someone who thinks in a different way.
• Do - ensure that you come across as proactive and enthusiastic as often as possible. Team building and working in groups are key qualities that employers look for in a candidate
• Don’t – talk too much or too little, you don’t want to dominate the conversation or be dominated. Make sure your contribution is sufficient.
• Don’t – get hung up on a right answer, there probably is no right or wrong answer and it is not what is being assessed.
• Don’t – ask the assessors questions during the exercise, they want to know you are capable of working without their input and have the ability to solve something as a team.
• Don’t always try to lead the group as this may come across as too confrontational and can go against you in scoring.
• Don’t – interrupt other people, it doesn’t reflect well on you.
3.Numerical Ability tests
Numerical Ability Tests are particularly favoured by financial and professional services organisations and may be in addition to online Numerical Ability Tests.
Numerical Ability Tests come in a several different forms, although they are usually multiple choice. Most often you are allowed a calculator but don’t always presume this as in some instance you may not. The actual maths required in a Numerical Ability Test is not complex (GCSE level) however this doesn’t make them easy.
Lisa’s Top Tips
- Tip 1: Read the questions carefully – the questions may be worded in a confusing way deliberately to try and make you think.
- Tip 2: Practice makes perfect; all tests become easier as you get a feel for the questions and the style. Good practice options are either online at the SHL website or get some psychometric testing booklets from your local bookshop.
- Tip 3: If you run out of time we suggest you don’t guess at the answers for remaining questions because you will lose marks for your accuracy (the percentage correct compared to the percentage attempted) Not all companies reverse score so it is worth checking how it is scored before you start to see if guessing is going to go against you or not.
- Tip 4: Always check the amount of time you have as Numerical Ability Tests are typically very short and you usually have 1-2 minutes per question.
4. Verbal Reasoning tests
These are usually in multiple choice format and are a similar skill set to a GCSE English paper. The questions may require you to;
- Disseminate information from a passage of text
- Choose the correct meaning of a word
- Choosing the correct summary of a passage of text
- Choose a word to fill in the blank
Lisa’s Top Tips
- Tip 1: Only use the information you get from the passage, don’t base your answer on your wider knowledge. They will normally state this in the instruction booklet.
- Tip 2: Practice, use the SHL website or buy the practice booklets.
- Tip 3: Read the passage carefully as they usually try to catch you out.
- Tip 4: Don’t waste too much time on one question, if you can do it come back to it.
5. Presentations
You may be asked to do a presentation on a topic of your choice, or you may be given a topic to present on. Consider the audience you are presenting to and the nature of job you are applying for. Ensure you understand the agenda and emphasis of the presentation, whether it should be informative, technical, entertaining or insightful. Remember, the audience may have seen several versions of the presentation so a few pictures, stats or facts may set you apart and make your more memorable.
Fully research and practice your presentation, do a run through with a friend or family member as it’s usually harder to present in front of people you know. Don’t be afraid to take a script or queue cards in with you, its better to look like your reading than not say anything at all.
Lisa’s Top Tips
- Do not read off the slides - always make sure that you can expand on what you have written as it looks more practiced and professional.
