How to Succeed at an Assessment Centre

Assessment centres have become a commonplace part of the hiring process, especially for graduate jobs where they can be used to whittle down the remaining candidates ahead of a final interview stage. In this guide, we'll look in detail at exactly what an assessment centre is and what you can expect if you are asked to attend one, as well as why companies use them and how you can use this knowledge to improve your chances of success.

What is an Assessment Centre?

An assessment centre is a graduate recruitment day with some subtle but significant differences. It's a chance for an employer to assess multiple candidates at once, so it's perfect for graduate roles when there are lots of applicants for the available roles. If you're invited to attend an assessment centre, you've probably already made it past one or more initial stages, for example:

• Online applications
• Screening tests
• Telephone interviews

This should give you more confidence to be an active participant in the various events of the day. It's your chance to make yourself heard and leave a positive, lasting impression in the minds of the interviewers. Assessment centres vary and no two recruitment days will be exactly identical, but there are some common features that you can prepare for, and we'll look at some of these in more detail below.

Types of Assessment Centres

Assessment centres can be physical and virtual, and combine individual sessions with group work and some elements where all candidates are in the same room together. You might be asked to complete tasks and tests, interviewed alone or with others, and given icebreaker techniques to see how well you collaborate with the other applicants Remember that no matter what format the assessment centre takes, you are always being observed and it's important to keep a firm focus on standing out - in a positive way - from the rest of the crowd. Also, recognise your personal strengths and weaknesses. If you're good in interviews, make it count when you get the recruiters one-on-one. If you're less confident in team scenarios, work hard to hold your own in group sessions, and vice versa.

How Long Does an Assessment Centre Last?

An assessment centre normally lasts for one full day, divided into multiple shorter sessions to assess different aspects of your personality (both personal and professional). In some cases, you might be asked to attend a shorter assessment, so that the recruiters can meet one cohort in the morning and a different group of applicants in the afternoon. You might also be asked to wait at the end of the day while the assessors interview each candidate in turn, so be prepared to stay beyond the official end time If you have transport booked or other commitments to meet, make sure you let the assessors know at the start of the day, so they can interview you first.

Why do Companies Use Assessment Centres?

Assessment centres are a convenient way for companies to meet large numbers of candidates at once, and put together a shortlist of those who qualify to go into the next stage of the recruitment process. They can also be a fun, informal way for candidates to show off their best qualities, including those that are hard to put down on paper. If you're charismatic or a good communicator, an assessment centre is your time to shine, and you can also demonstrate any natural-born talent for leadership or lateral thinking. Generally speaking, assessment centres are as much about soft skills as they are about qualifications and expertise, but it really depends on the different sessions that take place over the course of the day. Don't be afraid of assessment days. If you've been invited to attend one, you've probably already made a good first impression, and may have passed several early stages of recruitment too. See an assessment day as the stepping stone to the next round - all you need to do is demonstrate that you meet all the criteria of the position you are applying for, and you stand a good chance of being invited back.

What to Expect in an Assessment Centre

As mentioned above, all assessment centres vary slightly in terms of composition, and how long is spent on each session. Some may be separated into morning and afternoon sessions, while others are split into hour-long tasks to get through a wider variety of tasks. Some common components of an assessment day include:

Information Session

It's normal to start with an information session that allows the assessors to introduce themselves, give you a basic outline for the rest of the day, and take any initial questions you might have. This is usually a short segment, but it also gives any latecomers a few minutes to arrive and make their apologies.

Icebreaker Exercise

Assessment days often involve one or more icebreaker exercises, for example asking each candidate in turn to introduce themselves or to say something interesting or unusual. Be prepared for common icebreaker questions so you can be confident of making a good first impression.

Psychometric Test

A written psychometric test gives the assessors some insight into the way you think and feel. These tests are a way to translate qualitative into quantitative data, but in many cases you might have already completed a psychometric test before being invited to an assessment centre in person, as they're a good way to whittle down a large list of applicants.

Social Session

You may be given time to socialise with the other candidates, for example during drinks breaks and lunch. It's sensible to assume you are still being watched and assessed during these times, so use them as an opportunity to show off skills like active listening.

