Assessment centers are selection procedures that last one to three days. Much like a job interview, a well-prepared, well-organized AC is all about determining whether the applicant and the position (or the company) are a good match. You will be tested for various characteristics both individually and in a group with fellow applicants. The tests range from intelligence tests and concentration tests to reaction tests and personality tests. Usually, you are in a group of 5 to 12 applicants facing a jury of 3 to 6 people consisting of HR planners, psychologists, and members of the board. They will give you tasks, for example, for testing your performance under stress. Many of the tasks are designed in a way that makes it impossible to complete them fully. This is deliberate: your potential employer wants to see you how perform when faced with high demands, much like those you would be facing if you were to get the job. Keep in mind that you will be observed during breaks and lunch, too!
Most test situations can be trained. There are books on the topic that will help you understand what the purpose of an assessment center is. As the assessment center takes place face to face, practical preparation is very useful. Our Career Center offer seminars and workshops to help you prepare for assessment centers. If you do end up performing poorly in one assessment center, this does not necessarily mean that you are incapable of performing the required tasks. Again, remember: practice makes perfect. Many employers will not simply let you go home after the assessment center finishes; they will provide you with feedback and an evaluation from the HR professionals and psychologists in the jury. Their feedback shows you what you already do very well, what you need to work on, and what needs to change.
As a general rule, the higher the position you are applying for, the fewer fellow applicants there will be. This usually means more sophisticated tests.
Here are a few examples of typical tasks in an assessment center:
- Introduce yourself (in about 3 minutes)
- Give a brief presentation (about 10 minutes) on one of your specialisms. Initially, the task does not seem particularly difficult. About 2 minutes before the end of your preparation time, you will be informed that the team forgot to tell you that you will be presenting in one of your second languages.
- There are almost always role plays, for example, in the form of a group discussion. They are opportunities for you to demonstrate leadership and the capacity to work in a team. If you do not have much to say about the topic given, you may alternatively take on the role of the moderator: structure the discussion, summarize what was said, keep an eye on the time, and perhaps visualize the discussion using a flip chart or a sheet of paper.
- A fairly well-known test is the in-basket exercise, where you receive a basket full of letters and tasks and are asked to sort it as quickly as possible. It is usually impossible to work through all letters and tasks. The purpose of the test is to evaluate your perception of importance and urgency and your capacity to delegate and plan.
