Tools for Success: Preparing for Assessment Centers[1]

         Rick Michelson KSA Ltd.              

Assuming your either a police officer, (Includes: local police, county sheriff's, state and federal law enforcement, court officer, Marshal, correctional officers) or firefighter, imagine yourself either driving through the dark streets, the police radio finally quiet after a night of breaking up fights, wrestling drunks and mediating family quarrels, or as a firefighter, racing through the streets, responding to three-alarm fires, lugging hoses and pumping water until your arms feel like rubber.

 Finally, you have a moment to think about your future with the department.

You know the next promotional exam is coming up soon, and you have made up your mind that you are ready to promote.  You feel you have demonstrated to the department that you are "ready" for a promotion. After all, haven't you volunteered for all the last minute overtime assignments and "special projects", just to show your boss that you had what it takes?

 Finally, the official announcement is posted. Candidates will also have to participate in an ASSESSMENT CENTER!  You wonder, just what is an assessment center??  Worried, you ask the old "salts," the veterans, what they know about this new twist.

 One says, "Ah, you can BS your way through them.  They just want to see who talks the most.  That's how they get points".  Another says, "Oh, those are outdated now.  No one uses them anymore. So don't worry."  Still another says, "It's a group dynamic thing.  They want to see who the true leaders are.  You just go in there and take control of the group from the "get-go", and you'll do just fine."

 Hopefully, much of what you will find will both help you prepare for an assessment center and also pass them.  The fact is that the use of assessment center method is a very viable promotional tool. If you are faced with one, there are some things you should know about them. 

 From a line officer's/firefighters perspective, they may seem to be used only for Command Level selections. In fact they are used for a variety of promotionals, including a variety of civil service and business positions.  It is surprising how many officers, Sergeants/Engineers, Fire Captains, Police Lieutenants, Battalion Chief’s and Police Captains, have not had the "opportunity" to participate in assessment centers.  Should you learn more about assessment centers?  Can you prepare for them? Of course you can.  Just as you would prepare for any exam.

 The key to success is always the same: Preparation & Practice.

 JUST WHAT ARE ASSESSMENT CENTERS?

The term "assessment center," connotes a location where one goes to be "assessed."  In truth, it is only a method, not a location. The method itself is basically a series of exercises where each participant is given an opportunity to demonstrate his or her skills to a group of skilled observers who carefully monitor the candidate’s behavior.  The observers are called "assessors."  Usually, the assessors are at least one to three ranks above the candidates.

 However, a trained assessor need not actually be a higher rank, but must be thoroughly familiar with the assessment center method, the dimensions and behaviors required of the position being tested for and trained in observing and recording behavior.

 Many of you recall being put through a variety of role-play scenarios in college, the Academy or in In-service training courses.  These are very similar, but the difference is in the dimensions that are being assessed. According to Pat Maher, President of "Personnel and Organization Development Consultants", in Southern California; "Assessors should adhere to the minimum professional standards as recommended by the International Congress of the Assessment Center Method." 

 The key though, according to Maher, is that the foundation of the assessment center method is in the evaluation of recorded behavior. [2]

 After extensive discussion as to the various dimensions the candidates demonstrated, the assessors rate the candidates.  Most trained professional assessors will go through a minimum of a three-day intensive training program prior to serving as an assessor. This is not always the case, as departments seek to cut costs, as assessment centers are not inexpensive! Unfortunately, this "cost savings" can be even more expensive when the wrong candidate is selected for the position when the selection is made from less objective methods!

 Actually, there may be promotional exercises that are billed as "assessment centers" but in fact are not true assessment centers. The International Congress on the Assessment Center Method has established certain standards for assessment centers.  [3]http://www.assessmentcenters.org/

 These include:

 1. Job Analysis—A job analysis of relevant behaviors must be conducted to determine the dimensions, competencies, attributes, and job performance indices important to job success in order to identify what should be evaluated by the assessment center.

 2. Behavioral Classification

Behaviors displayed by participants must be classified into meaningful and relevant categories such as dimensions, attributes, characteristics, aptitudes, qualities, skills, abilities, competencies, and knowledge.

 3. Assessment Techniques

The techniques used in the assessment center must be designed to provide information for evaluating the dimensions previously determined by the job analysis. Assessment center developers should establish a link from behaviors to competencies to exercises /assessment techniques. This linkage should be documented in a competency-by-exercise/assessment technique matrix.

