Assessment centres

• What are assessment centres?
• At the assessment centre: Practical considerations
• Best practice: Transparency
• Assessment methods
• Assessment centre staff
• Summary

What are assessment centres?

Done well, assessment centres provide both candidates and assessors with self-insight and reflection from the process. Portraying the reality and values of the organisation through various assessment methods is essential to assist candidates' decisions on whether their values, beliefs and needs can be met by the organisation.

A false portrayal of the organisation as multicultural, for example, by assessing a greater than representative number of black and minority ethnic (BME) candidates at the same time, may lead to disappointment for new recruits, resulting in reduced retention rates and costs in re-recruiting.

However, a correct portrayal of working life within the organisation can lead to candidates being impressed, even if they are rejected. For further information see the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) factsheet on assessment centres.

• Back to top

At the assessment centre: practical considerations

Consider the following:

• is the assessment centre accessible to all, for example, disabled candidates?
• does the assessment need to be held at multiple locations in order to accommodate potential candidates?
• is the timing of the assessment available to all or flexible (for example for parents or candidates observing religious holidays)?
• do assessment materials need to be made available in multiple formats, (eg large print)?
• have candidates had the opportunity to state any special requirements in advance?

• Back to top

Best practice: transparency

The selection process should be fair and transparent. The following tips should help to ensure this is the case:

demonstrate fairness and minimise bias by incorporating multiple judgments

all candidates should be given feedback

the selection process should be available for external inspection

the selection process should also be reviewed periodically by staff

the process could include focus groups to gain feedback on potential barriers encountered by applicants

• Back to top

Assessment methods

Assessment centres should use a wide variety of well-designed assessment methods or tests. Assessment methods should link to the job description and person specification. The methods must be demonstrable as a fair selection process in the time taken, the number of tasks set and the opportunities for candidates to demonstrate their abilities.

Both group and individual assessment should be carried out (where suitable for the job), in order to allow candidates to demonstrate individual strengths and abilities to work with others.

Options: what methods of assessment are available?

There are various ways of assessing prospective candidates. Follow the link below to see some of the most popular.

• See the various methods for assessing candidates

Selecting appropriate assessment methods

This tool lists some of the questions you should be asking yourself in order to select the most appropriate assessment methods for use in your assessment centre.

• Use the choosing assessment methods: self-reflexive questions tool

Whichever method(s) of assessment are chosen there are various points to bear in mind:

assessment should be standardised, ie all candidates should be assessed in the same way and marked on the same scale

instructions should be clear and in plain English

objectives of the assessment should be clear

test papers, notes and records of decisions should be kept on file for a minimum of twelve months

numbers of applicants at the assessment centres should be kept to a minimum

• Back to top

Assessment centre staff

• all staff involved in the recruitment process should receive training on best practice in diversity and inclusion
• where possible, short listing should be done by staff not attached to the department with the vacancy to remove personal preferences
• at least two staff should make the selection to avoid individual bias
• assessors should avoid displaying personal preferences through the language they use such as 'tough', 'competitive', or cultural/class/age terminology such as 'like-minded' or 'energetic'
• assessment alone should not be the only indicator of a candidate’s suitability

• see more information about using appropriate terminology
• see more information on bias training

• Back to top

Summary

• assessment centres should portray an accurate picture of the organisation
• ensure that the location, timing and methods of assessment are accessible to all
• ensure that the process is fair, transparent and periodically reviewed
• choose assessment methods that are relevant to the job
• criteria should be standardised and be applied
• assessors should avoid questions relating to personal characteristics such as hobbies, social activities, religious/cultural beliefs/practices unless demonstrably relevant
• staff should be trained in diversity and recruitment

• Back to top

• Print this page