In-tray Exercise

An in-tray exercise is a good way for assessors to test your quick-thinking and problem-solving capabilities. You might be given a scenario and asked to come up with a plan or solution in just a few minutes. You may also be given materials and asked to make something. The point is not always that you will need those skills in your day-to-day duties, but to see how flexible you are to adapt to unexpected tasks as they arise.

Group Activity

To test how well you work with others, you may be put into small groups and given a task to complete together. This is challenging because you're not in total control of the rest of your team, so all you can do is try to encourage a good end-product while showing off collaborative skills ranging from listening to leadership.

Solo/Group Presentation

Solo and group sessions may end with a presentation, in which you are asked to explain what you have created. Consider this as much a test of your communication skills as it is about your creativity and crafting skills: the assessors want to see who seizes the initiative and who is capable of making themselves heard.

Written Test

Presentations assess your spoken communication skills, but you may also be given a written test to complete, depending on the role you're applying for. There's not too much to keep in mind here, but give an appropriate amount of attention to fine details like spelling and grammatical correctness, as well as the bigger picture of answering whatever question you are asked.

Virtual Reality Exercise

This more recent development involves individual and group tasks that take place in an immersive virtual environment, and you may be provided with a VR headset to wear for the duration of the exercise.

Interview

Similar to a conventional job interview, this is your chance to impress an interviewer or panel, and is often the last element in an assessment day so you can leave immediately once you have been interviewed. If you are unsuccessful over the course of the day, you might not be asked to stay for the interview round. Don't be dejected - rejection is an inevitable part of most job searches. Just thank the recruiters for their time and take away any learning opportunities you can from the day.

How to Pass an Assessment Centre

Assessment centres are one step along the way to success in the recruitment process, so don't let them be the weak link in your application. With just a few relatively simple steps, you can make sure you put your best side forward on the day, so that you are one of the candidates asked to stay for the interview round, or invited back at a later date.

Prepare to Pass

Like any recruitment process, the more preparation work you do ahead of attending an assessment centre, the better your chances of success. Try to research the specific company whose assessment centre you are going to attend; often you'll find past applicants have posted to Glassdoor some of the questions they were asked, or the tasks they were required to complete. As well as reviews of past assessment days, you can research the interviewers on Linkedin, if you know their names, or check for any recent news articles and press releases from the company. If you can't find any specific information, practise your presentation skills, interview techniques, written and spoken communication, as all of these will help you to perform well on the day.

While You're There

Remember you're always on the clock - don't let your guard down at any point during an assessment centre, as you're always being observed. Know your strengths and play to those, while also working hard to overcome your weaknesses in each strand of the assessment day:

• Individual: You're not fighting for attention so fall back on conventional interview technique and be the best candidate you can be.
• Group: Work with others. Don't be muscled out but don't completely dominate either. Try to strike a balance and be helpful overall.
• Leader: If you're given the chance to lead a team, be ready to delegate tasks and create an ad hoc hierarchy or structure.

It's all about showing that you understand the difference between these roles, and how to make the most of different modes of working. Depending on the job you are applying for, there might be more emphasis on teamwork or leadership, or more emphasis on working under your own initiative, so check the job description and try to anticipate what the focus will be before the day begins.

Think Like an Assessor

Don't just take each task at face value. Try to put yourself in the place of the assessors. What skills might they be hoping to see? What attitude do you want to display to them? Even if you're a recent graduate with little to no experience of recruitment days, you've got several years of university-level academic progress behind you, and some of the work you've done during your degree will have taught you the skills you need on an assessment day. That includes how to present ideas, work on group projects and write logical essays without spending too long planning your structure in advance. If you found academic life challenging, this is useful knowledge too. It can help you to focus on your own weaknesses and turn them into strengths, as well as to shift the emphasis more on to your transferable skills and areas where you feel most confident.

Final Thoughts

Assessment centres have broad reach, from quantitative assessments like psychometric tests and job-specific quizzes, through to more qualitative elements like how well you communicate and work with others. You'll never be 100% sure of what to expect from an assessment day, and you'll need to do a certain amount of research about each company before you attend their recruitment centre. But combined with more general assessment day skills and a good amount of self-confidence, you should be able to position yourself as a compelling candidate in most cases. After that, it just comes down to a question of how well you strike up rapport with the assessors, and whether you're lucky on the day when compared with all the other candidates in attendance.