March 15, 2018 HR expert, business consultant, personal growth coach. IP Kruglova A.V.

Advice to the applicant: how to solve cases and successfully pass the assessment

One of the possible stages of an interview for a leadership position may be working on a case or offering to undergo an assessment. I’ll tell you what is really important and what is secondary when assessing during the assessment and deciding whether to make an offer to the applicant.

First of all, an applicant for a leadership position should not be put off by the ease of wording of case assignments during the assessment. The speed of filling a case for a manager position, as a rule, is not assessed. But operational, tactical, and strategic management skills are assessed. You are being asked to solve, at first glance, a simple management problem.

1. Show understanding of why

When preparing answers to case questions during the assessment, it is necessary to demonstrate an understanding of “where the legs grow from” this problem. Describe the possible reasons for such a situation.

2. First reaction and first actions

Indicate your first reaction, what you will do “here and now.” Next, describe the tactical actions that need to be taken to get rid of this problem.

3. Pay attention to the rules

Pay attention to existing, and especially non-existent regulations that led to this problem.

• Do they work for the company or do they exist formally?
• Are control points established according to these regulations?
• Are controls carried out regularly?
• What happens if an error is detected? We smoothly moved towards motivating staff NOT to make mistakes.

Why do they need this? It would be nice if you mention, when analyzing the situation, knowledge of the performance indicators of both the employees and the manager himself. Everything I have listed is basic, academic knowledge of management. I call them the necessary minimum during the assessment.

We continue to analyze the proposed case situation from a higher level: strategic. You need to understand whether there is a systematic approach in the organization so that similar situations do not arise not only in your department, but also in other departments. Give a brief description of how to work with the problem from the point of view of a systems approach.

4. Demonstrate a substantive case analysis

It is possible to analyze the situation depending on the organizational structure of a given enterprise. For example, a traditional linear control system is different from a matrix control system. If you show on which branches of management what and how should change so that such problems do not occur in the enterprise, it will not be a bad thing.

5. It is important to move away from value judgments

Try to avoid value judgments in your answers. It is clear that there is a problem and it arose as a result of someone’s mistake or shortcoming. That is why the situation is discussed in the case and issued at the assessment. That is why the manager’s position is vacant today or is about to become vacant.

Sometimes the final assessment of the work on a case includes the following circumstance: did the applicant ask additional questions, did you need additional information? But here lies a catch and a provocation at the same time. If you asked too many questions, then you are not persistent, but intrusive. You have specified the proposed circumstances twice with your questions, this is not entirely a plus. In psychology, there is a block of tests for assessing thinking “making decisions in a situation of limited information.” The case, as a rule, is designed for approximately the same thing. It is not designed that now 100 applicants will solve the company’s problems by answering the questions of the assessment case. When you have the opportunity to really start solving the assigned tasks, then even the individual characteristics of your performers will matter, which, most likely, is not mentioned in the questions of the case. It is important for the company to first assess the level of your thinking. Therefore, when asking additional questions, do not go too deep into the details and minutiae.

6. Approach informally

Also, during the assessment, I recommend moving away from the formal approach to working on a case, and demonstrating a deep and broad understanding of the problem. “I do this and that” is not the correct formulation. Perhaps you don’t have the opportunity to do anything differently right now. Write how to do it, how to do it right.

The cases are not unique and there are answers to them on the Internet, but there is no point in using this, especially thoughtlessly. You need to be ready to answer questions and give explanations during the interview, without relying on a cheat sheet. Your experience and decision-making logic will help you pass the assessment.

What do you need to know about assessment?

You don’t particularly prepare for passing the assessment, you don’t read anything. The purpose of passing the assessment is a comprehensive assessment of: speed of thinking, intelligence, charisma, management skills, leadership qualities. All this is done through tasks, completing which all you can do is be who you really are. And to be like this, the attitude is important. Worry won't help you. But a demonstration of stress resistance would be appropriate. Often the assessment procedure itself involves the creation of a stressful situation. You must assume that a highly developed personality controls his behavior and is responsible for his reactions.

Lifehack: you need to correctly understand the goals of the tasks offered to you during the assessment and try to comply in order to be successful in passing interviews and receive an offer for the coveted position.

You will succeed!

An assessment center is an assessment method that is based on the observation of specially trained assessors (appraisers) of the behavior of assessed employees in real work situations or when they perform various tasks. The content of assignments reflects the main aspects and problems of activities within a particular position.

