Assessment Center Orientation. Prepared By Dr. Mark Foster Carl Vinson Institute of Government The University of Georgia

Transcription

1 Assessment Center Orientation Prepared By Dr. Mark Foster Carl Vinson Institute of Government The University of Georgia

2 Learning Objectives After reading this material, candidates for promotion should be able to: 1. describe the assessment center process; 2. state what characteristics a testing process must contain to be termed an assessment center; 3. identify commonly used testing procedures that are not assessment centers; 4. identify and describe several different types of assessment center exercises in which they may be participating; 5. understand the process by which they will be scored; and 6. state basic protocols they should follow while participating in the assessment center. Assessment Center Methodology An assessment center can be thought of as both a location (where it physically takes place) and a process (the sequence of exercises in which you will participate). Your assessment center will have the following characteristics: 1. You will participate in three different exercises. The following descriptions are of typical exercises. The exercises in which you participate may vary somewhat. A. Role Play. You will be given a packet of material to study (10-20 pages). You will have a limited amount of time to study this material (usually thirty or forty-five minutes). Then, you will meet with a person with whom you will interact in order to resolve the problems and issues which you identified while studying the packet of materials. Note that this person could be a subordinate, a peer, or your supervisor. It is dependent on the specifics in the materials you will be given. You could be asked to answer a series of questions from your superior regarding your analysis of the situation which is detailed in the materials. You could be asked to resolve a conflict between two subordinate Officers. Or, you could be asked to counsel with a subordinate Officer regarding performance issues. Regardless of the specifics contained in the exercise, you will be interacting with specific people to identify and resolve issues.

3 The assessors will be observers and you will sit across the desk and talk to the role player just as you would in a normal situation. In some cases one of the assessors will take the part of your supervisor and ask you a series of questions. You will be informed of the specifics during the preparation time for the exercise. In either case, you will be asked to resolve the issues as you would as a supervisor in your department. B. Oral Presentation. This exercise may be in one of several different forms. One version is that your supervisor was supposed to speak before a community group at lunch today. However, he has just been taken to the hospital because he has pain in his left arm and chest. You are assigned to replace him/her. You have access to a packet of correspondence between your supervisor and the community group. You are given time to prepare, and then must go do a stand up presentation to the group, which in actuality is the assessors. In another version, you are given a packet of information about the unit whose command you have just assumed. After you have studied the material, you meet with your supervisor to inform him of the problems you see and what you plan to do about them. Still another variation, you may be asked to analyze a specific policy of the department and explain it to the assessors. C. Written Memo Exercise. In this exercise you will have a certain amount of time to write on an assigned topic. Sometimes, you are simply given a topic and other instructions. In one variation, you might be given a packet of materials which require you to make decisions, write memos, and make other dispositions. This variation is called the in-basket. As a supervisor, you come to your office and find material in your in-basket. It may include newspaper articles, memos to the former commander and to you, various types of requests and inquiries, and other similar materials. It could also take the form of a case file review. In this situation you may be asked to review a case file and provide written feedback to an Officer. 2. We will use several assessors on each panel. They will receive special training and practice rating mock candidates prior to the start of the actual assessment center. One purpose of this extensive training, is to ensure that the assessors do not practice on the first few candidates they see. When the assessors see the first candidate they have already practiced and worked out the very detailed protocols required to assess candidates.

