ASSESSMENT CENTRES
Mainly used for executive hiring, assessment centre are now "being used for evaluating executive or supervisory potential. An assessment centre is a central location where managers may come together to have their participation in job-related exercise evaluated by trained observers. The principal idea is to evaluate managers over a period of time say one to three days, by observing (and later evaluating) their behaviour across a series of select exercises or work samples.
Assesses are requested to participate in in-basket exercises, work groups (without leaders), computer simulations, role paying, and other similar activities which require the same attributes for successful performance, as in the actual job. After recording their observations of ratee behaviors, the raters meet to discuss these observations. The decision regarding the performance of each assessee is based upon this discussion of observations. Self-appraisal and peer evaluation are also thrown In for final rating.
The characteristics assessed in a typical assessment centre include assertiveness, persuasive ability, communicating ability, planning and organisational ability, self – confidence, resistance to stress, energy level, decision – making, sensitivity to the feelings of others, administrative ability, creativity and mental alertness. It is a formidable list which is quite difficult to measure accurately over three days, though there would be sizable number of trained observers and psychologists.
First developed in the US and the UK in 1943, the assessment centre is gaining popularity in our country, Crompton greaves, Facher, HLL and Modi Xerox are using the technique with results being highly positive.
Assessment Centre - Many Takers
• Ranbaxy retained the services of a team of psychologists from the UK-based Kelly& King to take the executives (of Ranbaxy) through an assessment center. 20 star manager went through the exercise.
• Santrupt Misra, Director- Birla Management Corporation had plans for a similar exercise to be held at Gyanodaya, the Aditya Birla learning centre. Misra first used the assessment centre concept four years ago on 150 middle and senior level managers.
• Old timers like Tata have created their own assessment centers, and so have the talent centric companies' like Wipro and Cognizant.
• SHL, a HR consulting firm has worked with over 100 companies conducting dose to 1,000 assessment centers.
• Consulting firm ECS (formerly known as Eicher Consulting Services) does a number of assessments in a month for a variety of clients like Tata Steel, ING Vysya and the host of BPO outfits.
• ICICI Bank uses assessment centre as a recruitment and selection tool to find the best talent, while GE India subsidiary GECIS has used it on 20% of it5 middle managers.
The problem with the assessment centres is their cost Not only are the asses sees away from their jobs while the company pays for their travel and lodging, but the evaluators are often company managers who are assigned to the assessment centre for short durations. These managers are often supplemented by psychologists and HR specialists who run the centre and also make evaluations. Hence this approach is cost - effective only in large organisations.
Assessment-centre staff is often influenced by subjective element; such as personality of the candidates: Raters tend to evaluate the quality of the individual's social skills rather than the quality of the decisions he/she makes. Assessment -centre ratings seem to be strongly influenced by the participant's interpersonal skills.
The approach also involves real hazards. One of the most obvious is the examination-taking syndrome. Solid performers in day-to-day operations feel suffocated in the simulated environment. Another drawback is its potential adverse effect on those not selected to participate in the exercise.
Employees who receive a poor report from the centre may react in negative ways. Ideally, a rejected employee would return to his or her former job, satisfied that he or she would not be promoted to a job he or she could not handle. However, a good performer at one level may leave the organisation in order to remove the bad assessment report from his or her work record. Thus, a poor report can demoralize an employee who was once an asset.
Other problems include-strong and unhealthy sense of competition among assesses;
Difficulty of conducting the test frequently; and the possibility of overemphasizing the test performance.
But a well-conducted assessment centre can and does achieve better forecasts of future performance and progress than other methods of appraisal. Also, reliability, content validity, and predictive validity are said to be high in the assessment centres.
The test also makes sure that the wrong people are not hired or promoted. Finally, the Assessment centre test clearly defines the criteria for selection and promotion.
Mainly used for executive hiring, assessment centre are now "being used for evaluating executive or supervisory potential. An assessment centre is a central location where managers may come together to have their participation in job-related exercise evaluated by trained observers. The principal idea is to evaluate managers over a period of time say one to three days, by observing (and later evaluating) their behaviour across a series of select exercises or work samples.
Assesses are requested to participate in in-basket exercises, work groups (without leaders), computer simulations, role paying, and other similar activities which require the same attributes for successful performance, as in the actual job. After recording their observations of ratee behaviors, the raters meet to discuss these observations. The decision regarding the performance of each assessee is based upon this discussion of observations. Self-appraisal and peer evaluation are also thrown In for final rating.
The characteristics assessed in a typical assessment centre include assertiveness, persuasive ability, communicating ability, planning and organisational ability, self – confidence, resistance to stress, energy level, decision – making, sensitivity to the feelings of others, administrative ability, creativity and mental alertness. It is a formidable list which is quite difficult to measure accurately over three days, though there would be sizable number of trained observers and psychologists.
First developed in the US and the UK in 1943, the assessment centre is gaining popularity in our country, Crompton greaves, Facher, HLL and Modi Xerox are using the technique with results being highly positive.
Assessment Centre - Many Takers
• Ranbaxy retained the services of a team of psychologists from the UK-based Kelly& King to take the executives (of Ranbaxy) through an assessment center. 20 star manager went through the exercise.
• Santrupt Misra, Director- Birla Management Corporation had plans for a similar exercise to be held at Gyanodaya, the Aditya Birla learning centre. Misra first used the assessment centre concept four years ago on 150 middle and senior level managers.
• Old timers like Tata have created their own assessment centers, and so have the talent centric companies' like Wipro and Cognizant.
• SHL, a HR consulting firm has worked with over 100 companies conducting dose to 1,000 assessment centers.
• Consulting firm ECS (formerly known as Eicher Consulting Services) does a number of assessments in a month for a variety of clients like Tata Steel, ING Vysya and the host of BPO outfits.
• ICICI Bank uses assessment centre as a recruitment and selection tool to find the best talent, while GE India subsidiary GECIS has used it on 20% of it5 middle managers.
The problem with the assessment centres is their cost Not only are the asses sees away from their jobs while the company pays for their travel and lodging, but the evaluators are often company managers who are assigned to the assessment centre for short durations. These managers are often supplemented by psychologists and HR specialists who run the centre and also make evaluations. Hence this approach is cost - effective only in large organisations.
Assessment-centre staff is often influenced by subjective element; such as personality of the candidates: Raters tend to evaluate the quality of the individual's social skills rather than the quality of the decisions he/she makes. Assessment -centre ratings seem to be strongly influenced by the participant's interpersonal skills.
The approach also involves real hazards. One of the most obvious is the examination-taking syndrome. Solid performers in day-to-day operations feel suffocated in the simulated environment. Another drawback is its potential adverse effect on those not selected to participate in the exercise.
Employees who receive a poor report from the centre may react in negative ways. Ideally, a rejected employee would return to his or her former job, satisfied that he or she would not be promoted to a job he or she could not handle. However, a good performer at one level may leave the organisation in order to remove the bad assessment report from his or her work record. Thus, a poor report can demoralize an employee who was once an asset.
Other problems include-strong and unhealthy sense of competition among assesses;
Difficulty of conducting the test frequently; and the possibility of overemphasizing the test performance.
But a well-conducted assessment centre can and does achieve better forecasts of future performance and progress than other methods of appraisal. Also, reliability, content validity, and predictive validity are said to be high in the assessment centres.
The test also makes sure that the wrong people are not hired or promoted. Finally, the Assessment centre test clearly defines the criteria for selection and promotion.