Selection

Introduction

This blog demonstrates about assessment centres, both advantages and disadvantages of assessment centres which are used to make selections in a recruitment process. As an example it illustrates what are the exercises include in assessment centres of Deloitte organisation. Furthermore this blog reviews a job description and person specification in Deloitte and what are the exercises could be carried out in an assessment centre to relate with detailed skills in the job description and person specification.

Assessment centres

Most of the times an assessment centres use to make selections in recruitment process specially for graduate jobs. Therefore a group of comparable individuals are invited who are being assessed at the same time for appointment to the similar jobs. Then they may be judged or checked by senior management with individual performances or group activities. The activities in an assessment centres could be include interviews, variety of tests, presentations, individual exercises, group discussions, and role plays informal companionship over lunch or dinner. Assessment centres help to cover a wide range of aspects of individual performances in both formal and informal way.

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited is world’s second largest professional service network and it provides audit, tax, consulting, enterprise risk and financial advisory services and services in more than 150 countries all over the world. Currently it has 193000 employees to meet the customer requirements and satisfaction with the vision statement of “To be the Standard of Excellence “The headquarters of Deloitte is located in New York, America.

Assessment Centres of Deloitte

Assessment Centre of Deloitte is full scheduled for various activities on an assessment day. Exercises in Deloitte assessment centres are designed by companies such as SHL and Cubiks.

Introduction

The first entry of the assessment day is a congregation after arrive all the candidates at the scheduled time. There will be an introduction presentation by as senior manager in Deloitte about the area that candidates being tested. Candidates allow asking any questions or problems about the assessment schedule.

Schedule for the rest of the day will be differing to each other’s except the group activity. Some candidates may be do the written test first and later the interview and vice versa for others.

Written Test

The next activity will be the 1 hour long written test which is a case study. Generally it will provide a case study of large project of a company and candidates may asked to write a report for a senior management the issued carried out in the test question.

Presentation

There is an activity for presentation case study which is long for 10 minutes. The case study depends on the role, seniority that candidates have applied. Candidates being allocate 1 hour to prepare the 10 minutes presentation and after that there is a question and answers about the case study presentation session which will be long 45 minutes.

Partner interview

Partner interview will be taken by senior manager in Deloitte and it will be long for exactly 45 minutes. Candidates have already interviewed before and company has a good impression on candidates which is a reason to invite back for an assessment day. Candidates have been asked some questions to demonstrate the interest in the position. And also about the Deloitte, Market of the Deloitte, own experiences and views on specific role. Also they will be asked some questions base on the presentation that they have done previous session.

Group Exercise

Group discussion is the last activity candidate will do on assessment day. The group is given a case study and will be asked make a decisions, conclusions, solve problems etc within 30 minutes with demonstrating skills on group work.

These are the general exercises carrying out in Deloitte assessment centre. But depending on some roles and positions ETRAY exercises and Role play exercises would be included for aptitude practical tests.

ETRAY Tests

ETRAY Test is like a ‘virtual office exercise ‘. Candidates will sit on a computer base email system and they will receive email and voice mails about some work related situations. Candidates are expected to successfully acknowledge the situation and have to answer the multiple Questions which will be mark automatically in that computer system. Sometimes candidates will be asked to write a report electronically in a same manner to check analysis skills.   

After completing ETRAY exercise candidate will be asked to participate in a role play session with a senior partner in Deloitte. This discussion is developing ideas about the report which has written by candidates and he/she will be asking several questions on that. This is very similar to the segment of interview session which has mentioned before.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Assessment Centres

Advantages of Assessment Centres

• Candidate can find out their strengths and weaknesses. They can increase strengths and can try to avoid weaknesses.
• It is more accurate than just an interview as it considers wide range of selection methods in recruitment process.
• It is an opportunity to access differentiates between candidates who are very similar to each other.
• The cost of assessment centres are cheaper than several recruitment campaigns and reduce recruitment errors.
• It gives better understanding about the role that candidates have applied.
• It is a fair process which enhanced the diversity image in the organisation.
•  Assessment centres enhance organisation’s employee brand thus it is a good impression for similar company even if the employee has rejected.

Disadvantages of Assessment Centres

• Administrate cost is very high and difficult to manage with a large member of staff.
• It is a very time consuming process
• Highly practiced, experienced senior staff requires evaluating candidates.
• It can be processed only a limited candidates at a time.
• If  the organisation unable to define key competencies and the way they measure competencies  before running the event it will not meet the success in the selection process.

How it ralates job description with Assessment Centre activities

This is an example of what are the exercises that how could be carried out in an assessment centre which relates the skills detailed in the job description of Manager of Performance Management in Deloitte. You can find out the job description from the link below

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http://jobs.deloitte.com/detroit/management-consulting/jobid3001924-talent-management_performance-management-%E2%80%94-manager-jobs

As this role is a managerial position it is very important to develop managerial and leadership skills of candidates. According to skills preferred in job description the presentation skills, team working skills, decision making skills, communication skills can be develop by guiding them activities presentation case study and group activities in Deloitte assessment centre.

The interview sessions could be very effective for identify and develop the personality in candidates and also communication skills as well thus they are highly expected communication and performance skills within individual roles, clients, groups and team.

It is very important and practical carried out an ETRAY test for this particular role. In ETRAY tests and role play sessions the candidates can have an idea of practical problems they have to face and employer can recognize how they will apply their knowledge in to practically and experiences. In additionally Assessment day activities give clues on candidates’ time management, personal behavior and discipline, inter personnel skills through entire session.

Conclusion

 Some reputed business organisations have or hire assessment centres as a method of their recruitment and selection process. Assessment centres have both advantages and disadvantages. A wide range of activities, tests are carrying out in an assessment centre to assess the candidates in several ways. Therefore Deloitte which is a reputed company all over the world is one of the significant examples for a company which is use assessment centres to acquire support for their selection procedure. Furthermore it illustrates how it is possible to identify the activities should be include in an assessment centre  after reviewing  a job description or person specification in a organisation.

References

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Available at: http://kalyan-city.blogspot.com/2011/07/assessment-centre-meaning-advantages.html
[Accessed 25 March 2013].

Darek Torrington, L. H. I. H. a. J. M., 1991. Employee Resourcing. 1st ed. Exeter: Short Run Press.

Green Turn, 2013. Deloitte Assessment Centre Tests Guidance To Pass In First Attempt. [Online]
Available at: http://www.greenturn.co.uk/Deloitte-Assessment-Centre-2013-Graduate-Guidances-2014-2015.html
[Accessed 19 March 2013].

WikiJob, 2010. Deloitte 2011 Consulting. [Online]
Available at: http://www.wikijob.co.uk/forum/consultancy-consulting-firms/deloitte-2011-consulting-assessment-centre-guide
[Accessed 25 March 2013].