Assessment Centres
Assessment Centres
Assessment Centres
NITIN SAWARDEKAR
VSS CONSULTANTS, PUNE
INTRODUCTION TO
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
AN OVERVIEW
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
“The King shall thoroughly investigate all the qualities of anyone
whom he is considering for appointment as a minister. Of these
qualities, nationality, family background and amenability to
discipline shall be verified from reliable people (who know the
candidate well). The candidate’s knowledge of the various arts shall
be tested by experts in their respective fields. Intelligence,
perseverance and dexterity shall be evaluated by examining his
past performance, while eloquence, boldness and presence of mind
shall be ascertained by interviewing him personally. Watching how
he deals with others will show his energy, endurance, ability to
suffer adversities, integrity, loyalty and friendliness. From his
intimate friends, the King shall find out about his strength, health
and character (whether lazy, or energetic, fickle or steady). The
candidate’s amiability (absence of a tendency to hate) shall be
ascertained by personal observation.”
Arthashastra (Kautilya)
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT CENTRE?
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
CHARACTERISTICS
• Multiple factors
• Multiple techniques
• Multiple observers
• Consensus by integration of measurement
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
WHAT ARE NOT ASSESSMENT
CENTRES!
• Multiple Interview Processes
• Psychometric Test Batteries
• Individual Assessment (All Types)
• Work Sample Tests
• Multiple Assessment Techniques Without Integration
Of Data
• A Building labelled “Assessment Centre”
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
HISTORY
• First use - German Army between World Wars
• Adopted by British - WOSBs and Civil Services
• Followed by U S - OSS Selection
• First commercial use - AT&T 1956
• First use in India - Services Selection Boards
• First commercial use in India - BILT 1987
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
APPLICATIONS OF ASSESSMENT
CENTRE DATA
• Selection
• Potential Appraisal
• Career Planning
• Succession Planning
• Additional Input For Promotion
• Developmental Plan
• Assessment Of Training Needs
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
STEPS IN ESTABLISHMENT OF AN
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
COMPETENCY
THE SUCCESS FACTOR
John Gardner
Shiv Khera
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
WHAT IS COMPETENCY?
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
WHAT IS COMPETENCY?
CONTRIBUTION
TO ORGANISATION
DESIRED
RESULT
BEHAVIOUR
COMPETENCY
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
CHARACTERISTICS OF COMPETENCY
• Personal Attribute
• Leads to Demonstration of a Tangible Result (not
Latent)
• Must Lead to A Desired Result
• The Result must Contribute Significantly to the
Organisation
• Must Lead to Effective Performance or Success
on the Job
• Must have the Ability to Transfer characteristics
from one area to another
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
COMPETENCIES ARE ...
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
CHARACTERISTICS OF
BEHAVIOURAL INDICATORS
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
COMPETENCY CLUSTERS
COMMONLY FOUND IN ORGANISATIONS
INTELLECTUAL • TEAMWORK
• COMPREHENSION DYNAMIC
• ANALYTICAL ABILITY • INITIATIVE
• INNOVATION • DRIVE
• DECISION MAKING • RESILIENCE
• PLANNING & ORGANISING • STRESS RESISTANCE
• STRATEGIC PERSPECTIVE • RESULT ORIENTATION
INTERPERSONAL
• COMMUNICATION BUSINESS RELATED
• ADAPTABILITY • BUSINESS
• INTERPERSONAL SKILLS UNDERSTANDING
• ABILITY TO INFLUENCE • CUSTOMER FOCUS (COULD
OTHERS ALSO BELONG TO THE
INTERPERSONAL GROUP)
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
SPECIMEN BEHAVIOURS
• Incisiveness (To Have Clear Understanding)
– Gets a clear overview of an issue
– Grasps information accurately
– Relates pieces of information
– Identifies causal relationships
– Gets to the heart of a problem
– Identifies the most productive lines of information
– Appreciates all the variables affecting an issue
– Identifies limitations to information
– Tolerates and Handles conflicting/ambiguous
information and ideas
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
COMPETENCIES SHOULD BE ...