Each specific assessment center includes a number of procedures and is developed taking into account the requirements for employees. An important component of this method is measurement.

The assessment center is close to tests, since it involves standardization, that is, the presence of certain standards for carrying out procedures and a rating system (criteria and rating scales). Sometimes, in addition to special tasks, the assessment center includes a structured interview and testing.

At the first stage of using the assessment center, the competencies necessary to perform the job are determined. Competence is a set of behavioral characteristics necessary for an employee to successfully perform a particular job. In other words, from the point of view of personnel assessment, this is not a profession, not an area of ​​human awareness of anything, but a required set of qualities.

It is customary to identify two factors that determine successful work. The first is knowledge, skills and abilities that can be acquired in the learning process and confirmed by diplomas and certificates. The second relates to personality. In English it is called performance. These are qualities that allow us to use knowledge, make decisions, cope with complex tasks, mobilize, communicate with people, etc. Identification of the competencies required for a position is based on an analysis of activities in this position.

Examples of competencies: leadership, ability to work in a team, courage and perseverance, customer focus, decision making, ability to take into account the human factor, communication skills.

The concept of competence used in the assessment center method may sometimes contradict the commonly used meaning of the word. For example, for the “ability to work in a team” competency, one of the main qualities will be adaptability, the ability of a person to “fit into” a certain team. At the same time, people who are competent in their professional field may be considered unsuitable if they were unable to work well with other team members.

For example, the competency “ability to work in a team” could be described as follows:

offers his own ideas for solving the problem;

shows interest in team members' points of view;

helps the group achieve results;

values ​​the contributions of others;

strives to achieve consensus;

if a conflict arises, strives to resolve it, etc.

The choice of competency is of great importance for the entire personnel assessment process. An error made at this stage of work is automatically transferred to all its other stages. The standard procedure of an assessment center usually includes a study of company employees or candidates for vacancies in five to ten competencies.

The assessment center should be conducted after careful preparation. Simultaneously with the identification of competencies, assessment parameters are determined. Within each competency, several behavioral manifestations are identified.

The next steps in preparing for the study are determining assessment criteria, developing a program for a specific assessment center and preparing tasks for the assessed personnel, training assessors.

As people work on a task, they are monitored. At this stage of the assessment center, information about the assessed personnel is collected. The action or behavioral manifestation of a person is exactly what should be measured. In relation to competence, each action can be assessed as positive or negative. Evaluators record the actions of the observed and qualify them, that is, they attribute them to manifestations of a particular competence.

As a result, these positive and negative manifestations are compared, and the person receives a final assessment for the entire competency.

The observation results in the assessment center method are carefully processed. This stage is the longest in the entire process. The progress report, in addition to quantitative assessments, may include a detailed report about the people assessed, which reflects the qualitative characteristics of the personnel.

There are two approaches to working with a customer. The first is that the customer provides his own set of competencies by which the staff must be assessed. In the second approach, researchers themselves identify and describe the necessary competencies, based on an analysis of the position. After the tasks are specified and the assessment methodology is prepared, “live” work begins with the customer’s personnel. It can be carried out not only by appraisers of a specialized company, but also by the customer’s own resources or jointly. It is possible to evaluate your own personnel using the “assessment center” method if the enterprise’s personnel service has trained evaluators, a clear methodology for observing people in the process of performing tasks and an evaluation system have been developed. If a person is sufficiently insightful, observant, and has high intellectual and communication abilities, he can become a good personnel evaluator. Experience shows that the joint work of HR managers and appraisers attracted from specialized firms is extremely effective.

We can highlight the main goals of the assessment using the assessment center method.

Firstly, an individual approach to people is developed. The potential of employees, which has not yet been fully realized, can be identified and assessed. It becomes clear to management in which direction a particular subordinate should develop. It turns out that one needs to be taught time management, another - the art of communication, and a third - the ability to make decisions. Secondly, a system of personnel selection criteria is determined. After assessment activities, new employees are selected more carefully, and the likelihood of errors when choosing a suitable candidate is sharply reduced. Thirdly, various shortcomings in the work of management with personnel are revealed and ways to eliminate them are determined.

Experience shows that studying the professional qualities of company employees using the assessment center method is effective when hiring new people, during audits and certification of personnel, when developing employee training and development programs, and before making serious management decisions.

