Assessment Days – Do not fear them!
Assessment Days and Assessment Centers are becoming more common in the world of talent attraction and selection for many reasons. Let’s cover the most important:
- The employer has a great opportunity to meet and assess a higher volume of candidates in a shorter timespan in a more effective way
- Assessment Days allow candidates to evaluate the company and the personalities of their potential managers
Most organizations prefer hiring based on soft skills first and then training hard skills, so Assessment Days provide an opportunity that doesn’t arise during traditional 1-on-1 interviews. This allows employers to see and understand how candidates behave under pressure in a group and how they communicate both verbally and non-verbally.
Assessment Days typically consist of some- or all of the following:
- Structured and timed exercises that simulate the daily or weekly activities you would be doing in the job
- Individual or group presentations
- Group discussions and tasks
- Role playing
- Written case studies
- Psychometric tests for aptitude and/or personality
- The aim of the Assessment Day is to add a little more science into the selection process, rather than simply relying on intuition. Therefore:
- You will be assessed by different managers throughout the day in order to reduce any possible bias
- The assessors normally take notes and document every aspect of your interaction to ensure that you are objectively evaluated against the relevant group of competencies required for the job
- It’s common to score candidates numerically on each task or exercise. Each score will then be reviewed by a group of assessors who will make a decision on your application
Want to learn more?
Read our Top Tips about how to conquer Assessment Days