4 In order to force the assessors to concentrate on the same factors, we will provide them with a checklist of specific things which candidates should demonstrate in the exercise (e.g., Did the candidate see that Officer Claymore has a drinking problem? Did the candidate perceive that Officer O Donovan was abusing her sick leave? Did the candidate provide a plan to address Officer Claymore s drinking problem?). It is anticipated that the assessors will all be law enforcement officers who hold a high level supervisory rank in their agency. 3. While an exercise is going on, assessors are observing your behavior and making notes. After you leave the room, each assessor makes her/his own independent evaluation of your behavior. To do this, they compare their notes with the items on the checklist. Immediately thereafter, each assessor will share his/her numerical ratings with the other assessors on that team. A discussion of these ratings follows. In it, assessors share information (for example, You gave a negative rating because you thought he missed Officer Claymore s drinking problem, but I ve got it here in my notes, he said...). By protocol, assessors must be within one point of each other on each rating on the basis of information which is shared during the discussion. Thus, ratings are pooled at the level of each assessor team or panel. Later, the results from all three assessment teams/panels (one for each of the three exercises in which you participate) will also be pooled to form your overall score for the assessment center. 4. All three exercises are simulations of job situations in which a supervisor might find her/himself. While the exact situations may not have happened, they are ones which could happen. Keep in mind that we are testing you for advancement to the next level in the organization. The knowledge and skills required in your current position may not be the same ones required to function effectively at the next level. 5. We have conducted a job analysis to determine what knowledge and skills are important in doing this job. Most likely you participated in some phase of this study. The exercises are designed to give you a chance to show that you have the necessary level of knowledge and skills to be successful at the next level. These skills are identified and defined later in these materials.

5 Why Use Assessment Centers? More and more organizations are utilizing the assessment center methodology. The advantages are numerous and include the following reasons for their popularity. 1. Assessment centers can more accurately predict successful performance as supervisors and managers than alternate methods. The research supporting this point is numerous and longstanding. 2. Participation in assessment centers, either as assessors or assessees is a very valuable career development experience. To maximize the development experience, you should seek honest and straightforward feedback regarding your scores. 3. Managers accept the results of an assessment center due to its rational, organized approach and the way the assessment exercises simulate supervisory and management challenges within the organization. 4. Participants accept the results of assessment centers because of their "face validity" and the fair manner in which each one is given the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities. 5. Assessment centers have been shown to be equally fair and accurate in the prediction of supervisory and management potential for EEOC "protected" group members. 6. Employers have successfully defended the use of assessment centers in a number of district court challenges. In fact, assessment centers have been mandated as part of a number of consent decrees in order to overcome the effects of past discriminatory practices. 7. Assessment centers can be used to aid in analyzing the abilities of supervisory/management personnel for the specific purpose of pinpointing areas of strengths and weaknesses. Once these areas have been identified, this information can be used in making individualized and organizational wide recommendations for specialized training. 8. Assessment centers concentrate on the evaluation of observed behavior and managers who serve as assessors often report an increased ability to assess the performance of their own subordinates and peers.

6 Brief History of Assessment Centers Although there were some references by German psychologists to the assessment center concepts in the early 1900s, assessment centers were not well established in Germany until the mid-1930s. At that time, psychologists were processing some 40,000 officer candidates and military specialists annually. This use of assessment centers was a direct reaction to Germany's loss of World War I, which was to some extent due to that country's generally inefficient officer corps. In 1942, the War Office Selection Board (WOSB) in England used an assessment process to select government agents for the war effort. Later that year the Office of Strategic Service (OSS) in this country adopted an assessment concept very similar to the one used by the WOSB. The purpose being to select overseas operatives for sometimes clandestine missions. The Assessment of Men provides a detailed account of the early use of assessment center concepts in this country. The American private sector began experimenting with assessment centers during the early 1950s. The first operational assessment center in the private sector was implemented by Michigan Bell in American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) was the pioneering force for years to come with a long-term research effort called the Management Progress Study. During the 1960s, the use of assessment centers spread to other industries and by 1968 the U.S. Internal Revenue Service was using assessment centers to select agents. Presently, over 2,000 businesses and government entities use the assessment center method. This list includes the IRS, AT&T, IBM, General Electric, Federal Express, and hundreds of local and state government organizations. For those interested in further information in this area, consult an edited book by Moses and Byham entitled Applying the Assessment Center Method, which contains chapters on many aspects of assessment centers. Assessor Training Assessors must receive sufficient training to enable them to fairly evaluate the behaviors measured in an assessment center. What constitutes "sufficient training" will vary according to a number of variables. These include, but may not be limited to the following factors. 1. How much experience an individual has as an assessor; 2. How recent his/her assessor experience has been;