Serious companies take everything they do seriously, including hiring new employees. As a rule, when recruiting for such companies, the competition is at least 100 resumes per position. If you managed to go through the multi-stage selection system and get to the assessment, which is usually held at the very end, then the competition will be smaller - about 3-5 candidates per place. And it will be especially disappointing not to pass it when the chances are so high. At the same time, assessment is not only an assessment of what you already know, but also a certain skill that needs to be developed.

In this article we have collected information that will help you:

a) understand what assessments there are and what types of tasks are found in them;

b) properly prepare for the assessment;

c) determine how to behave during the assessment and what should not be done under any circumstances;

d) draw the right conclusions for yourself based on the assessment results.

What is assessment and what are they?

Most of all, assessment resembles an obstacle course. Assessment is a set of tasks, role-playing and business games, interviews and other assessment methods that allow the employer to evaluate the candidate in the most structured, comprehensive and objective manner. First of all, company representatives will be interested in your competencies.
Each competency has its own behavioral indicators - an externally manifested type of action that can be used to understand how much you possess this competency. For example, the competency “analytical thinking” can be manifested as a set of the following indicators: “able to process a significant amount of information in a short period of time”, “able to generalize and draw conclusions from data”, “able to set priorities”, etc. For each of these indicators Observers record your behavior and assign points. In addition, the company will definitely pay attention to your personal profile and motivational component. To identify these factors, you may be asked to complete a questionnaire or undergo an interview.
Thus, the assessment is aimed at three main things:

• checking your professional and personal competencies;
• identifying basic patterns of behavior and ways of interacting with other people;
• identifying your motivational factors, values ​​and attitudes.\

Assessment tasks can be either group or individual, and the number of evaluators can vary from one person per 2-3 candidates (for example, during a business game) to 3-5 evaluators per 1 candidate (for example, during a final interview with top management ). Based on the number of participants, assessments are:

• small (3–5 people);
• medium (8–12 people);
• large (20–30 people);
• mass (more than 30 people).

There are a great variety of tasks and methods of assessment, but all of them can be divided into several types.

A. A series of different interviews

You will have to undergo several interviews in succession: with an HR specialist, your immediate supervisor, and representatives of top management. As a rule, such interviews include a brief self-presentation, a story about your personal and professional achievements, and specific examples of the manifestation of certain competencies (for example, the ability to lead people, resolve conflicts, overcome obstacles). Sometimes interviewers may be interested in the informal side of your life - be prepared to talk about your hobbies and interests.

B. A set of small tasks and exercises for your future work

Tasks of this type can be very different. The most common options are:

- Individual exercise
You may be asked to give a presentation or complete an individual exercise on a given topic. As a rule, such tasks are associated with processing a large amount of textual and quantitative information (for example, sorting out a mailbox, setting priorities correctly, drawing up an action plan, writing a letter, or solving a problem in Excel)

- Tests and questionnaires
The company evaluates potential employees using standard psychometric tests of intelligence, motivation, self-esteem or situational behavior. In such tests, it is important to answer as honestly and objectively as possible, since there are no correct answers, and it is almost impossible to rig the results in the direction you want if the questionnaire is compiled well.

- Group discussion
A group discussion is a discussion of a problem with other candidates, the result of which should be a joint solution to the issue. Sometimes a task may have a solution acceptable to all group members, usually hidden in different information given to each participant. Sometimes you need to find a compromise. You can decide what to spend the company's budget on, which project should be implemented, allocate space in the office, or even survive on a desert island.

- Role-playing game
Most likely, during the assessment you will also have to take part in a role-playing game that simulates your interaction with a client, colleague, boss or partner. Tasks of this type inherently contain a conflict of interest. For example, you will have to work with the client’s objections, deal with a careless employee, and convince the boss that he is wrong. The important thing here is not to show knowledge of the correct theoretical patterns of action in such a situation, but to really get used to the role and demonstrate that you can do this in practice.

- Creative tasks
Most assessment tasks are quite transparent - you understand what qualities and skills you must have to successfully complete them. But sometimes companies include non-standard tasks in the assessment that, at first glance, are in no way related to your professional activity. For example, you may be asked to build something out of paper or draw a picture while blindfolded, following prompts from your teammates. Such tasks can be aimed both at testing the creativity of your thinking and the ability to find a way out of non-standard situations, and at teamwork.

