An assessment centre is a selection process that runs candidates through several exercises - group tasks, role plays, presentations, sometimes psychometric tests - observed and scored by multiple assessors against the same competency framework, typically derived from the job specification.
What it means
Using several different exercise types and multiple observers reduces the risk that one interviewer's impression or one type of task unduly decides the outcome, generally giving a more reliable read on a candidate than a single interview alone.
Where it fits in
Assessment centres are usually reserved for senior or high-volume hiring, where the cost of running a fuller process is justified by the cost of getting the decision wrong or the number of candidates being compared.
Key rules
- A multi-exercise event evaluating candidates against shared competencies.
- Uses multiple assessors and exercise types to improve reliability.
- Competencies assessed are typically drawn from the job specification.
- Reserved for senior or high-volume hiring given its cost and complexity.
