Assessment Centre Exercises

Use our off-the-shelf or bespoke assessment and development exercises to evaluate strengths and development needs in action and reach the right decisions about recruitment, promotion and succession.

Our assessments build rich, penetrating and precise insights through activities that are engaging, distinctive, and thought-provoking for participants.

Off-the-Shelf Assessment Centre Exercises

Odyssey Assessments

Our off-the-shelf assessment and development centre exercises have been designed using the Odyssey assessment-design principles.

Odyssey exercises are based on realistic business scenarios, which work to evoke a range of human emotions and motivations. These may include: challenge, passion, humour, success, surprise and learning.

Odyssey-angle-measure-writing-e1507545174160

Engage, Challenge & Entertain

participants and observers

Performance and Potential

demonstrated in response to real-life business challenges

Simple and Elegant

materials avoid needless complexity

How does it work?

Step 1: Choose your case study

NWP

(Junior - Senior level roles)

Context:
A community-based PR project aimed at the regeneration of a run-down area.

• Great for roles requiring strong communicating & influencing skills

CYPHERTECH

(Junior - mid level roles)

Context:
Taking a new product to market

• Great for non-management functions inc. sales, marketing & customer service

CVM

(Junior - Senior level roles)

Context:
The acquisition and re-launch of a retail chain

• Great for roles requiring a strong strategic & innovative approach.

MIRAMAR

(Junior - Senior level roles)

Context:
Developing a leadership initiative to reinvigorate an established institution.

• Great for roles requiring a strong strategic & innovative approach

Step 2: Choose your exercises

Analysis Exercises:

Presentation

Written

Group Exercises:

Coaching

Influencing

Leadership

Colleague

Role Play Exercises:

Presentation

Assigned roles

Non-assigned roles

Focus groups

Other Exercises:

Project planning

Team vision presentation

Competencies measured

Your choice of Odyssey exercises should be guided by the success criteria that your assessment process is built around. Different exercises assess different competencies, so using a combination of exercises will enable you to tap into those skills essential for your role and organisation.

We can advise which Odyssey activities will work best for your competency framework, leadership behaviours, potential model, or values, or you can choose for yourself.

Odyssey is designed to assess 12 core competencies critical to success in the workplace:

ANALYSIS

Ability to identify and extract key information from reference materials; evaluating information to make links between issues and form logical arguments.

COMMERICAL AWARENESS

Demonstrates an understanding of the commercial aspects of the organisation and a clear understanding of the environment in which the organisation operates.

COMMUNICATING & INFLUENCE

Ability to convey complex ideas succinctly and give reasoned arguments to persuade others around to their point of view.

CREATIVITY & INNOVATION

Looks beyond existing procedures and processes to offer novel solutions and imaginative thinking. Identifies the need for innovation as a key priority for the organisation.

CUSTOMER AWARENESS

Adopts a positive attitude towards building strong customer relations; considers the customers’ perspective when reaching decisions and forming strategy.

DEVELOPING OTHERS

Effectively uses probes and open ended questions to fully understand the individual and their needs; offers tangible support and helps produce development plan

DRIVE

Demonstrates a preparedness to throw themselves into the demands of the task. Takes personal responsibility for moving things forward and getting things done.

LEADING CHANGE

Identifies the need for organisational change. Makes connections between suggestions and the strategic priorities of the organisation.

LEADING OTHERS

Ability to work collaboratively with others and support direct reports. Ability to empower others and coach them to perform at their best.

PLANNING & TIME MANAGEMENT

Ability to plan and organise work and activities; prioritising work appropriately so to meet wider organisational objectives.

WORKING TOGETHER

Demonstrates a willingness to work openly and co-operatively with others, be part of a team and work together to achieve common goals.

STRATEGIC FOCUS

Considers the practical implications of introducing new ideas, making clear, reasoned arguments based on the business case. Keeps strategic priorities at forefront of plan.

FAQs

How do I minimise impression management? (e.g. participants trying to create an impression rather than being themselves)

Odyssey utilises focused timescales that require full participation from respondents and also provides a range of different scenarios (and levels of challenge) that can be matched to your requirements.

How do I stop my assessors from getting bored?

No observed aspects of our assessment centre exercises last more than 30 minutes.
Engaging exercise content and clear guidance notes means assessors stay more engaged with the process throughout.

How can I use the assessment centre exercises to support development and learning?

A structured approach to collecting key information throughout the assessment centre.
By utilising debrief interviews and the additional development planning materials available.
Full use is made of the information gathered throughout the assessment centre, with a focus on supporting the participant’s development.

I need to manage my assessment budget easily.

Exercises can be bought individually.
Discounts available for volume orders.
No licence fees.

Our employer brand is really important. How do we ensure a positive candidate experience?

Odyssey assessment centre exercises come with high face validity and clear instructions to make it as easy for assessors as possible.
Optional debrief interviews and an emphasis within the scenarios on creating a positive outcome, such as a PR project, product launch, leadership initiative, etc.

I need exercises that match our company competency framework.

Competency definitions benchmarked against some of the most widely used private and public sector frameworks.
Assessment criteria that work with your company’s success factors. Competency headings can also be adapted if required.

I want exercises that are specific to our organisation

The Odyssey approach can be applied to create bespoke exercises that meet your unique needs. Meaning better informed decisions, increased face validity and engagement with no repeat costs.

How can I use the exercises to select the ‘right candidate'?

Our assessment centre exercises are designed to draw out real behaviours using a variety of formats, e.g. individual, group, presentation, written, etc.
This gives you the opportunity to observe key behaviours central to predicting performance in your job role - a richer source of data than just using an interview.

Bespoke Assessment Centre Development

Bespoke assessment centre exercises built for you:

Having assessment centre exercises developed specifically for your recruitment or development greatly enhances the performance, impact, and validity of your assessments.

We have developed a specialism in the design of bespoke assessment exercises by developing activities for a diverse range of roles across different sectors.

Our bespoke assessments have enabled our clients to:

Find the Right People

exercises based on their unique competencies, success factors or development model

Communicate the Right Messages

materials that reflect the employer brand and reality of the role

Create Positive Perceptions

with participants, observers, and assessment stakeholders

Time to take your assessment centres digital?

Do you still use traditional paper-based assessment centre exercises?

If so, then it might be time to consider bringing your assessment centres into the 21st century...

eVal is our award winning digital assessment centre platform. Administered through an engaging ipad interface, eVal Digital Assessment Centres benefits both candidates and assessors by eliminating paper from the assessment process, saving you valuable time and resource, meaning you can focus on the tasks that really matter.