From the scene (comment from a participant): “The most unusual task in my practice was to build a city of the future and choose the most necessary professions for it. It was necessary to think through everything (the location of the buildings, what they would have inside, energy supply and budget), without relying on any auxiliary materials.”

IN. Case solution

During the assessment, you may be asked to solve a small case. It can be specific to the industry of the company you are interviewing for, or to a completely different industry. In the second case, this is done deliberately to test your problem-solving skills without reference to previous experience in a familiar industry. Sometimes case materials are sent in advance, and for the assessment itself it is necessary to prepare a ready-made solution.
The case can be either individual or team. The case assignment is mostly printed on paper and includes additional information, diagrams and tables, otherwise you will only be given a verbal outline of the problem. For example, you may be asked to come up with a plan for introducing a new product to the market, develop a marketing plan, calculate the stock of goods in a warehouse, or find out the reasons for a decrease in profits. With the help of cases, professional competencies such as strategic and analytical thinking, business understanding, etc. are usually tested. In a team decision, group work and presentation skills are also assessed.

G. Mix of these types

Many companies are not limited to just one type of task and offer candidates one- and two-day assessments from several tasks at once. During such an assessment, you will most likely have time to make a self-presentation, participate in solving a case and role-playing game, and go through a series of interviews with future managers.

How to pass case testing

Preparing for the assessment

What does it mean to prepare for an assessment? You won’t be able to find out in advance the tasks that you will have to complete, and besides, they differ radically in different companies, but you can still do some things and even need to do them. Your preparation must include three stages.

1. Collection and study of information

Start your preparation by collecting information. Once again, study the company’s website, specialized forums and communities on social networks. Carefully analyze the company's projects, try to imagine yourself in these projects. What would your responsibilities be? It is important for you to accurately determine for yourself the skills and personal qualities that you possess that make you suitable for this position. In addition, many companies describe in detail on their website all stages of the assessment and provide advice on preparing for them.

Checklist of what you need to know first:

• How long does the assessment take?
• What tasks are planned for it?
• What are the pitfalls in these assignments (lack of time, lack of information, conflict of interest)?
• What restrictions are there (for example, you cannot use calculators, the Internet, or the assessment is carried out exclusively in English)?
• What competencies will you be assessed on?
• What are the company’s values ​​and operating principles, what is its mission?
• How many people will rate you? Who are they - HR employees, business unit employees, line managers or top managers?
• What is the attitude of the evaluators, in what manner do you communicate with them (interviews, role-playing games, etc.)?
• How many people take part in the assessment and how many of them advance to the next round?

It will also be very useful to start reading the industry press daily 2-3 weeks before the assessment to keep abreast of the main news, as well as to know the main issues, language and terms of the industry.
From the scene (comment from a participant): “Be sure to study the documents regarding the company’s corporate culture. It is better to even learn the most important values ​​by heart and prepare examples for them from your personal and professional experience in advance. This question will be raised in one way or another during the assessment - if not in a direct formulation (“what do you know about the company’s values, do you share them”), then in an indirect one (“how would you act in such and such a situation; tell me an example when showed such and such quality"). If you prepare examples in advance, you can easily figure out which principle you are being asked about and select the most appropriate answer.”

2. Preparation of materials

You must clearly understand what you want to demonstrate to the company and how exactly you will do it. One of the biggest disappointments in life is failing an assessment because the observers failed to correctly assess your potential. You won't always be asked the right questions or put in the right situations, so you need to take care in advance to accurately convey all the necessary information to the people making the decision.
During the assessment, you will probably have to make a self-presentation and undergo an interview based on competencies. Prepare a story structure about yourself and examples from your life experiences that show how and where you developed the required skills and qualities. Try to have 2-3 examples in stock - you may be unexpectedly interrupted and asked to give an additional example.
When preparing for an interview, look at yourself through the eyes of the interviewer. What would you like to know about a potential employee? What conclusions can be drawn about your motivation and priorities from your story? What values ​​does it reflect? What words do you use? For the interviewer, there is a difference between saying “I had to” and “I had the opportunity”, “on my first day of work I will be introduced to my colleagues and given instructions” and “on my first day of work I will I’ll get to know my colleagues and my responsibilities.” In your examples, are you talking about yourself or your team?

