Assessment center Before the Assessment center: 1) go through the flow of the Assessment center and read the info about each exercise 2) go through the evaluation form and check if you understand everything that is written and how to fill it in 3) come half an hour earlier for the de-briefing with facis and just to get ready
Rules of working on the Assessment center: 1) Be on time! 2) Act quietly and don’t interrupt the candidates during the exercises given 3) Don’t chat with other assessors – focus on behavior of people you evaluate 4) Take as many notes about the people you assess and quotes from them as possible 5) Write your general impression about the person 6) Each assessor is evaluating the same people during one Assessment center!
Assessment center agenda: 1) Get-to-know (20 min) 2) Building a tower (20 min) 3) Grant Nominee case (35 min) 4) Group discussion (40 min) 5) Sum up and next steps (20 min)
All in all: 2 hours 15 minutes + 15 min assessors de-briefing
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Assessment center exercises I. Get-to-know (20 min) After self-presentation and flow explanation facis tell candidates to stand in one circle and they throw a marker – the person who catches the marker tells his/her name and the favorite drink or dish. Then (after all people had the marker) facis ask them to stand in one line according to their month of birth (from January to December) in total silence! They have only 1 minute for it, they can use sings but they can’t say a word. Then they should tell one by one their date of birth so facis can check it is all right. Candidates then are divided into 12 groups according to their month of birth and they have 5 minutes to prepare a one-minute presentation of the month they we born in. All the groups give their 1-minute presentations. In the end of get-to-know facis ask them to form the line again according to their height and count from 1 to 5 – then they are divided into 5 groups (6 people in each). And these are the groups they will be working in for the whole assessment.
At this exercise you don’t have to evaluate the candidates! But you can watch them just to get the general impression about them which can be of great use in the following exercises.
II. Building a tower (5 min explanation; 10 min first round; 5 min second round = 20 min) Candidates are divided into groups that will be competing. The aim of every group is to build the highest and the most beautiful tower. All groups are told to be given 15 minutes for the task, however after 10 minutes we swap the groups and they have to finish the tower of the rival group. They can’t take any materials from their previous working place to the second one. They simply leave everything and finish their work within next 5 minutes.
The assessors of each group leave the first place as well and go with their group to the second one – each assessor is evaluating the same people during one Assessment center!
III. Grant nominee case (5 min explanation; 30 min discussion = 35 min) A committee of personal tutors is given the task of recommending a student to receive a travel grant. The chosen student will be expected to carry out work or research at his/her destination and produce a report on his/her return. Candidates vary in terms of types of researches and their purposes. Each participant has to convince his/her fellow committee members that the student she/he is championing deserves the grant whilst helping the committee make the best recommendation. Each participant receives description of a student they recommend.
IV. Group discussion (5 min explanation; 20 min discussion; 15 min groups results presentations = 40 min) Facis can choose the topics to be given from the list: •
What threats and benefits are connected to working in the international company and starting up you own business?
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Voluntary work: first step of your career or wasting of your time? Pros and cons of voluntary work
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Is Latvia a country open to different cultures and other countries? Are Latvian people tolerant towards them?
Groups are given time to discuss the topic and write down the main points they’ve come up with. Then they have to select the group representative who will present the turn out of the discussion.
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V. Sum up and next steps (20 min) Candidates and facis sit in one circle and facis ask candidates the following questions: 1. Did you like the exercises? What was the brightest moment for you? 2. Which exercise did you like the most and why? 3. Did you like working in your team? What are your impressions about the team you worked in? Next steps to tell about: 1. We will call you to tell the results of Assessment on _____ (day) – we will call to tell both positive and negative results 2. Those who passed the Assessment center have to come on (day) for the meeting where we will tell you more about the next selection stages and the AIESEC IS seminar.
In this part again you are already not participating: take time to finish your evaluation and write down general impression about each person.
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Competencies and behaviors to be checked during in each exercise At Assessment center stage of selection we evaluate those competencies and skills that are most effectively checked while observing a person during team-work, discussion or solving a problem or case. Assessment center includes three separate activities, each of them enabling assessors to evaluate certain competencies and characteristics, as stated below:
Building a Tower Awareness of others Commitment to results Effective communication Flexible thinking Inclusiveness Innovation Resilience Awareness of world/national issues
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Grant nominee case
Group Discussion
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Each exercise has its’ competencies and behaviors to be evaluated. However in Recruitment’09 we have three competencies that are crucial for the candidate to pass the Assessment center selection stage. These are:
1. Inclusiveness
2. Resilience
3. Commitment to results
Other competencies on this stage are considered as extra ones though their evaluation will be helpful in case of uncertain situations or choice between two candidates to be taken.
