This highly interactive presentation will show how role play can be used more effectively in training programmes and assessment and development centres. While role play is an important aspect of training, very little attention is given to doing it properly. This session will outline how you can make more effective use of role play, through the structuring of briefs and using professional actors to bring more realism and impact in training and assessment centre interventions.

1. Tom Raftery &
Justin Palmer
Directors
8th October 2013
IIR HR Summit & Expo
The power of
using professional
actors in role play

2. An Important Question
Why bother using actors in role
play?

3. A simple Answer
As you can use participants
andor the Trainer!!

4. BUT…
• Participants are often not comfortable
playing the role
• They may know the other person and ‘be
nice’
• They often over-act or not realistically
• They often don’t take it seriously
...thus diluting the learning opportunity

5. AND…
Trainer may over act or not put the role
across correctly
• They may be ‘easy’ with the participant
• Difficult to play the role and give feedback
• Can’t play the role and carry out an
assessment at the same time
•
...thus diluting the learning opportunity

6. Why Use Actors:
Believability
•
They make the role play realistic
• They focus completely on the role play and
participant – no other agenda

7. Why Use Actors: Consistency
• Skilled at delivering same level of
challenge or behaviour to a range of
participants
• Based on actors training in rehearsals and
improvisation techniques

8. Why Use Actors: In the
Moment
• Allows participants to feel ‘in the moment’
of that particular situation
• There is no escape as it feels real!

9. Why Use Actors:
Adaptability
• Trained and experienced in adapting their
behaviour to suit the situation
• Suitable for varied training scenarios

10. Why Use Actors: Mercenaries
• No affiliation to company or participant so
give objectivehonest feedback
• Takes the stress from trainer & participant
on giving feedback
• An outsider can ‘shake things up’

11. Why Use Actors: Behavioural
Experts
• Adept at building rapport & observing
behaviour
• Observe people to construct characters
• Give feedback on body positioningstance

12. Why Use Actors: ImpACT
•
Using actors has a big impact on learning
• Will stretch and test your participants
• They will remember the experience
• Will provide greater value

13. So lets Role Play!!

14. Using Actors in Role Play is
Popular
•
Actors used in role play for 25 years
• Over 20 companies in the UK alone
providing actors for role play
• All leading companies now use actors for
role play in training & assessment work

15. How Actors are used
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Corporate Training
PoliceSecurity training
Customer Service Training
Assessmentdevelopment centres
In-company training videos
Forum theatre
Specialised skills training: public speaking,
communication; presence etc

16. What we do
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Understand the situation of the role play
Advise on the best use of role play
Develop or refine a briefscript
Match requirements with actor database
Brief them on the company and role play
Deliver the role play(s)
Provide feedback: Participants & Trainers

17. Companies: UK
• KPMG
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nationwide Building Society
Liverpool Victoria
TNT
Burges Salmon
Waterstones
MOD & HEFCE
Specialist – Armed robber training

18. Companies: UAE
....and in discussions with more companies

19. Its all about People
• HR Consultancy built on over 30 years
senior HR and consulting roles
• Covering all areas of HR and Change
Management
• Learning and development provided in
conjunction with Wilson Learning: Global
L&D provider

20. Questions?
P.O.Box: 334552, Dubai-UAE
Phone: 00971 4 3306223 | Mob: 00971 50 4875119
E-mail: tom@itsallaboutpeople.ae