3. Rehearsal and skill development

Now that you know what awaits you, and have a good idea of ​​what you should say and how to act, it’s time to turn knowledge into skills, that is, move on to practical exercises.
When preparing for an interview, be sure to rehearse it well. Your speech should not sound rote, but you should not hesitate or mumble either. It is best to memorize the structure and speak the examples out loud several times in your own words to achieve confident and smooth presentation. Discuss the text with friends, ask them to act as an interviewer and give you feedback.
If you know that tests to test intellectual skills (verbal, logical, etc.) await you, find relevant materials on the Internet and take several tests. Be prepared in advance for the fact that sometimes intelligence tests are specifically designed in such a way that you do not have time to complete all tasks 100%. It is useless to prepare for psychometric tests in advance, since they measure basic personality traits, but you can also look at the descriptions of the corresponding tests to get an idea of ​​what they are about.
If the assessment includes a case solution, read tips on how to pass a case interview and brush up on your knowledge of cases. However, if in practice you are faced with this type of task for the first time, be prepared for the fact that, most likely, you will not be able to express yourself fully. So make sure to gain practical experience in solving cases in advance. Try to find out if you can use the Internet. Perhaps, as the case progresses, you will need to clarify some details or find the necessary information on products. In terms of preparation, a role-playing game is very similar to an individual case solution: in theory, you can know perfectly well what the catch is, but without practical training this knowledge will not help you. Practice solving cases and resolving the main types of conflicts found in role-playing games with friends and classmates.
In addition, during the assessment you will most likely be working in a team. You will solve a case or participate in a group discussion with other participants - complete strangers who are also your competitors. How to prepare? The chances of you finding the perfect team are slim. You need to learn to work with different people, and in especially difficult cases, fight your own shyness. You will probably have to speak publicly with your ideas. The best way to train is practice. Firstly, it is worth submitting your resume to the maximum number of companies that use assessments at the selection stages.
In addition, you can take part in case championships. An additional benefit of such competitions is the opportunity to get feedback on your case-solving, public speaking, and teamwork skills from judges, who are usually top managers of major companies.
And finally, try to get into the right mindset for the assessment. Do not perceive the assessment as an execution, and the evaluators as strict examiners who are just looking for a chance to fail you. First, it will inevitably affect your behavior. Secondly, the purpose of the assessment is to get to know you better and give you the opportunity to open up, so most companies do their best to provide participants with the most friendly and comfortable environment possible. Another important difference from the exam: a sleepless night spent preparing will most likely have a negative impact on the result. This is explained by the fact that competencies are quite complex structural formations of a person, and in order to significantly improve your level, you will need from six months to two years of work. Assessment is a serious test, but excessive worry has never benefited anyone. Relax and try to get a good night's sleep the night before.
Let's summarize. Three factors will contribute to your success in the assessment:

• Knowledge of assessment procedures.
• Ability to demonstrate required skills to an appropriate level.
• Feeling good and having a positive attitude.

How to behave during the assessment itself

The main rule: Be yourself and open up as much as possible.

One of the most frequently asked questions to HR specialists is: how to behave correctly during an assessment? And there is only one correct answer: just be yourself.
Why is this the best strategy in this situation? First, as mentioned above, you will be assessed on a number of dimensions, and it is very difficult to convincingly imitate them all and play the role of a person who you are not. Secondly, even if you manage to fool the appraisers, you will have to play the same role not for two days, but for the next several years of work, and you will definitely not be able to cope with this. Assessment is a two-way process: not only the company chooses you, but you also choose the company.
There is no need to overact, but at the same time, it is important not to be modest or tight-lipped, hoping that observers, using telepathy, will be able to discern your high potential. You need to be at your best during the assessment, and to do this you may have to be a little more active, offer more initiatives, take on additional responsibility and act a little more confidently than you do in normal life.

