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A Assessment center, an operational selective procedure or also a choice of personnel procedure is a procedure, in which several observers and observer inside (representatives of the specialized division, personnel department, psychologist, external advisors and others) and/or several (enterprise-internal or - external) candidates and candidates on the basis behavior developments observe, describe, judge and estimate, in order to evaluate on the basis of a which is the basis requirement profile their suitability for a concrete task and/or place. This cost and time-consuming selective procedures usually only with filling of vacancies with college graduates and/or with guidance responsibility one uses. It lasts from one to three days and can be also multi-level used. In the newer literature is frequently also the designation reality simulation method, which more precisely than the term Assessment center describes the actual operational sequence of the procedure.

Term

The term "„Assessment centers "“is used for the designation of very different selective procedures. Literally translated it means "“estimate, evaluation and evaluation center"” (English: ton assess - judge).

Characteristics

For a AC (abbreviation for Assessment centers) is characteristic that the persons who can be judged can be observed and evaluated not only in a situation (e.g. the "“classical applicant interview"”), but in several situations (Verhaltenssimulationen, work samples) during a longer period. In particular the interhuman able to communicatenesses and guidance qualities can be determined by the trained observers, which cannot be derived with same security from references.

Always an application does not precede an invitation to the participation in a Assessment center on working premises. Also enterprise-internal ACs, e.g. in the context of a potential analysis or a job match analysis, is possible which serve the selection of a pool of suitable candidates for executive functions.

For (predicting) the quality (validity) of a Assessment center the correspondence of the authority evaluated in the different tests (abilities, talents, attitudes etc.) is success crucial with the requirements in the reality and/or practice, regarding those the Assessment result a forecast (prognostic validity) to meet is in this sense.

That in the Assessment center between already existing abilities, talents did not develop etc. (authority) and yet, however in principle developable abilities etc. (S. of potentials) are important are differentiated.

Substantial contents of Assessment centers are:

  • structured interviews (frequent at the beginning),
  • Group discussions, (everyone against everyone) usually afterwards a result found in the group is to be presented,
  • Post office basket case studies,
  • Games of roles (critical superior coworker discussions, colleague discussions, sales talks),
  • Tasks of presentation, particulars or in small's groups,
  • Questionnaires (psychometrische test procedures: Personality and performance inspection), intelligence tests, in writing and/or at the PC; only under supervision of a diploma psychologist permissible,
  • Conclusion discussion with evaluation and if necessary job offer,
  • with longer AC also meal invitation (fork test)

Nearly all components of the AC are to be fulfilled under allowed time, in particular the performance inspections are in such a way conceived that hardly all tasks can be fulfilled. Among other things by the multiplicity of the different AC components, which ideal-proves to the requirement profile appropriate success-crucial situations (critical incidents) corresponds, usefulness (quality) for the personnel appraisal is caused. Because despite again and again hearing criticism at the Assessment center and despite the with priority economically motivated argumentations to be able to make with apparent absolutely new, never dagewesenen methods still better personnel estimates no more suitable procedure of the personnel appraisal is following respectable scientific research results. Coefficients of correlation of r = 0,41 (S. appropriate metaanalytische evaluations) refer to an accordingly good prognostic validity. "“Property"” is to be understood here relative to other diagnostic procedures, since a linear correlation of 0.41 permits by far no reliable forecast. One receives a better estimate for the reliability, if one squares the value, which corresponds to the so-called avowed variance, thus the portion of the differences between the applicants, arising later, who can be predicted by the procedure. With r=0.41 those are approx. 16%.

The working group Assessment center analyzed nine quality criteria:

  • Requirement orientation
  • Behavior orientation
  • Principle of the controlled subjectivity
  • Simulation principle
  • Transparency principle
  • Individuality principle
  • System principle
  • Learning orientation of the procedure
  • Organized process control

Further designations

Further designations, under which AC's are in practice to the personnel development, are: Personnel development/development seminar, selection seminar, promotion seminar, locating seminar, development center, potential analysis seminar, extended psychological investigation. (The reason for the choice of an alternative name is frequent in the fact that with the invitation to a AC with the participants fears are caused, those to be in this way prevented are).

Variations

Variations and/or advancements, which avail themselves essentially however also of the Assessment center method are:

  • Single Assessment (- centers): For the highest management are mostly accomplished. Reasons for single AC `s in practice are: the applications must remain "“secret"” (candidate does not have the "“old job"” yet quit); it concerns sensitive divisions, into which "“everyone"” is not to see; for certain positions it does not give sufficient applicant inside,"…
  • Management audit
  • Development AC `s/Developement center: to the purposeful structure by woman employees are usually used.

Examples: in the course of a organisationalen change and associated new tasks/activities, which are to take over existing woman employees (selection and development of the persons concerned). Or for the setting up of firm specific very well trained trainees, new generation high-level personnel etc.

  • Evaluation AC `S. as a check of accomplished qualification measures. E.G. after training it is evaluated whether the candidates transferred contents also to the practice and/or to their own Verhaltensrepartoire.
  • On-line Assessment/this method has offers advantages and becomes generally accepted therefore ever more:
    • Inexpensive and highly efficiently.
    • To serve from each place in the world (with Internet entrance).
    • Multilingualness and reports which can be interpreted easily.
    • Three-dimensionality (he/they CAN make the Does he/they WANT to make the AS he/they will make the

History

Assessment centers decrease/go back on tests, which the German realm Reich accomplished after the First World War with cadets. 1920 were created at the University of Berlin a psychological research center on behalf the realm military Ministry. Starting from 1927 no officer of the realm resistance could be appointed, which the army-psychological selective procedure had not successfully gone through before. At that time "“leaderless group discussions"” were accomplished for the first time. A goal was it to solve the selection from officers from the social origin and the status of the participants to seize as well as the personality of the applicants more comprehensively.

In 2. World war arrived the AC finally over England (likewise to selection of officers) into the USA (here predominant to the selection of agents). A trailblazing character for the spreading of the ACs had the management progress Study of the company AT&T after the war (1956-1966). This on over 400 new generation high-level personnel accomplished study occupied usefulness and the prognostic validity of the procedure on high scientific level. This led into the 1960er and 1970er years to a far spreading of the procedure both in the USA and in Europe. Multiple studies occupied the validity of the procedure, so that the spreading degree of the instrument - with all its variations - when highly is to be designated. There are however also critics of the procedure, who above all also AT&T study as problematic to see and the validity given of ACs as necessarily not to see (see Kompa 2004).

See also:

  • Intercultural authority (evaluation of intercultural authority)

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