 4. Multiple Assessments

Multiple assessment techniques must be used. These can include tests, interviews, questionnaires, sociometric devices, and simulations. The assessment techniques are developed or chosen to elicit a variety of behaviors and information relevant to the selected competencies /dimensions.

5. Simulations

The assessment techniques must include a sufficient number of job-related simulations to allow opportunities to observe the candidate’s behavior related to each competency/dimension being assessed. At least one—and usually several—job-related simulations must be included in each assessment center. A simulation is an exercise or technique designed to elicit behaviors related to dimensions of performance on the job requiring the participants to respond behaviorally to situational stimuli. Examples of simulations include, but are not limited to, group exercises, in-basket exercises, interaction (interview) simulations, presentations, and fact-finding exercises. Stimuli may also be presented through video-based or virtual simulations delivered via computer, video, the Internet, or an intranet.

 6. Assessors

Multiple assessors must be used to observe and evaluate each assessee. When selecting a group of assessors, consider characteristics such as diversity of race, ethnicity, age, sex, organizational level, and functional work area.

 7. Assessor Training

Assessors must receive thorough training and demonstrate performance that meets the guidelines in the section, “Assessor Training,” prior to participating in an assessment center.

 8. Recording Behavior

A systematic procedure must be used by assessors to record specific behavioral observations accurately at the time of observation. This procedure might include techniques such as handwritten notes, behavioral observation scales, or behavioral checklists. Audio and video recordings of behavior may be made and analyzed at a later date.

 9. Reports

Assessors must prepare a report of the observations made during each exercise before the integration discussion or statistical integration.

 10. Data Integration

The integration of behaviors must be based on a pooling of information from assessors or through a statistical integration process validated in accordance with professionally accepted standards.

 Non-Assessment Center Activities

The following kinds of activities do not constitute an assessment center:

1. Assessment procedures that do not require the assessee to demonstrate overt behavioral responses are not behavioral simulations, and thus any assessment program that consists solely of such procedures is not an assessment center as defined herein. Examples of these are computerized in-baskets calling only for multiple-choice responses, situation interviews calling only for behavioral intentions, and written competency tests. Procedures not requiring an assessee to demonstrate overt behavioral responses may be used within an assessment center but must be coupled with at least one simulation requiring the overt display of behaviors.

 2. Panel interviews or a series of sequential interviews as the sole technique.

 3. Reliance on a single technique (regardless of whether it is a simulation) as the sole basis for evaluation. However, a single comprehensive assessment technique that includes distinct job-related segments (e.g., large, complex simulations or virtual assessment centers with several definable components and with multiple opportunities for observations in different situations) is not precluded by this restriction.

 4. Using only a test battery composed of a number of paper-and-pencil measures, regardless of whether the judgments are made by a statistical or judgmental pooling of scores.

 5. Single-assessor evaluation (i.e., measurement by one individual using a variety of techniques such as paper-and-pencil tests, interviews, personality measures, or simulations).

 6. The use of several simulations with more than one assessor but with no pooling of data (i.e., each assessor prepares a report on performance in an exercise, and the individual, unintegrated reports are used as the final product of the center). 

7. A physical location labeled as an “assessment center” that does not conform to the methodological requirements noted above.

 For the complete text of the Guidelines, refer to http://www.assessmentcenters.org/

THE EXERCISES

• Several basic exercises have become fairly standard in today's assessment centers.  They are:

•             l.          The In-Basket

•             2.         The Group discussion/Leaderless group

•             3.         The Interview Simulation; often called the Role play Em­ployee counseling session

•             4.         Oral presentation (often a personal biography)

•             5.         Written exercise

Actually, the exercise could be almost anything as long as it can be shown to be "job related.

 "WHAT ARE DIMENSIONS?"

Dimensions are those behaviors that are (job-related) observable, measurable and specific to the position being tested for.  They may also be referred to as tasks or traits. They are also some­times known as KSA's (Knowledge, Skills and Abilities.)

 An actual dimension then of Planning, would be the how and what a candidate did to demonstrate that they had a satisfactory grasp of this dimension.  The observers then would observe this behavior and record it for a rating scale later.  For example, using the same analogy of Planning, let's say candidate Smith "used a Daily Planner to schedule meetings".  Candidate Smith also "made a list of things to complete prior to the meetings," and "delegated tasks to subordi­nates to accomplish with specific instructions or deadlines."  This is just a brief example, but the key is that you must actually demonstrate those behaviors!

