An increasing number of employers are including an assessment day as part of their recruitment process. They are designed to test a diverse set of skills not always apparent in a traditional interview, such as social interaction, communication and teamwork. We have laid out soe basic assessment day advice to help you navigate the day with a bit more confidence and hopefully beat the other candidates to the final stage of he job hiring process.
Assessment Day Structure
Typically, an assessment day will consist of a few group tasks or scenarios to measure the desired skills and provide practical behaviour examples representative of the role. They are often tested by at least three hiring managers.
Some examples of these tasks include:
• Group exercise
• Role play
• Behavioural event task
• Presentation exercise
Assessment Day Advice 5 Top Tips:
Assessment day advice 1 Do your research
As with any kind of interview, research is essential. What content is the company likely to include, or what may the potential scenarios be? If you’re struggling, it’s worth getting in touch with us for further insights into the company and their previous recruitment techniques. Once you have a better idea of this information, you can practice possible exercises – for example what you might pitch or present on, or how to give practical examples of a particular skill.
Key pointers
- Look at the employer’s website for information about what it does, its ethos and what it looks for in candidates.
- Study the job description closely.
- Read up on any news stories involving the company and/or its business sector.
- Speak to people who already work at the company.
Assessment day advice 2 Don’t exaggerate.
Naturally you will want to stand out from the other candidates, but it’s important to do so for the right reasons. So if you have to present, concentrate on delivering a few key points to the best of your ability, rather than trying to cover too much. Similarly, make sure you approach everything as you would anyway – don’t exaggerate your personality. If you’re not being yourself, this will be picked up on and it won’t impress your potential employer.
Assessment Day Advice 3 Don’t be afraid to be part of the team
When taking part in a group task, make sure you are open to others’ views and help to create a group consensus. You will show far more of your skill in this area than if you try to stand out by dictating or taking on the task alone. With this said, you should also show enthusiasm for what you’re doing and participate actively.
Assessment Day Advice 4 Non verbal communication
With any interview non verbal communication is key to winning over the interviewer. There are a number of things you need to think about here..
- smile and ensure your happy and confident at all times
- Maintain eye contact with any interviewee’s or other team members, show your engaged and enthusiastic
- Make sure you dress smartly and do not slouch in group exercises or interview situations
Assessment Day Advice 5 Practice your presentation
If you have a presentation to give then it is imperative that you practice this to get it word perfect. Also think about any potential questions you may be asked and draw up some answers that you could give.
If you have any question at all about a planned assessment day do not hesitate to call one of our specialist consultants who will be more than happy to offer advice on 01423 813450