Teamwork

Remember that in all group tasks, it is not so much the final result that is important, but your behavior during decision making. Observers will evaluate how roles are distributed in groups. Who takes responsibility and volunteers to become a leader, how effectively the leader manages to organize the work of the group, does he try to do all the work on his own or overwhelm other participants, which of the participants takes the initiative, who sits back passively, and who only prevents everyone from working productively, excessively trying to stand out.
During discussions, try to hear each team member's point of view. At the same time, do not forget that you also need to demonstrate active participation. Make comments on the speeches of other participants, be sure to state your position, but try to do it as briefly and reasonably as possible. Be friendly, do not try to argue and defend your point of view with all your might, even if you are absolutely sure that you are right. Never interrupt your teammates (observers are watching closely!), even if you fundamentally disagree with them - wait until the end of the statement, politely thank them, express your disagreement and present carefully thought-out arguments against.
Identify members who are vying for a leadership position and do not engage in direct confrontation with them - observers always have a negative attitude towards members who initiate conflicts in the team. Try to gain authority in the team in another way - for example, with your professional qualities, helping to solve a common problem. A good move is to take on the role of moderator of the discussion, write down the opinions of all team members, and then summarize: clarify whether you understood each of your teammates correctly, offer generalized conclusions and ask if anyone has any fundamental objections. This behavior pattern will allow you to very naturally take a leadership position in the team without directly affecting other members. Often observers will give extra points to the participant who keeps time and manages the discussion to meet the deadline.

From the scene (comment from a participant): “Sometimes during the assessment you come across complete “inadequacies” who shout, stand up, throw their pens or even try to insult other participants. In this case, you need to control yourself and be able to resist irritants. It’s even better to try to turn the situation in your favor: turn it all into a joke, sober up the person with a reminder of the limited time or complexity of the problem. Observers will positively evaluate your behavior from all sides: self-control, resistance to stress, time management, and ability to resolve conflicts. Indeed, in real work, people are also susceptible to stress and nervous breakdowns, and it is important to control yourself and be able to cope with such situations.”

When defending a solution to a case, try not to step out of your role—it’s not the interviewers in front of you, but the client’s board. If you are presenting a team solution, it is advisable that all team members have time to speak. It is better to distribute in advance who is responsible for what part of the decision. Don't interrupt each other, don't contradict. If your colleague unexpectedly begins to answer incorrectly, under no circumstances say “no, in fact, everything is wrong,” wait until the end of his speech and say that you would like to add and clarify important points.

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This article was created after several requests from employees and candidates of companies to us asking for help in passing assessment procedures. And in it we decided to cover several basic questions:

• What's happened ?
• Is it possible to prepare for the assessment center?
• What is the process of preparing to pass the assessment center, and how long before you can do something?

Experts (HR directors, HR managers, etc.) may also be interested...

Learn to pass the assessment: is it possible?

Lately we have been receiving requests that fit into two simple formulations: “Are you preparing for the assessment center? Is it possible to prepare for the assessment center?

Questions, of course, from individuals whose companies plan to implement assessment. Or those who will have to undergo this procedure again. People, as a rule, in such cases have a vague idea of ​​what it is. Or they feel afraid. It seems to those applying that it is enough to know the correct answers in order to pass the assessment and get high results. Figuratively, people turn to us for the “right answers.”

In some companies (and I must say, quite large ones), the result of the assessment center is one of the components for making personnel management decisions, along with the assessment of the manager and the performance of the employee’s department.

We believe that it is possible and, sometimes, necessary to prepare for the assessment. But what does it mean to “prepare for the assessment”? This means:

1. know how the procedure itself will go;
2. be able to demonstrate the required skills at the appropriate level.

What is an assessment center (assessment center)?

First you need to understand why and how the assessment center is conducted. Such procedures are aimed at assessing the level of skill development, i.e. the ability to act in a certain way in real time. Company managers and HR specialists receive information that can be used for personnel decisions.

Conducting an assessment allows the organization to spend less resources on promoting and training employees. In most cases, the company is interested in the work of professionals, therefore, after an assessment, a collective or individual employee development plan is formed.

What categories of employees?

Most often, such a capacious and multifaceted procedure is carried out to assess the qualities of management personnel and the personnel reserve. Less often - employees and specialists. In our practice, there were several projects when we helped with the assessment of candidates for vacant positions and ran an assessment center.

How does the assessment center work?

The assessment center is a sequence of cases, exercises and activities aimed at identifying skills, abilities and attitudes. During the day, participants play out various situations, solve problems, undergo interviews, and complete test tasks.

Assessment for managers, as a rule, is aimed at studying the level of leadership and management (planning, motivation, control, decision-making, etc.) competencies.

The assessment conducted for specialists is aimed at determining professional qualities and effective attitudes. For example, for sales managers it is necessary to have developed communication skills, empathy, and the ability to see a partner in a client.

