APPLICATION ESSENTIALS
Assessment centres Many employers believe that individual interviews can’t tell them enough about candidates and prefer to use a range of selection techniques incorporated into an assessment centre. What to expect
Assessment centres tend to be between a half-day to two days in length and will consist of a range of selection methods such as aptitude tests, personality questionnaires, case studies, group discussions, spoken presentations, one-to-one interviews, socialising (which is still observed!) and meeting recent joiners. Applicants will usually be assessed against selection criteria based on the company’s competency framework, which defines the core abilities, skills and behaviours judged to be necessary for the role. These competencies are likely to include key transferable employability skills as well as company-specific competencies and/or technical skills for some roles. Typically, competencies include areas such as: Creativity, analytical skills and problem solving. Effective communication skills and teamwork. Business/commercial awareness. Ability to influence/persuade. Drive, initiative and flexibility. A typical one-day assessment centre may consist of: Introduction and company presentation. Psychometric testing. In-tray exercise. A presentation. Lunch/socialising informally.
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• Group exercise, solving a work-related problem. • Interview(s): ranging from strengths-based to
competency-based interviews. The assessors will keep notes of how each candidate performs. Try to stay focused throughout the day, and don’t allow yourself to lose confidence if you feel you have under-performed in an exercise. Remember: try to stay positive and in the moment as the assessors are looking at your overall performance.
Virtual assessment centres
At the time of writing (Summer 2020) many employers are moving over to virtual assessment centres in order to comply with social distancing guidelines. For many, the main focus for the virtual event will be the interview and presentation. While everyone is becoming much more used to the technology of things like ‘breakout rooms’ on Zoom, group exercises are more difficult to run, so may be dropped or replaced with other exercises; alternatively the skills that would be tested in a group setting may be added to interview questions.
More information
www.careers.ox.ac.uk/assessment-centres
www.careers.ox.ac.uk