7 3. The amount of relevant training he/she has received; 4. The qualifications and expertise of the assessment center trainer; 5. The assessment center experience of other members of the assessment staff; 6. How well the forms (e.g., the checklist) used by the assessor are designed; 7. The length and complexity of the exercises; 8. The particular model used by the assessment center, such as assessment council or mathematical pooling of assessment center results; and 9. The methods used to train the assessors. The essential goal of assessor training is to insure that assessors will be able to accurately evaluate the behaviors of candidates. In general, our experience has been that it takes about eight hours of training to do this based on our approach to assessment centers.

8 Relationship Between Behaviors/Skills Being Tested (also referred to as dimensions) and Various Exercises Figure 1 illustrates a typical relationship between exercises and dimensions. This may vary slightly for your particular assessment center. As can be seen, each exercise measures a different combination of dimensions. Figure 1 Typical Dimension-Exercise Matrix Written Memo Exercise Oral Presentation Exercise Role Play Exercise Dimensions Perception X X X Decisiveness O X X Judgment X X X Oral Communication O X X Written Communication X O O Leadership O X X Organizing and Planning X X X Rating Scale A short form of the rating scale is shown below. It runs from 6 (high) to 1 (low). Points 6, 5, and 4 are all levels of satisfactory behavior. Points 3, 2, and 1 are levels of unsatisfactory performance. All assessor ratings are given in whole points only. The assessors will receive and be trained using a manual of approximately 65 pages in length which explains the use of the rating scale and other aspects of being an assessor. Assessors are given numerous opportunities to practice the skills needed to be an assessor. At various stages of the training the assessors are required to demonstrate that they have the necessary skills to be an assessor.

9 6 = Outstanding 5 = Above Acceptable 4 = Acceptable 3 = Marginally Unacceptable 2 = Clearly Below an Acceptable Level 1 = Completely Unacceptable The Dimensions (Also called Skills or Behaviors) To Be Measured Perception: The ability to see the key elements and their importance and relationship. Decisiveness: The willingness/readiness to make decisions, take action, or commit one's self to a course of action and the willingness to accept responsibility for decisions. Judgment: The ability to integrate a wide variety of information, develop alternative courses of action and make sound, logical decisions based on assumptions that reflect factual information. Skill in this area is essential to office activities, field operations, and supervisor/subordinate relationships. Oral Communication: The skill to expressing one's self orally through the use of clear, well composed, and unambiguous statements. The quality of the speaking voice, use of facial and bodily gestures, and use of eye contact are included as part of the speaking component. The listening component of this dimension involves skill in picking out the most relevant aspects of what's being said by others, asking questions, giving feedback, and making demonstrable use of information gained by listening to others. Written Communication: The skill to produce well organized, logical, effective, and clearly written statements and/or orders. Misuse of grammar, spelling, or punctuation are detrimental to the ratings only when these errors essentially change the intended meaning of the written statements. Leadership: The ability to get ideas accepted and the direction, guidance and control of activities of others toward the accomplishment of tasks. This requires relating the needs of the agency and the individual and monitoring the performance of the

