Assessment Center: what it is and how it is used in Personnel Selection

Personnel selection is a part of human resources that encompasses a series of processes and Strategies to find the best candidate for a job position (or vacancy) determined. Within the selection of personnel, we find the Assessment Center (AC), sometimes called Situational Assessment Interviews.

ACs are personnel selection methodologies that allow interviewing several candidates at the same time. They are made up of a series of tests and activities led by one or more interviewers. In this article we will know what they consist of, how they are developed and what aspects can be evaluated.

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Assessment Center: what is it?

An Assessment Center (AC) is a group candidate evaluation methodology, typical of the Human Resources sector; Specifically, it belongs to the field of personnel selection. It is a group selection process, which allows interviewing more than one candidate at the same time (in fact, groups of people are evaluated, which can vary in number).

There are various types of Assessment Center, but broadly speaking, we are talking about group interviews where a challenge, test, dynamic, etc. is posed. (usually more than one).

In the Assessment Center, various techniques and strategies are used to select the best candidate (or candidates) for the position offered; all these techniques are developed under the supervision (and direction) of one or more evaluators.

These evaluators, for their part, are Human Resources professionals, who can be psychologists, graduates in labor relations, Human Resources technicians, etc.

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Characteristics

In the Assessment Center, a series of activities, debates, dynamics or games are proposed that must be resolved in a group (although there may also be individual activities). Thus, in a way, it is a group dynamic that includes individual tasks, and that aims to assess the competencies and skills of candidates through a series of preset parameters.

As has been said, one or more evaluators participate in it (generally and ideally, more than one); in fact, it is advisable that several participate, in order to be able to observe and analyze the behaviors, attitudes and responses of the participants.

Goals

The objective of an Assessment Center is to determine which candidate or candidates are the most suitable to cover the position or positions in which the interviewer or evaluator is working.

Generally, Assessment Centers are used in a complementary way to other selection processes (for example telephone interview, face-to-face interview, psychotechnical tests, etc.). However, it can also be used as the first and only filter to select the right worker.

In turn, the Assessment Center seeks to create an environment from which candidates can develop the specific competencies sought for the position to be filled. That is, in the AC the candidate must demonstrate that he has these competencies, as well as the skills required for the vacancy.

Material

The Assessment Centers, classically, are usually developed in more or less large rooms, with a table and the corresponding chairs for the candidates. It is advisable to have bottles of water for them. They can also be done outdoors; Everything will depend on the company's philosophy and way of working.

Sometimes, in addition, the use of a camera is used, which allows recording the entire session; This is done to later be able to analyze in detail the responses and attitudes of the candidates. The use of the camera is also common in consultancies, that is, in companies that work for other companies, looking for candidates for their positions.

In this case, the consulting client (which is another company) asks for a series of candidates to cover “X” positions; What the consultancy does is record the Assessment Center that it develops to later send the material to its client, and the client decides which candidate to select.

How long do they last?

The duration of the Assessment Center It will depend on the type of position to be filled, the number of vacancies, the number of candidates applying for the offer, as well as other variables related to the company and the offer in question.

Generally, however, the duration ranges from a few hours to even days (being the latter less common).

When it's used?

The Assessment Centers are indicated for almost any type of selection process. The positions that the Assessment Center works on may be positions that require certain types of studies (such as an marketing, human resources, publicist, etc.) or positions that do not require studies -or that require less advanced studies- (for example, telephone operator, commercial, etc.).

Even so, it is more frequent to use it when the positions are higher in terms of demands for the candidate (education level) and in terms of salary.

However, although an Assessment Center can be used for a wide variety of job offers, we must keep in mind that This procedure usually has a high economic cost, since carrying it out involves many hours of design, planning, preparation, development, etc., as well as subsequent hours of evaluation of results.

In any case, even if it has a high cost, if it is applied properly and carefully, a Assessment Center can be a good option due to its high validity (as long as the design is the same). suitable), and It can even save the company certain costs, preventing it from hiring unsuitable candidates for the position.

What is evaluated in the Situational Assessment Interviews?

Depending on the positions to be filled, the design of the Assessment Center and what is intended with it will vary; Thus, in some processes some specific aptitudes, capacities or abilities will be valued, and in others, others.

1. Capabilities and skills

There are some of these skills or abilities that are usually valued especially: for example, organizational capacity, leadership capacity, decision-making, analysis, planning, social skills, communication, problem solving, teamwork, working under pressure and the ability to suggestion.

2. Personality traits

Personality is a construct that can also be evaluated in an Assessment Center, although in a more superficial way than through another type of individual test or personality test.

The personality variables that are usually evaluated, and that are most valued in the different jobs (in general) are initiative, proactivity and motivation. In other words, show initiative to resolve issues, to participate in debates that may arise in the Assessment, and helping other colleagues, are actions that are usually valued positively by companies. In addition, contributing ideas, knowledge and opinions also favors the image that the evaluators are forming of oneself.

On the other hand, the motivation that we mentioned refers to the desire shown by the candidate to be resolved the problems raised in the Assessment Center, as well as the interest that the job position generates offered.

Types of tests

We have already mentioned that the tests that are carried out in an Assessment Center are diverse. Specifically, three types of tests are usually used:

1. situational tests

This type of tests, also called professional, assess the specific competencies for the specific position to be filled. They are tests that emulate real situations, and that require the candidate to develop or solve a series of specific tasks.

Examples of situational tests are role plays, debates, practical cases, etc.

2. knowledge tests

Knowledge tests imply that the person develops a series of responses, based on specific questions asked for the vacancy that is being sought to be filled. That is, they evaluate specific knowledge required for the position.

This knowledge can be of different types (depending on the vacancy): languages, computer science, chemistry, mathematics, etc.

3. Psychotechnical tests

Finally, within an Assessment Center (and other selection processes) we can find the tests psychotechnics, which evaluate different personality traits, as well as aptitudes and competencies specific.

This type of test is mainly used to determine the degree of adaptability the candidate has for the position to be covered, that is, to what extent is he a good candidate to develop the tasks of said position.