 These dimensions should be things you are intimately familiar with, particularly if you have done any studying or reading about the position you are applying for. For example, just what are the basics of supervision?  Of  Management?  If you break them down into identifiable behaviors, you will find they suddenly become very clear.  As supervisor, you plan, schedule, organize, etc.  Remember the old acronym "PODSCoRB" (Planning, Organizing, Directing, Staffing, Communication, Reporting, Budgeting)?[4]

 It is a good example of specific dimensions that assessors will be looking for you to demonstrate!  We will now look at a few of the more common exercises and see how the behaviors and dimen­sions are related.

 THE IN‑BASKET

This exercise is becoming more and more popular with assessment centers.  They may range from an hour to several days!  But generally, they give you a scenario where you are the new super­visor or manager and you have a very limited time frame to go through about 30-40 memo's, reports, telephone notes, letters that have to be dealt with within the given time frame as you are "scheduled to leave on a extended trip". Some will be items that are critical and must be handled immediately. 

 Some may be entirely irrelevant, or can be handled by either a subordinate or can be "tabled" until your "return".

 The important point is that you prioritize the items within the time frame.  You will be asked later to give your reasons why you did or didn't handle a specific item. You need to be alert though to those items which may be related somehow.  You may want to put notes on most of the papers indicating what type of priority you have given it, and what you plan to "do" with it; i.e., either delegate, hold, sign and forward on, or hold for some future date. The key is that no one will know anything if you don't communicate via your notes! 

 Remember you are going to be leaving soon on your "trip" and won't be around to answer any questions. If you are a mid-manager or manager, you want to give some thought as to whom you want to replace you while you will be "gone".                       

Make sure that this is also communicated to the fictional staff. You will usually get an organizational chart and a calendar so you can delegate, advise, inform, etc., and schedule meetings, due dates and follow up on projects.

IN-BASKET DIMENSIONS

You may find the following dimensions measured in this exercise:

•   -         Comprehension ability

•   -         Written Communication ability

•   -         Planning and organization

•   -         Problem analysis

•   -         Ability to take risks

•   -         Judgment

•   -         Decisiveness

•   -         Delegation

•   -               Initiative

In effect, the candidate should:

•   -         Be able to organize/prioritize the items in the exercise

•   -         Be able to work through most if not all, of the items in the time frame allowed

•   -         Arrange to delegate most items (to a subordinate)

•   -         Give clear and concise instructions

•   -         Give reasonable and timely deadlines when delegating

•   -         Insure follow up methods

•   -         Use the calendar properly; schedule meetings, arrange for due dates and follow-ups

•   -         Manage conflicts by planning/scheduling/delegating

•   -         Make decisions                                  

LEADERLESS GROUP

This exercise may include either an assigned role or an unassigned role (or a “facilitated” LGE) for the candidate. Generally, the group is given a series of problems or information that must be acted on.  The group is to come to a mutually agreed upon decision.

 The assessor should, if at all possible, have put the program together to reflect a set of scenarios that are realistic and relevant to your present organization. The issues should be timely and reasonable concerns supervisors or mid-managers would have in a normal work setting.

 WHAT SHOULD YOUR ROLE BE?

What types of dimensions would you be expected to demonstrate here?  Being a good listener?  Being able to summarize a point?  Being a facilitator, a mediator and keep everyone else on track?  Being organized, speaking clearly, and being persuasive are also clear dimensions in this exercise.  You want to show the assessors these dimension, and you must participate in order to succeed!  You cannot sit back and simply watch the other participants engage in the discussion.  Not if you want to demonstrate any behaviors that would lead them to believe you would make a good Sergeant, Lieutenant or ???  Always keep in mind though, that this whole group of exercises is the only chance the assessors will have to "judge" you.  So make it count!

 GROUP DISCUSSION - BEHAVIORS

In addition to the dimensions mentioned above, you should also be demonstrating the following behaviors:

• Interpersonal relations    

• Flexibility

• Problem Analysis                       

• Stress tolerance

• Initiative                                                           

• Judgment

• Persuasiveness

• Oral communication skills         

•  Productivity  

•  Tenacity