10 individual in order to provide assistance, to extend recognition, to discipline and/or to provide counseling. Additionally, this involves appropriate representation of views of employees and more senior managers to each other. Accomplishing this without generating resentment on anyone's part is an important aspect of this skill. The candidate must be able to get ideas accepted and influence others without alienating them. These results are achieved through delegation, control, and follow-up procedures. Organizing and Planning: The ability to establish a course of action for self and/or others in order to accomplish a mission or work assignment. This involves planning the proper assignments of personnel and the appropriate allocation of resources and the organization of such personnel and resources. How the Scores Are Formed Your behavior will be evaluated by multiple assessors in each exercise. There are three exercises: a role play, an oral presentation, and a written memo. For each exercise the assessors will independently evaluate your behavior and skills, assigning a number from one to six for each dimension measured in that exercise. Then, the raters (assessors) will share information they have with other members on their team of assessors (the other two members). Some adjustments may be made upward or downward in scores based on the sharing of this information. After the assessment center, the Assessment Center Director or his designee will compute your average for each dimension across each of the three exercises. Based on these averages, your total score will be computed. See your department s policy statement for further details regarding this procedure. Basic Candidate Protocols The following standards will be followed by all candidates. 1. Bring a snack and something to read to help pass the time while you are waiting. We will move quickly but you will have downtime. 2. If you wear plain clothes, suits, coats and ties, etc are not required. You are not being assessed on your appearance. However, uniforms or professional attire is recommended. 3. You are encouraged to review the agency s policies and procedures prior to attending the assessment center.

11 4. We will provide you with basic office supplies while participating in the assessment center. 5. You may bring a dictionary. However, it cannot be of an electronic variety. 6. You may NOT bring laptop computers. 7. Do not attempt to talk to the assessors at any time during the assessment center--even in a social setting--except when appropriate during an exercise. 8. Do not ask the assessors, the assessment center administrator, or personnel assisting with the assessment center about your scores while the assessment center is being run. You will be provided with that feedback at an appropriate time after the assessment center is run. 9. Do not enter the exercise, preparation, or other rooms being used for the assessment center unless escorted by someone in an official capacity, such as the assessment center director, exercise administrators, or assessors. 10. You are not to discuss the details of the testing process or other logically related information under any circumstances with other candidates. Failure to comply with this directive may result in departmental discipline. 11. While participating in assessment center exercises you are NOT permitted to use your cell phone. Hints for Candidates 1. Read all instructions carefully. Ask yourself, What do these instructions want me to do? Follow the instructions. If you don t, it may cost you points. You will be given the chance to ask questions after you have read the instructions for each exercise. Make sure you understand what is expected. 2. Assume that all signatures and documents are actually what they appear to be. 3. Look for relationships between facts in different documents.

12 4. Some candidates find it helpful to start their preparation period by first scanning their packet of materials to get a preliminary sense of what is there. 5. It may be helpful sometimes to make a chronology of events. This could be done on a calendar or blank page. 6. Don t lose track of time during the preparation or exercise periods. 7. Some candidates do an excellent job of analyzing a situation. But, then they fail to have a plan to improve it. This can apply to all three exercises. 8. As previously stated, some candidates do an excellent job of analyzing a situation. Then when they get in front of the assessors they do not tell them what they have learned and how the facts fit together. In many cases the assessors cannot give you points unless they know the reasons behind your behavior. Be ready to be specific when you go before the assessors. 9. You will only have a limited amount of time. Don t waste it. The assessors want to see your abilities. 10. To some degree your assessment center is policy driven. This means that certain materials which you see require a knowledge of policy. 11. Don t invent people, programs, or resources. Do your work on the exercises based on the instructions. 12. In the role play and the oral presentation exercises you can take your notes and the materials in the preparation package into the exercise room with you. Also, you may refer to all of those materials at any time during the exercise. 13. You will be provided with highlighters, staplers, paper clips, post-it notes, and blank paper in the three exercises. 14. The only way assessors can learn what you know in the oral presentation and role play exercises is by what you say. Something you know, but don t say, could cause you to lose points. The assessors can t guess what is in your mind. It is your responsibility, not theirs, to appropriately represent your skills.

13 15. Some candidates have decided before the assessment center what approach they will take in the assessment center. Others avoid such a premature commitment and base their approach on what they believe the situation requires. Also, exercises can be written so that as new information emerges (e.g., from interacting with a role player) a candidate must shift their approach to be more effective. 16. Get a good nights rest prior to the assessment center. Plan on being at the test site a few minutes before your report time.