Seeking Advice: How Do I Design Effective Assessment Center Activities for Recruitment and Training?

My company has rolled out competency-based L&D interventions. Behavioral competencies across all levels have already been identified. We also have training modules created based on the competencies.

Now, I have been given the responsibility to design activities for the assessment center. We plan to use assessment center activities in recruitment as well as to assess training effectiveness.

Designing Assessment Center Activities

I know that there are many activities that can be used in an assessment center, like in-basket exercises, role-plays, group discussions, simulations, etc. However, what I want to know is 'how to design these activities?'

Can more experienced OD consultants or professionals help me in this regard?

Thank you in advance!

Kindly read your question once again. I will just repeat the last line, "how to design activities like in-basket/role plays......" Now read my answer again or let me try to explain again.

Different Kinds of Tests in an Assessment Center

There are different kinds of tests employed in an assessment center. Let's take the case of a person who doesn't know about MBTI. One route is the person gets certified, has access to the right materials, and then administers. Another is he may not be certified but has worked on the same for long/coupled with materials. In the absence of both, it will be difficult to design the test and understand the results.

Example 2: Conducting Belbin's Team Roles

We can conduct "Belbin's team roles" purely through a written test, or we can conduct the same as a group exercise outdoors.

Example 3: Identifying Different Kinds of Listening

To identify different kinds of listening, we can Y-jack or listen to recorded calls or role plays or even as an instance during in-person interviews or "bubble drawing."

Alternate Approach

You may need to split your question into several smaller ones so that everyone can share experiences based on different tests employed.

I have been exposed to assessment centers since May 2001. A brief on the tests which I have used are MBTI/RSI/TAT/Firo B/OPQ/Watson & Glaser/Belbin Team roles/several ability tests (IQ/abstract & numerical reasoning/motor abilities) etc.

Thank you for the detailed response. The examples that you have provided discuss standardized psychometric tests. I am certain that they are one of the effective tools to be used in an assessment center. However, as far as I know, any psychometric tool cannot be administered to the same person twice. Therefore, when we intend to use an assessment center to evaluate training effectiveness (our training modules are based on behavioral competency BARS), it is evident that a single participant will undergo training until they reach the desired level of BARS in the competencies relevant to their role. Consequently, as they progress up the ladder of BARS, they will need to participate in the assessment center exercises more than once (though the frequency will be once per year).

Hence, in such scenarios, various case studies (arranged in increasing order of difficulty/analysis), in-basket exercises, etc., need to be designed.

When I initially asked the question 'how to design these activities,' I was referring to how to create in-basket exercises, case studies, and role-play scenarios. I did not mean psychometric tools, as I understand that designing a standardized psychometric tool is not a task that can be accomplished by a single person over a period of a few weeks or months.

Could you recommend some useful books or websites that could guide me on how to design these tools? I can then modify them to align with our competency framework.

Thank you!

Regards,
Manasi

Understanding Competency-Based Assessment

I think I understand what you are looking for; however, it seems that we need to "entangle" a couple of ideas.

Yes, it is advantageous to do some assessment-related activities to gauge where different people (at different levels) stand relative to your competencies. Hopefully, in establishing competencies, you have articulated indicators that identify what level someone is performing at in any given competency.

To create assessment exercises that are relevant, valid, and reliable takes a lot of experience and work. I can recommend a couple of books that are good at helping someone to understand the how-to-do-its:

Recommended Reading for Assessment Design

- The Assessment and Selection Handbook by Ian Taylor ISBN 978-0-7494-5054-0
It has a good section on activities.

- Development and Assessment Centres: Identifying and Developing Competence by Charles Woodruffe ISBN 978-0-9554488-0-5

- Developing Organizational Simulation, A Guide for Practitioners and Students by George C. Thornton, III and Rose A. Mueller-Hanson ISBN 0-8058-4412-0
The last one has a more "academic" feel, but it does go through the issues related to "how-to" create exercises.

All of that said, your organization may want to consider the value of products available on the market that have proven reliability:

- http://www.theopc.co.uk/tests - The OPC - Occupational Psychology - Tests & Exercises
- http://www.adc.uk.com/ - A&DC | Talent Management Consultancy | HR Assessment, Development & Engagement Tools & Solutions
- http://www.sr-associates.com/documents/D17.pdf

Those three websites should help you a lot.

For ongoing assessment of competencies, your performance management system should be linked to the competencies as well. You would only re-test people in an assessment center if they were eligible for promotion or new assignments. Generally, one doesn't reassess an employee more than once a year.

Regards,
Bruncha

Thank you so much for the detailed answers.

Competency Framework and Performance Management

Bruncha: You have understood my question quite well. Yes, while designing competencies, we have articulated the indicators to determine at what level one is performing in a given competency. I will definitely look into the books you have recommended.

Secondly, we have just completed the process of defining KRAs and KPIs that are linked to the competency framework. However, integrating competency assessment into the Performance Management System (PMS) is a crucial task as it involves training the appraisers on how to conduct appraisal interviews based on competency. And yes, we will not assess an employee more than once a year. We plan to conduct these assessment centers once a year, which is in sync with our PMS cycle.

Seeking Implementation Guidance

Surya Vrat: I agree with your interpretation of Bruncha's second post. My question revolves more around "how can I learn so that I can implement it for my organization?"

Again, many thanks to both of you! After researching the suggested lines, if I come across any more questions or require guidance, I may need to reach out to you again.

Regards,
Manasi

The Importance of Psychometrics in Assessment

Psychometrics and other personality profiles are great tools when used by appropriately trained professionals. I recommend that you receive your training in psychometrics from a program that leads you to being certified by the British Psychological Society. The training is generally conducted by organizational psychologists, and your portfolio is scored by the same. The training provides you with a strong foundation for understanding how to evaluate and use other instruments.

Psychometrics are useful for understanding personality impacts on performance, i.e., what an individual will naturally gravitate toward, and how they may be inclined to think, communicate, and analyze. Ability tests measure crystallized and/or fluid intelligence.

However, it is not ethical to make a judgment in a high-stakes environment with just one tool. Furthermore, the predictive value of psychometrics on future performance is significantly less than with other behavior-based activities.

There are many fine tools out there - success in working with them is related to a thorough understanding of the tool, intended use, its reliability, appropriateness of norm groups, and its degree of freedom from cultural bias. Testing is best done in the language in which the person tends to "think". The tendency to want to use cheap and quick tests sometimes only muddies the water.

Many organizations use a combination of tools in an assessment center, in addition to conducting a background check.

Creating an assessment process that is fair, yet robust, effective, efficient, and within budget takes review and planning.

Regards,
Bruncha M Milaszewski, MA CMF, CGTP

Career and Workforce Development Consultant

Certified Level A/B workplace assessor

Certified PRISM Brainmapping Practitioner

General Manager, Capita - Global FZE

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bruncha-...ki-ma-cmf-cgtp

Thank you again for the informative post. I am a clinical psychologist by education. I have been practicing psychology as well as working in the field of L&D and OD for the past 6 years. Now, I am moving to AC/DC. 