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Assessment centres and tests
Tests that focus on specific competencies are frequently used in recruitment. Today they are very often conducted online. They include personality tests, performance tests and numerical or verbal tests. It is always important to remain as authentic as possible – after all, it won't help if you get a job where you don't feel comfortable! A more detailed procedure is the assessment centre, where you complete a whole series of different tasks alone, in pairs and in groups, during which you will be monitored. They usually take place under time pressure in order to test your ability to work under pressure and to concentrate. Below are some typical tasks from assessment centres. Presentation: This is a test of your rhetorical skills. You give a presentation on a given topic. There is usually very little time available for preparation. Therefore, make sure you have good time management skills. During the presentation, always maintain eye contact with the assessors and present your thoughts with a smile. The presentation must follow a clear structure. Group discussion: A group of several people (often also "competitors" in the application for the same job) discusses a controversial topic. Sometimes you will even be assigned a certain argument, which you have to represent. In this kind of discussion, be engaged, but at the same time thoughtful and calm. Respond to other arguments and admit your own mistakes. Show interest in creating a harmonious atmosphere in the group and work with factual arguments instead of personal emotions. Case studies: A group (rarely with individual tasks) works on a complex issue taken from the day business of the company. You develop a workable solution, although here too the process is more important than the actual result. A systematic, holistic approach is central.
Show commitment, respond to others' arguments and develop them further. Listen carefully and think aloud so that others can develop the solution with you. Role-playing: You are given a few minutes to prepare for a specific role. Often you are the representative of the company talking to unpleasant customers who want to complain to you. Alternatively, you are a superior and have to conduct a conflict discussion with an employee. Here you have to argue convincingly and firmly, but at the same time keep your cool.
The basic rule for assessment centres is that you should remain as authentic as possible. Of course you can try to play a role. But after a few minutes and some pressure, the mask will fall anyway – no matter how practised you are! You also have to be aware that you can always be observed in an assessment centre, even before and after the actual exercise or during the breaks. Therefore, you should try to be friendly, courteous, engaged and active at all times. Good preparation also includes getting enough sleep and choosing appropriate clothing (comfortable, but still professional).
