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

The Assessment Center is a Personnel Selection process widely used in Human Resources.

Personnel selection is an area of human resources that encompasses a series of processes and strategies to find the best candidate for a specific job position (or vacancy). Within personnel selection, we find Assessment Centers (AC), sometimes called Situational Assessment Interviews (SAI)..

ACs are recruitment methodologies that allow interviewing several candidates at the same time. They consist of a series of tests and activities conducted by one or more interviewers. In this article we will learn what they consist of, how they are developed and what aspects they allow to evaluate.

Assessment Center: what is it?

An Assessment Center (AC) is a group assessment methodology for evaluating candidatesIt belongs to 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 a time (in fact, they evaluate groups of people, which can vary in number).

There are different types of Assessment Centers, but broadly speaking, we are talking about group interviews where a challenge, test, dynamic, etc. is posed (usually more than one). (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, in turn, are Human Resources professionals.The purpose of the survey is to determine the vocational interests of the candidate, who can be psychologists, graduates in labor relations, Human Resources technicians, etc.

Characteristics

In the Assessment Center there are a series of activities, debates, dynamics or games that must be solved in groups (although there can also be individual activities). Thus, in a certain way, it is a group dynamic that includes individual tasks, and that and skills of the candidates through a series of predefined parameters. through a series of pre-set parameters.

As mentioned above, it involves one or more evaluators (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.

Objectives

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

Generally, Assessment Centers are used in addition to other selection processes (e.g. telephone interview, face-to-face (e.g. telephone interview, face-to-face interview, psycho-technical 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 in which candidates can develop the specific competencies sought for the position to be filled. In other words, in the AC the candidate must demonstrate that he/she has these competencies, as well as the skills required for the vacancy.

Material

Assessment Centers are usually held in more or less large rooms, with a table and chairs for the candidates. It is advisable to have bottles of water available for the candidates. They can also be held outdoors, depending on the company's philosophy and way of working.

Sometimes, in addition, the use of a camera is employed, which allows the entire session to be recorded; this is done in order to be able to analyze the candidates' responses and attitudes in detail later on. The use of the camera is also common in consultanciesthat is, in companies that work for other companies, looking for candidates for their positions.

In this case, the consultancy's client (which is another company) requests a series of candidates to fill "X" positions; what the consultancy does is to record the Assessment Centers it develops and then send the material to its client, who decides which candidate to select.

How long do they last?

The duration of the Assessment Center will depend on the type of position to be filled, the number of vacancies, the number of candidates who apply for the offer, as well as other variables related to the job.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 (the latter being less common). (the latter being less common).

When is it used?

Assessment Centers are suitable for almost any type of selection process.. The positions on which the Assessment Centers work can be positions that require certain types of studies (such as marketing technician, human resources, publicist, etc.) or positions that do not require studies -or that require less advanced studies- (for example telephonist, salesperson, etc.).

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

However, although an Assessment Center can be used for a wide variety of job offers, we must take into account that this procedure usually has a high economic costThe cost of this procedure is high, since it involves many hours of design, planning, preparation, development, etc., as well as hours of evaluation of the results.

In any case, although it has a high cost, if applied properly and thoroughly, an Assessment Center can be a good option due to its high validity (always if the design is adequate), and it can even save certain costs to the company, avoiding hiring unsuitable candidates. can even save the company certain costs, preventing it from hiring unsuitable candidates for the position. for the position.

What is assessed 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 specific aptitudes, abilities or skills will be assessed, and in others, others.

1. Skills and abilities

There are some of these skills or abilities that are usually valued especiallyThe personality traits of a person are: organizational skills, leadership skills, decision making, analysis, planning, social skills, communication, problem solving, teamwork, working under pressure, and suggestibility.

Personality traits

Personality is a construct that can also be assessed in an Assessment Center, although in a more superficial way than through other types of individual tests or personality tests.

The personality variables that are usually evaluated, and that are most valued in the different job positions (in general) are initiative, proactivity and motivation.. That is to say, to show initiative to solve questions, to participate in discussions that may arise in the Assessment, and to help 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 aforementioned motivation alludes to the desire shown by the candidate to solve the problems posed in the Assessment Center, as well as the interest generated by the job position offered.

Types of tests

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

1. Situational tests

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

Examples of situational tests are role plays, debates, case studies, etc.

2. Knowledge tests

Knowledge tests involve the person developing a series of answers, from specific questions asked for the vacancy they are trying to fill.. In other words, 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. Psycho-technical tests

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

This type of test is mainly used to determine the degree of adaptability of the candidate for the position to be filled, i.e. to what extent he/she is adaptable to the position to be filled.In other words, to what extent he/she is a good candidate to perform the tasks of the position to be filled.