Assessment Services

Overview

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What do commercial pilots and movie actors have in common? Pilots must undergo regular simulator testing and actors have to audition for every new role. Their reputation alone is not sufficient. They have to prove in a simulated environment that they can deliver the performance necessary to successfully execute their jobs. In this case “Seeing is believing”. They are never selected merely based upon an interview or résumé. So why shouldn’t you select and develop your leaders the same way?

Multiple studies have shown that development & assessment centers provide reliable measures of performance and capability. Organizations using assessment centers have seen a high degree of predictability of employee success at more senior levels. Individual and group assessments provide insight into pre-defined skills and behaviors which impact workplace performance.

A typical assessment center consists of various exercises related to the skills required. Observers record the individual’s performance and formulate a list of relative strengths and potential weaknesses finally leading to a personal development plan.

While designing an assessment center, we place emphasis on getting a grasp on an individual’s leadership potential. To that end, we emphasize the design and relevance of the exercises. The design should encompass a certain stretch compared with today’s job requirements. Furthermore, the exercise must aptly demonstrate the skills and behaviors in question. Finally, the exercise should bear resemblance to the expected challenges of a future workplace without copying the individual’s job specifications.

Each organization has specific needs. Therefore, we tailor each of our client’s assessments to their specific organizational and development requirements. All programs are designed to support their overarching strategic goals. Contact us today to discuss how assessments could fit into your overall leadership development and selection goals.

Benefits of Using Assessment

Using assessments as a part of an overall leadership development and talent management strategy provides very specific benefits to your organization:

Assessments reduce the risk of selection errors thus leading to an overall reduction of hiring and retention costs.
Properly used, they yield very specific development actions for the individuals involved. If the organization follows these recommendations, the general quality of leadership will measurably increase.
They force the organization to define clear target competencies for the measurement of leadership quality. This creates a set of actionable data which support the overall quality of leadership development programs and selection processes.
The standardization of competencies also allows for interdepartmental comparison of leadership potential. This allows companies to set up leadership development programs which transcend one department or division, thereby providing access to talent across entire organizations rather than being limited to a specific division.
Formal assessment centers are a strong signal to candidates that their career and performance are taken very seriously. If the organization has a follow-up process in place, the overall satisfaction and retention of high potential will increase.

Studies and experience show that properly planned and executed assessments yield a positive return on investment (ROI)t. Some companies report returns of up to 300% on their assessment investments.

Types of Assessments

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Individual Assessments	An individual assessment looks at one person exclusively. The individual performs exercises similar to a full assessment, but benefits from the full attention of the raters. This results in refined results, as well as the identification of strengths, and areas for development, all in a much shorter time than a group assessment would allow. We usually employ individual assessments when confidentiality is imperative or when assessing for top-level positions. The individual assessment consists of interactive elements with roleplays, individual work situations, and structured interviews. It can be tailor-made to both the position’s requirements and the candidate’s job history. The assessment itself usually takes one day or less and results are available a few days later.
Group Assessments	Do you have a group of peers within an organizational unit whom you want to assess for potential promotion to the next level? Or a shortlist of external candidates for a critical open position? Then the right approach might be a group assessment. The group usually accommodates six or twelve candidates and the assessment may consist of a single day event or last up to four days. A group assessment is a strong signal that corporate skills and behaviors are taken seriously and play a vital role in climbing the career ladder. It leads to strong interaction between the observers, usually senior management, and the candidates who supply the company’s future leaders.
Development Centers	If your focus is not so much on selection but on the systematic development of your workforce, development centers may be the right solution. Bearing all the powerful characteristics of the assessment center, the development center will not result in an immediate career decision but serves to boost participants’ overall development. Career development may not progress in a linear fashion and the rate of progress may be uneven. The greatest benefits consist of employee retention, filling the talent pipeline, and broaching the issue of company values and skills. Development centers are motivational for all participants and help leaders to deliver a core task: attract, develop, retain, and assign talents at the appropriate level within the organization.
Remote Assessments	New technology such as video-conferencing, webinars, project websites, and electronic assessment tools have allowed for a completely new generation of assessment centers. Instead of gathering teams centrally at one time and place, assessments can now be conducted parallel to regular work in the form of projects and virtual meetings. In addition to the benefits of regular assessment centers, you may experience a lower overall cost of assessments and tighter integration of distributed talent across the entire organization.