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Building a tower Competencies and behaviors to be checked: Competencies Commitment to results: Knowing what results are important, and focusing resources to achieve them
Behaviors • • • •
Actively contributing to organizational performance Focusing on end results and target Keeping track of progress Delivering on promises and commitments
• • • •
Taking on new challenges Implementing new ideas Often suggesting new ideas Being open to change
• • • •
Writing clearly and concisely Communicating effectively with diverse audiences Listening actively to others Helping people network with each other
• • • •
Working under pressure Persisting even when it’s difficult Adapting when circumstances change Staying calm when faced with difficult situations
Innovation: Thinking out-of-the-box and challenging conventional wisdom. Creating new solutions for current challenges or a new approach to old situations
Effective communication: Clearly conveying and receiving messages (feedback, opinions etc; Written/verbal communication, etc.) to meet the needs of all parties involved
Resilience: Being able to adjust easily to changes and new conditions, in order to be able to perform in diverse environments
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Grant nominee case Competencies and behaviors to be checked: Competencies Awareness of others: The ability to identify with and understand another person’s feelings or difficulties and connecting it to own emotions and actions
Commitment to results: Knowing what results are important, and focusing resources to achieve them
Behaviors
• • • •
Showing respect to others’ feelings Showing respect to the opinions of others Showing sensitivity to others needs Promoting respect to others in group
• • • •
Actively contributing to organizational performance Focusing on end results and target Keeping track of progress Delivering on promises and commitments
• • • •
Taking on new challenges Implementing new ideas Often suggesting new ideas Being open to change
• • • •
Writing clearly and concisely Communicating effectively with diverse audiences Listening actively to others Helping people network with each other
• • • •
Using technical knowledge/expertise effectively Analyzing information and situations Making effective decisions Prepared to change own opinion
• • • •
Including others in decision making process Ensuring all sides are heard in the discussion Making people feel part of the group Treating people from diverse backgrounds equally
Innovation: Thinking out-of-the-box and challenging conventional wisdom. Creating new solutions for current challenges or a new approach to old situations
Effective communication: Clearly conveying and receiving messages (feedback, opinions etc; Written/verbal communication, etc.) to meet the needs of all parties involved
Flexible thinking: Using technical knowledge/expertise effectively to analyze information and situations making effective decisions and as well being ready to change your own opinion
Inclusiveness: Relating to the way people in groups behave and interact; leveraging on the cultural diversity. Involving everyone in the group in decision making and generating performance by inspiring trust and respect. Having a feeling or attitude of admiration and deference toward somebody or something. Valuing other people and letting them act in their unique way towards achieving increased performance
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Group discussion Competencies and behaviors to be checked: Competencies Awareness of others: The ability to identify with and understand another person’s feelings or difficulties and connecting it to own emotions and actions
Behaviors • • • •
Showing respect to others’ feelings Showing respect to the opinions of others Showing sensitivity to others needs Promoting respect to others in group
• • • •
Writing clearly and concisely Communicating effectively with diverse audiences Listening actively to others Helping people network with each other
• • • •
Including others in decision making process Ensuring all sides are heard in the discussion Making people feel part of the group Treating people from diverse backgrounds equally
Effective communication: Clearly conveying and receiving messages (feedback, opinions etc; Written/verbal communication, etc.) to meet the needs of all parties involved
Inclusiveness: Relating to the way people in groups behave and interact; leveraging on the cultural diversity. Involving everyone in the group in decision making and generating performance by inspiring trust and respect. Having a feeling or attitude of admiration and deference toward somebody or something. Valuing other people and letting them act in their unique way towards achieving increased performance
This activity at the Assessment Center aims not only to check and evaluate the competencies listed above but also to make sure that people we recruit are 1. Aware of world and national issues and trends 2. Interested in what is happening in the society nowadays This way in AIESEC we will have open-minded people what will help them become the real change agents in future. Here assessors should not evaluate the opinions of the candidates but check whether candidates have their own opinion and are communicating it.
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Competencies and behaviors level evaluation Mark No evidence Little evidence
Some evidence
Regular evidence
Strong evidence
Behavior A person has not demonstrated any evidence of this competency A person rarely demonstrates existence of this competency. In many situations there was lack of evidence A person shows some evidence of this competency, however it still needs to be developed. There was compliance only with some of the behaviors There is big evidence that candidate posses this competency, as the person demonstrates it regularly A candidate demonstrated many proofs of existence of this competency in many different situations. The person uses this competency very often and in conscious way
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№ of behaviors observed None of the behaviors observed One behavior was observed Two behaviors were observed and assessed positively Three behaviors were assessed in a positive and unambiguous way Four behaviors were observed