the assessment centre – don’t panic!
So its Assessment Centre time, you’ve had a couple of interviews and then the phone rings, they want you to attend an assessment day.
Feeling a little nervous no doubt and if you haven’t attended one before the mere mention of it is terrifying. But it really needn’t be!!
It is actually a great opportunity for you to show your true potential, spend time with what could possibly be future colleagues, get a real feel for the role you are applying for and see firsthand what the company’s employer brand looks like.
Your inretail Consultant will be able to advise you on the format of the assessment centre you are to attend and will help you prepare for the big day.
The actual assessment can take many forms, numerical, verbal and psychometric testing. If conducted professionally by trained assessors the assessment centre’s can be a valuable tool that gives the employer a better insight into the candidate.
On the day itself, listen carefully, if you are unsure or anything is unclear ask questions. Although you are in competition with other people attending the centre, don’t be aggressive and watch out for any non verbal signals you may be giving off, ensuring that you participate and get involved in all the exercises remembering that the assessors will looking for qualities such as ‘teamwork’ ‘communication’ ‘listening’ ‘initiative’ and ‘motivation’.
Relax, be yourself, and remember that if you feel you have not done well on a particular exercise, don’t throw the towel in. It’s your overall performance that counts.
Here’s an idea of some of the tests you may be faced with. Be Prepared and win!
Psychometric Tests
Psychometric tests can be used at any stage of the recruitment process. It may be part of the application process – before you have completed an application form or CV, particularly if you are applying online - or may be at the interview stage.
These tests are used by recruiters to find out more about your abilities and personal qualities in relation to the job that you are applying for. The tests will not usually be used solely as a selection technique but in conjunction with other methods e.g. interviews.
This following information aims to give a brief introduction to psychometric testing, and to help you prepare for that ever important Day.
What Are Psychometric Tests?
Psychometric tests are structured exercises designed to assess your reasoning abilities or how you respond to different situations.
There are two main types of test:
- Aptitude or Ability Tests.
- Personality Questionnaires.
Aptitude Tests
Aptitude tests aim to assess your logical reasoning or thinking performance. They are not tests of general knowledge. Many tests are designed to measure a particular ability e.g. verbal, numerical, diagrammatic, spatial, abstract reasoning or data interpretation. In practice, the tests used most by employers are verbal and numerical. They are administered under exam conditions and are strictly timed. A typical test might allow thirty minutes for thirty or more questions. The questions are often multiple choice, and have definite "right" and "wrong" answers – you often have to select from a range of alternatives. Your score is compared with how other people have done on the test in the past or within the group. This enables selectors to assess your reasoning skills in relation to others.
Tests are often used in conjunction with other selection methods, so it is your overall performance that is important. As a rule of thumb, the earlier the test is used in the application process, the more important it is in assessing candidates. Aptitude tests are sometimes used prior to a first interview - at this stage there is often a "pass mark" or cut off score, which you have to achieve to continue your application. If tests are used later in the process, they are often used as one aspect of assessment; others can include interviews, group exercises and presentations.
Tips for Sitting Aptitude Tests
- Work through the questions as quickly and as accurately as you can. If you get stuck on a question, don't spend too long on it, but move on to the next one. Some tests just award marks for correct answers whilst other also penalise wrong ones. If you are not told the marking policy during the introduction to the test, you can always try asking, to help determine your strategy. The best approach is probably to go for a reasoned choice and avoid wild guessing.
- Don't worry if you don't answer all the questions. As you go through the tests, the questions may become more difficult, and there are frequently more questions than you can comfortably complete in the time. It may not matter if you do not finish the test but you should aim to complete as many questions as possible.
- Read the question properly. People sometimes get the wrong answer because they have rushed at the question and did not read it properly, particularly in numerical and data interpretation questions. It is not uncommon for people to understand the mathematical principles behind a question, but then get the wrong answer because they have read the wrong figure of a graph or diagram.
Personality Questionnaires
Personality questionnaires aim to assess your personal qualities by your responses to a number of questions or statements. They focus on a variety of personality factors such as: how you relate to other people, your work style, your ability to deal with your own and others' emotions, your motivations and determination and your general outlook.
Unlike aptitude tests, there are no "right" or "wrong" answers and questionnaires are usually not timed. The selectors will not be looking for a rigid "typical" personality profile, although certain characteristics will be more or less appropriate for that particular job. The best way to approach all of these questionnaires is to be as honest as possible when you answer the questions; most have a built in "lie detector". Guessing what the employer is looking for is difficult and could well be counter-productive - after all, you do not want to be given a job which really does not suit you.
Group Exercises
Group exercises, which above all are testing your common sense and, in most cases, your ability to work in a team, generally fall into five types:
Business Game Scenarios
These are often linked to the company’s own business. Your grasp of basic commercial issues, your ability to negotiate and organise workflow and, most importantly work within a team is being assessed.
Role Plays
For certain types of role e.g. customer facing posts, sales positions or human resource management roles, one to one situational role plays may be used with an assessor taking the part of a customer or member of staff with you being required to deal with a particular problem.
‘In-tray’ Prioritising exercises
These can be a mixture of email or paper documents that have to be dealt with in a set time. Your ability to recognise the difference between urgent and important issues and your organisational ability is being assessed.
‘Ranking’ Exercises
For example, list, in order, your top ten favourite songs of all time. Your interaction with other members of the group is being assessed.
Physical tasks
For example, building models, getting objects over real or imaginary obstacles. Your interaction with other members of the group, your leadership and your practical problem solving skills are being assessed.
During any form of group exercise one or two trained observers will closely watch your individual performance and it is important that you:
Read the brief carefully and check all the Instructions are understood by the group.
Ensure that the brief is followed paying careful attention to the requirements of the exercise and that any discussion is kept to time and does not stray too far from the task or subject.
Show regard for other members of the team, for example, consider rearranging the seating so that everyone can feel part of the group, try and bring shy or quieter members of the group into the discussion.
Try and make sensible points; do not remain completely silent or inactive.
Do not criticise the exercise itself or seek to monopolise/dominate the discussions.
Do not argue dogmatically, try to involve others, be polite and tactful when presenting an opposite view by saying, for instance, ‘that’s a good point but don’t you think that...’
Support and praise other contributions and be sensitive to the feelings of the other team members.
If you have to present your group’s view on a topic or the results of a task always seek to use visual aids if they are available and, if you can, try to be the person who does the presenting rather than the recording. This gives you the opportunity to stand out from the group.
Remember a sense of humour is appreciated and is needed in most jobs these days, a good ‘one liner’ often helps relax the group - but don’t be frivolous.
Finally, do not panic if one person appears to be leading the group in an aggressive or domineering manner, that style is unlikely to impress the assessors.
For more free advice check out www.shldirect.com/
After the assessment
Whatever happens take the opportunity and ask for feedback, even if it didn’t go to plan, see it as a learning exercise, you will do better next time.
All the best from inretail, we believe in you!
For more in-depth assessment help please email inretail by clicking here.