Assessment centres put candidates' abilities to the test

TRADITIONALLY, ASSESSMENT centres have been used by many large organisations to recruit graduates. But as companies strive to improve the efficacy and efficiency of their recruitment process, an increasing number are using this sophisticated methodology to recruit graduates and senior executives.

As the chance of being invited to attend an assessment centre increases, an individual's best strategy for success is to understand the process and know what to expect.

It is important to note that an assessment centre is not a venue, as suggested by the name, but a process used to evaluate a candidate's degree of fitting with a role. Centres are designed to assess whether an individual has the attributes pertaining to a particular role.

The process varies from company to company, but most assessment centres include a variety of tests and exercises administered to a small group of candidates and performed over one or two days. The methodology provides a more reliable way of evaluating a candidate's ability compared with a standard interview.

'Assessment centres have empirically proven successful in predicting how well a person will perform in a new role,' Jardine Matheson head of executive development Jill Dodwell-Groves said.

Ms Dodwell-Groves has extensive experience in recruiting staff using assessment centres.

'Candidates are seen and discussed by several experienced assessors who are trained to observe behaviour rather than simply evaluate it, making assessment centres a far more objective and reliable selection process,' she said.