Assessment Centres

What is an Assessment Centre?

An assessment centre, as the name suggests, can be used as part of the selection process for identifying candidates’ suitability for a role. They are events where candidates are involved in a number of different types of exercises, and are assessed by a number of different recruiters. The length of the centres varies, generally lasting between half a day and two days.

Why do employers use Assessment Centres?

There are many reasons to use assessment centres. For you there are several benefits:

• They provide you with a deeper understanding about your potential employers business, and allow you to make sure that the role you are applying for is right for you.
• They also give you multiple opportunities to demonstrate the skills that you have and why you are right for the role.
• And they allow you to get an insight into what it is like to work for that organisation.

As well as the benefits to you, assessment centres enable employers to see you acting in realistic situations so that they can determine how well you fit with what they are looking for.

What happens at an Assessment Centre?

Assessment centres generally include several exercises. These may include interviews, ability tests, role-plays, group exercises or presentations. Some assessment centres also use in-tray exercises, analysis presentations or fact-find exercises. Because you have the chance to participate in several exercises, there are several opportunities for you to demonstrate your skills. What’s more you are likely to be seen by a number of assessors during the event, making the whole process fairer to you.