Assessment center report

After the assessment center (AC) is completed, observers generate a report that reflects the degree of development of the assessed competencies of the participants. The report also makes recommendations for their development.

Feedback on competency assessment results

Usually, based on the assessment results, the participant is provided with feedback: the consultant comments on the assessments and talks about the directions and ways of developing “sinking” skills and abilities. This procedure lasts about 1 hour.

Development of an Individual Development Plan (IDP)

Ideally, the continuation of feedback becomes the IDP (Individual Development Plan), which describes the goal, objectives, methods and methods of developing competencies. As well as an indicative calendar plan for the implementation of planned activities: trainings, individual sessions with a coach, reading literature...

Implementation of the development plan may be accompanied by regular meetings with a coach or development consultant.

As can be seen from the description, the assessment center is not something that should cause concern. Thus, preparing for the assessment means removing possible anxiety regarding the procedure and its results. And also master certain skills enshrined in the company’s competency model.

How to develop competencies

The duration of development depends on the reason for the “sinking” of competence. But first, a little about how we view the competency structure.

Competence, in our opinion, contains three components:

• behavioral skill (algorithm or technology of behavior);
• installation;
• natural ability.

Let’s look at the example of the “Execution Management” competency.

This is a management competency that consists of a behavioral skill or algorithm - the ability to set a task, exercise control or check understanding. And this is the reproduction of a certain technology, which, by the way, can change.

This is followed by attitudes regarding this activity - his attitude (unconscious readiness to act in a certain way in a certain situation). For example, a manager considers this technology unimportant, believing that a subordinate can guess what he needs to do in most situations.

And the last component of competence is natural ability. In our case, how predisposed a person is to a particular activity. Or what is given to him by nature))) For example, recent studies have confirmed the presence in the genome of a combination responsible for the manifestation of leadership qualities.

Thus, returning to the question of the duration of development of a particular competency, we dare to say that competencies develop quickly and easily, where it is simply necessary to master the technology, develop a skill (a way to act in a certain way). At the same time, a person has a predisposition, and he wants it (he considers it important to develop this skill). In this case, most often a person needs several sessions similar in format to the training. Further, you just need to actively and systematically consolidate the acquired skill in your activities.

Preparing for an assessment means developing your skills!

All of the above should be kept in mind if you are aware of your declining competencies and are planning their development for the upcoming assessment center in your company.

Preparing for the assessment center

If you want to prepare for the upcoming assessment center, we recommend:

1. Study corporate competencies (as a rule, this is open information in companies);
2. Conduct a self-assessment - “try on” the competencies for yourself - evaluate yourself relative to the target level of manifestation of each competency for the level of your specialist. Try to give yourself two or three examples from your professional activities that confirm the manifestation of indicators of this competence. If you are unclear about the competency indicators or language, please contact your HR team for clarification. They should help you.

Don't be fooled by high self-esteem results. As a rule, they are overestimated by 10-20%.

Further development can occur either independently or with the help of a manager or HR specialist. Or with the involvement of third-party consultants.

Algorithm for preparing for the assessment center

As mentioned above, the algorithm for such a project will fit into several stages:

1. individual assessment center;
2. receiving reports and feedback from consultants;
3. drawing up IPR;
4. development sessions: trainings, coaching meetings, etc.

How to behave during assessment

Assessment is not an exam. Attempts to “please” observers and presenters are usually easy to read. But they are not always counted in a positive way. Therefore, we recommend not to distort facts about yourself, not to try to seem better and much more active than in life. We advise you to relax and direct all your energy to solving the tasks set by the presenter and interacting with other participants.

Benefit for the company

When we first carried out such a project, we thought about the ethical side of the issue. How much will this affect the purity of the subsequent assessment carried out in the company and the reliability of the result obtained? Can we provide such a service?

For ourselves, we answered this question positively. If an employee has developed a skill as a result of such a project, then he has the right to demonstrate this increase in a corporate assessment. For the company, the assessment preparation project has an additional benefit - the employee is motivated for self-development and is ready to invest his own funds in this development.

Subsequent experience has also shown that some companies even recommend that their employees undergo an individual assessment and develop the competencies necessary for their work. But this happens when companies do not plan to evaluate their employees in the near future.

Thus, we are for development! Develop yourself, gentlemen! Develop yourself!

Sample documents