To help students understand and succeed in Assessment Centres we delivered a presentation at Heriot-Watt University. What you will learn: Get a better understanding of why companies use assessment centres Knowledge of the various elements included in an assessment centre Practical solutions to succeed in the various exercises. An insight into what the assessors are looking for How to avoid the main pitfalls that occur in assessment centres

1. Eden Scott & Heriot Watt University
Success in Assessment Centres
| Graduates 2017

2. Today’s
Agenda
 Introduction – Simone Thompson
 Technical elements of assessment
centres, how to succeed and the pitfalls
from Michelle and Chris
 Background
 What is an Assessment Centre
 Interviews
 Presentations
 In Tray Exercise
 OPQ’s
 SHL Testing
 Case Study
 Group Exercise
 Assessment Centres
 Question and Answer

3. About Us
 Established in Edinburgh in 2003
 Excess of £15 million turnover
 Offices in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow
and Belfast
 70 discipline-specific recruitment
consultants across the country
 Global reach – EMEA, North America, Asia
Pacific
 Recruit from entry to executive level
 Permanent, contract and temporary
solutions
 Leading Scottish recruitment brand on
social media
 TalentSpark – our offering to the start-up
and SME community

4. Why are we
here?
 To help you understand and succeed in
Assessment Centres
 Wealth of recruitment knowledge in our
Executive Team; Chris and Michelle
 Run a graduate programme
 Run Assessment Centres for number of
large organisations,
 NHS
 Glasgow City Council
 Standard Life
 LifeScan

5. What will you
learn?
 Get a better understanding of why
companies use assessment centres
 Knowledge of the various elements
included in an assessment centre
 Practical solutions to succeed in the
various exercises.
 An insight into what the assessors are
looking for
 How to avoid the main pitfalls that occur
in assessment centres
Experience of Assessment Centres
 So, who has had experience of and
assessment centre?
 How do people feel about attending an
assessment centre?

6. Assessment
Centres
 Assessment centres have origins in war
time Britain
 Large number of unsuitable Officers being
sent back
 Failing recruitment system – social
standing & educational background
 Assessment centres introduced including
leaderless group exercises, selection
tests, individual interviews.
 Resulted in far less returned Officers and
version of the system still used today.

7. Why Assessment
Centres
 Validity, most reliable method of assessing
candidates ability to perform
 They are fair and objective
 Provide a wealth of information on each
candidate which forms the basis of a robust
Personal Development Plan if appointed
 Skills are assessed over a number of
exercises
 They assess what candidates can actually
do
 Individual Exercises
 Interviews (CBI, Biographical)
 Role play
 Formal presentations
 In tray exercise
 OPQ’s/Psychometric testing
 Group Exercises
 Case study
 Group consensus exercise
 Group presentation

8. Interviews
 Biographical
 Traditional interviews based on
experience, training and education,
health, motivation.
 Relies on assumptions about candidate
 Competency Based Interviews (CBI)
 Structured Interview
 Questions relating to specific
competencies
 Examples from work, education, social in
relation to required behaviours
 Stronger picture of strengths and
weaknesses What assessors are looking for
 Getting to know the candidate – Personality fit
 Assessing competencies - CBI
 Building rapport
 Dealing with stress

9. Role Play
 Usually business related tasks to assess
suitability
 Call and sell product to potential client
 Negotiating a pay rise
 Business development call
 Dealing with angry customer call
 Assessing for:
 Initiative
 Ability to think on your feet
 Confidence
 Communication
 Tenacity

10. Presentation
 A pre-prepared and timed presentation
on a chosen subject
 Showcasing knowledge on specific topic,
usually industry related
 Usually provided with brief and timings
prior
 Assessing for:
 Research skills
 Communication skills
 Presentation skills
 Working under pressure
 Ability to engage an audience
 Adaptability
 Handling objections

11. In-Tray
Exercise
 Dealing with heavy workload
 Provided a list of tasks and challenged to
manage time and workload
 Prioritising tasks
 Coping with unexpected additional
demands
 Assessing for:
 To assess ability to cope under pressure
 Knowledge of requirements of the job
 Communication skills

