Recruiters use various methods to find the most suitable candidates for a job role, and assessment centres are one of them. But, what is an assessment centre in recruitment? Here's everything you need to know.
Assessment centres are used to ascertain whether particular candidates are suitable for a job vacancy. During the assessment centre recruitment process, candidates are asked to carry out a variety of tasks or activities that help to give an employer a better understanding of the skills and typical behaviours of a candidate, and how well matched they might be for their organisation and a particular role.
If you've been invited to attend a recruitment and assessment centre, you could be asked to carry out a range of activities, either on your own, or as part of a group. These could include an interview or a presentation, as well as examinations or psychometric testing. You might be asked to work with others to solve a particular problem or demonstrate how you'd respond in a particular ‘real life’ scenario that is relevant to the job role.
There are lots of benefits to using assessment centres in recruitment. In particular, this process allows recruiters to gain a wider range of understanding regarding a candidate's suitability, compared to carrying out traditional, face-to-face interviews.
When candidates are asked to perform specific tasks or testing, it is easier for a recruiter to see the real person, whereas in a traditional interview, there are limited opportunities for the candidate's personality and character to properly shine through.
Assessment centres can reveal facets of a person's character, skills and behaviours that are harder to observe with an interview alone. These can include such as leadership, how they might manage a delicate people management situation, or selling and customer management skills. By working as part of a team during the recruitment process at an assessment centre, candidates can also demonstrate how well they work with others, their negotiating, listening and decision-making skills, as well as how they manage their time when asked to complete a task.
It's not always easy knowing what tasks or activities to include at an assessment centre, to ensure you're able to acquire the right kind of information you need about candidates. Or, maybe you just don't have the time. That's why it's often a good idea to seek professional help from experts who understand a great deal about the assessment centre process in recruitment.
PDW Group is an organisation that understands the ins-and-outs of assessment centres in recruitment. It works by getting to know what you want to achieve from your assessment centre, and the candidates that will be taking part. The experts are then able to design the most relevant exercises that enable you to capture the candidate information you need, to make the most suitable recruitment match.
Contact the experts at PDW Group today to discuss your assessment centre requirements.
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