• Observable
• Definable and Meaningfully Interpreted
• Make Sense to the Organisation
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
DESIGNING ASSESSMENT CENTRE
CONTENT
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
COMPETENCY EXERCISE
MATRIX
Influencing Ability
Analytical Ability
Decision Making
Communication
Interpersonal
Adaptability
Planning
Initiative
Grasp
1. Case Discussion Exercise
2. Ranking Exercise
3. Role Play Exercise
4. In Basket Exercise
5. Committee Exercise
6. Case Analysis Exercise
7. Business Game
8. Decision Making Events
9. Sociometry
10. Personal Interview
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
DETAILS OF EXERCISES
• Ice Breaker Exercises
• One-to-one Discussion Exercises
• Group Discussion Exercises
• Negotiation, Selling and Influencing exercises
• Analysis - Presentation Exercises
• Planning Exercises
• Business Games
• In-basket Exercises
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ADDITIONAL METHODS OF
ASSESSMENT
• Psychometric Instruments
• Interviews
• Miscellaneous
– Questionnaires
– Sociometry (Peer Ratings)
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSOR TRAINING ISSUES
• Internal Or External?
• Who To Choose (Internal)?
• How Many To Train?
• Characteristics Of Assessors
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSOR TRAINING OBJECTIVES
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSOR TRAINING OBJECTIVES
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
TRAINING IMPACT ON ASSESSORS
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
TRAINING IMPACT ON ASSESSORS
BENEFITS
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
TRAINING IMPACT ON ASSESSORS
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRES
A TRAINING AND
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
FOR THE EMERGING
TIMES
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
UTILITY
• Highlights gaps between individual
abilities and future role requirements
• Opportunity to obtain a sharper and
more accurate picture of
– individual skills and abilities
– skill audit of participant group
– potential of valuable human resources
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
UTILITY
• Instrument for empowering individuals
to initiate development actions to
reduce skill gap between present
activity and desired future performance
capability
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
ADDED FOCUS
• Discovering how ‘I’ Behave Across Situations
• Developing Awareness of Influences on My
Behaviour and its Implications
• Recognising Gaps between Thinking and
Action
• Opportunity to Experiment with Untried
Behaviours / Approaches
• Exposure to Variety of Responses to the Same
Stimulus - Contents / Style
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
IMPLEMENTING ASSESSMENT
CENTRES
KEY SUCCESS CRITERIA
• Clear objective
• Organisational Support
• Good Communication System
• Appropriate Design
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
OUTCOME
• Insight into and Awareness of Self and
Others
• Targeted Training
• Coaching and Mentoring
• Project-based Learning
• Job Rotation / Enlargement
• Self Development Plan
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
PROCESS
• Broad Awareness amongst Senior
Management regarding the Purpose, Scope
and Implications of Establishing a
Development Centre
• Defining and Detailing of Competencies
• Design of Exercises and Simulations Around
the Identified Competencies and their
Testing
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
ASSESSMENT CENTRE
PROCESS
• Planning and Administering the
Development Centre
• Formulating Future Plan of Action
• On-going Review of the Effectiveness of the
Development Centre
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
VALIDATING ASSESSMENT
CENTRES
• Qualitative Validation
– Participant Reactions
– Assessors’ Reactions
– Managers’ Reactions
• Quantitative Validation
– Validation Of Competencies
– Validation Of Findings
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
VALIDITY COEFFICIENTS
• ASST CENTRE (FOR PROMOTION) 0.63
• WORK SAMPLE TEST 0.55
• ABILITY TESTS 0.53
• PERSONALITY TESTS (COMB) 0.41
• BIO-DATA 0.38
• STRUCTURED INTERVIEW 0.31
• TYPICAL INTERVIEW 0.15
• REFERENCES 0.13
Smith, Greggs and Andrews, “Selection and Assessment, A New Appraisal” (1989)
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
VALIDATING ASSESSMENT
CENTRES
SOME ISSUES
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
?
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE
THE BEGINNING
OF A NEW ERA
VSS CONSULTANTS
PUNE