The benefits of assessment centres & pitfalls to avoid

According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), on average one third of companies use assessment centres as a method to select applicants.

The business benefits of assessment centres

• They are far more accurate than a standard recruitment process as they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used during the process
• They enable interviewers to assess existing performance as well as predict future job performance
• They give the opportunity to assess and differentiate between candidates who seem very similar - in terms of quality - on paper
• They give the candidates a better insight into the role as they are tested on exercises, which are typical for the role they have applied for
• They help employers build an employer brand. Candidates who attend assessment centres which genuinely reflect the job and the organisation are often impressed by that company, even if they are rejected
• The cost of an assessment centre is usually cheaper compared with the potential cost of many recruitment phases and the cost of recruitment errors
• They are a fair process – they complement an organisation’s diversity agenda and ensure that people are selected on the basis of merit alone.

Common pitfalls to avoid in running assessment centres

• New recruits with high expectations can feel disappointed if the assessment centre has encouraged them to believe the job or organisation fits their values if, in fact, it does not
• If you haven’t defined the key competencies prior to the event - and a way to measure these competencies - you will only be able to compare candidates on anecdotal details