12. OPQ’s
 Occupational Personality Questionnaire
 Identifying an individuals preferences to see
how they align with a job role
 Number of variations for the online
questionnaire
 Four statements requiring choosing the
most appropriate
 Four statements, choose one most like and
one least like
 32 questions on a scale and judging the
level of relevance
 Requires honest answers
 Aim is to ensure the right personality is in
the right job
 Assessing for:
 True reflection of personality
 To identify your real strengths
 Communication skills

13. SHL Testing
 SHL Numerical Reasoning
 Online or offline testing
 Interpreting numerical data and answering
related questions.
 Including a range of numerical operations,
multiplication, fractions, percentage
increases and decreases
 Could be supervised or unsupervised.
 SHL Verbal Reasoning
 Mostly Online
 Reading a passage in a book and answering
either true/false or multiple choice
questions on the understanding
 Completely based on the content in the
book, not on any outside knowledge
 Could be supervised or unsupervised.
 Assessing for:
 Ability to interpret relevant, job related information
 Performance under pressure
 Decision making
 Attention to detail

14. Case Study
 Group or Individual
 Involves working through hypothetical data
to present back.
 Scenario presented blind
 Either as a group or as individual
 Possible change in rules, information and
timings to unsettle candidates
 Assessing for:
 Teamwork
 Leadership and influencing skills
 Initiative
 Creativity
 Presentation Skills
 Ability to assimilate info quickly
 Working under pressure
 Thinking Style

15. Group
Exercise
 Discussion or consensus exercise
 Reaching agreement as a group and
presenting
 Pitch presentation
 Desert island scenario
 Technical job related
 Assessing for:
 Teamwork
 Leadership and influencing skills
 Initiative
 Listening ability
 Presentation skills
 Ability to assimilate info quickly
 Working under pressure

16. Group
Exercise
 Secrets to Success in Group Exercises
 Keep focused on the brief you have been given and achieve what
is being asked
 Take on board every ones input, you don’t have to agree with it
but it’s essential to deal with things appropriately
 Strike the balance of letting go of insignificant issues and pursing
ones which will lead to results
 Timing is everything, don’t get involved in discussions and run
out of time without coming up with the answer
 Don’t criticise others, just because their opinion isn’t yours
 Speak with conviction and confidence
 It’s not about how often you speak it’s about what you say. Is
your contribution relevant to the exercise?
 Contemplate the problem and deliver the result don’t debate why
the problem exists or talk about information you’ve not got
 Don’t think playing a part or a role is enough ie: Flip chart writer
 Be prepared to present and think on your feet and always reflect
the agreement and findings of the group

17. Common
Competencies
 Planning & Organising
 Adaptability & Flexibility
 Problem Solving
 Communication with Influence
 Decision Making
 Resistance to Stress
 Results Orientated
 Persuasiveness
 Quality Orientation
 Interpersonal Sensitivity
 Leadership
 Resilience
 Energy
 Commitment
 Creativity & Innovation

18. Assessment
Centre
Matrix
Competencies In Tray Customer
Role Play
Group
Exercise
Structured
Interview
Overall
Assessment
Organisational
Awareness
3 3 4 3 3
Job Specifications 4 5 4 4
Customer Focus 4 5 5 5
Managing Staff 2 1 2 2
Relationships with
Others
3 2 3
Focus on results 3 4 3 3
Personal Effectiveness 3 4 3
Manages Diversity 2 2

19. Assessment
Centre
 Why do people fail at assessment
centres?
 Lack of preparation
 Lack of research
 Lack of understanding of the role
 Nerves
 Focusing on a bad performance in one
exercises letting this affect performance in
all other exercises
 Focusing on other candidates in exercises
rather than the required task in hand
 Lack of understanding of where the
assessment centres fits in the recruitment
process and the weighting it is given

20. Assessment
Centre
 How to perform well
 Be assertive throughout all of the exercises
 Treat each exercise individually, don’t dwell
on an exercise if you perceive you haven’t
performed well
 Focus on showcasing your skill set and how
it will be beneficial to the role and the
company
 Don’t focus on other candidates
 Draw others into conversations in group
exercise and during break periods
 Think about what you are saying and its
relevance
 Relax

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