Assessment Centres

More and more Companies are using Assessment Centres as part of the recruitment process, usually following one or two face to face interviews with the recruiting manager and/or HR.

The advantages of Assessment centres for the company is that they provide a more comprehensive overview of an individual’s strengths and weaknesses than any other single method.  Also because they are standardised they are more objective than interviews alone – you are likely to be assessed by more than one assessor which in itself makes the assessment process more thorough.  A company may also use a candidate’s performance on assessment as a tool to identify areas for development in that individual’s training programme when he joins them.

For a candidate an assessment centre gives everyone the same opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and your performance in all exercises, right across the day will be considered.  This means that a weak performance in one area does not mean that you will be unsuccessful, if you achieve the overall standards required.

For a Financial Adviser the assessment centres are a chance for a company to:

·         assess your level of generic knowledge, usually through FPC style tests

·         observe how you build rapport with clients, how you use disturbance and questioning techniques and how well you respond to clients’ queries and buying signals, usually through role plays

·         Gauge your ability to work closely with others in a team environment, usually through role plays or group discussion exercises.

·         Assess your organisational and time management skills, usually through In tray or Diary Management exercises.

·         Utilise psychometric/OPQ style questionnaires to give them an insight into your motivations and style of working

Before the Assessment

Get a feel for the exercises you will be asked to do – your information pack from the company should brief you on what to expect.  If you have been introduced by an Agency they will be able to give you some insight into the format of the assessment centre so you can give it some thought prior to the event.

Ensure you are happy with all the practical arrangements. Often if you are being asked to travel a considerable distance the company will arrange overnight accommodation for you for the night before, as this can relieve the stress and tiredness of a long journey and enable you to perform well.

Ensure that you have completed any application form and have collected together any original documents that you have been asked to provide on the day.

How to Approach the Different Exercises

• Listen carefully to instructions that you are given and ask questions to clarify anything if you are unsure. 
• Don’t make assumptions about the way you should respond or behave – if you try to second guess what the assessors are looking for you could go wrong. It is usually best to be yourself and respond honestly.
• Remember that you will have plenty of opportunities to demonstrate your abilities.  If you feel you have done poorly on one exercise don’t be disheartened – it is your overall performance that counts.

Knowledge tests – You can prepare by revising using FPC manuals. Tests will be timed.

Role plays – You will given a brief and usually a few minutes to prepare. Try to use open questions to gain information required and essentially treat it as you would a normal sales call with a client.  You must try to secure the end goal of the brief within the set timescale.

Group Discussion – You may be given a specific role to play in the discussion or there may not be any roles allocated.  Remember to listen as well as trying to put your own point across.  Try to make a positive contribution to the discussion – this doesn’t necessarily mean dominating the proceedings by doing all the talking, the person who manages to bring the group to a consensus may score more highly than the person who seems to be leading the discussion. Again these exercises are usually timed.

In Tray/Diary Management – This will be a timed exercise to assess how well you can prioritise and how you respond to working under time constraints. Ensure you read everything through before you start prioritising.

Psychometric Tests – There are no right or wrong answers so answer honestly and quickly.

After the Assessment

You should be notified of the assessment result within a reasonable period of time, as generally the assessors remain on site after the event has finished and discuss the candidates’ performance whilst everything is still fresh in their minds.

If you have not been successful you should be able to obtain feedback as to why you have not been chosen for the position. This will be useful to you for future job applications, so if it is not offered to you freely it is worthwhile enquiring about.

Remember that although companies may use similar exercises at their assessment centres the profile of the ideal candidate that they are measuring you against will vary.  If you have been unsuccessful with one company it does not mean you will automatically fail another assessment elsewhere.