ASSESSMENT CENTRES
What are Assessment Centres?
Often the very last stage of a recruitment process for internships and graduate roles assessment centres typically take place over one or two days and involve a range of recruitment activities including interviews, psychometric tests, group tasks, presentations, in-tray exercises.
These differ depending on the role and the company but usually include a blend of group exercises, presentations or written exercises.
Assessment centres are designed to give a recruiter a more rounded view of who you are as a person – you typically interact with other candidates as well as with the employer. Employers will be particularly interested in how you interact with others.
Prepare for an Assessment Centre
The first thing to do to prepare for an assessment centre is to check out the employer’s website. Organisations often post their recruitment competencies on their website – read these before an assessment centre and it’s a great way to get a steer on the checklist of skills and abilities a recruiter might be assessing you on.
Some common skills employers are looking for at an assessment centre include teamwork, problem-solving, attitude and initiative. You’ll likely be graded on each.
Research the company to identify skills the assessors may look for and demonstrate these skills wherever possible – even at the informal coffee breaks.
Things to Consider
An assessment centre also gives you the opportunity to find out more about an employer and understand the culture of the organisation, so ask lots of questions.
Remember: You will be assessed against the job criteria and not against the other candidates – all candidates at an assessment centre may be offered the job, or none may be offered the job.
If you feel you have under-performed in one task, motivate yourself to tackle the next tasks positively, as it is overall performance that counts.
