4.2 Other options for assessment centre activities
Case study 1 is a real example from a recruitment activity in The Open University Careers team. But this is only one type of group activity. You will now look at some of the other kinds of assessment activities an employer might use to assess your teamwork skills.
- Case study scenario – candidates are likely to be given a briefing document or role to play, usually based on a real-life business scenario. The briefing notes or allocated roles might present conflicting views. The task of the group is to reach a conclusion or consensus despite the conflicting views of the members of the team. The observers will be assessing candidates’ ability to communicate with the rest of their group and how effectively they make the case for their preferred solution.
- Discussion group – candidates are likely to be sitting in a circle and are given a topic to discuss. The topic is usually relevant to the job for which they are applying or something that has recently been in the news. At the end of the task, each member may have to provide feedback about their thoughts and how they might have changed through the discussion. This is also an activity to test communication skills and how candidates get on in a group, particularly if there is some disagreement.
- Icebreaker – this can be a more practical activity and is a good way of seeing how a group gels together. For example, the group might have to complete a specific task within a tight deadline such as building a tower from straws, paper and tape. As well as testing teamwork skills, this type of activity looks at problem solving, logic and creativity. A successful team will usually take some time to evaluate the problem before starting to build! Alternatively, you could be presented with a scenario such as a sinking ship where the lifeboat only has room for five of the ten passengers. The task here is to decide who will enter the lifeboat using the information you have about the characters on board.
Activity 4 Evaluating your potential performance
It is worth taking a moment to reflect on how you feel you would perform in these kinds of group activities. What kind of feelings do you anticipate you would experience? Would you enjoy the challenge and feel confident in your ability to perform well, or would you be concerned about how you might come across? Remember that it is normal to find these kinds of situations uncomfortable and everyone is likely to be feeling the same way.
Where do you think your strengths and weaknesses might lie in a group assessment exercise?
Note your thoughts in the space below.
Comment
Remember that it is important to be yourself in any group assessment activity. If you think back to Week 5 when you considered the kind of role that you naturally play in a team, you might feel reassured to know that recruiters will not be looking for just one type of behaviour or personality as a team needs many different strengths to succeed.
When evaluating your strengths and weaknesses – what did you come up with? Perhaps you feel ok about interacting with others but concerned that you might not pick up the required information quickly enough. Or perhaps assimilating the details doesn’t worry you, but having the confidence to share your views feels more daunting. Identifying the aspects that feel most challenging to you will allow you to prepare more effectively. For example, you could aim to contribute more in group discussions, either at work, socially or during your education, building your confidence as you do so.
Some individuals will always find the assessment centre group format very difficult, in fact some employers are now altering these activities or removing them from their recruitment process as they can disadvantage neurodivergent people or those who are highly introverted. If you feel able to disclose, it would be useful to raise any serious issues with the employer before the event as there might be things they can put in place to enhance your experience, such as letting you see the briefing materials in advance. This is covered in more detail in the OpenLearn course Diversity and inclusion in the workplace [Tip: hold Ctrl and click a link to open it in a new tab. (Hide tip)] .
There are many things you can do to enhance your performance in a group assessment activity. For some top tips, watch this short video from Graduates First:
Transcript
If you find it really difficult to contribute in group discussions, there are a number of tactics you can use to help you:
- Remember that you aren’t competing against the other candidates in this activity, you’re being evaluated against a list of skills and competencies that the employer is looking for.
- Offer to be the time-keeper or to make notes on the discussion – this could buy you some thinking time.
- Demonstrate that you are listening carefully and ask questions about the ideas being proposed.
- Sit up straight and make eye contact with people around the table, nodding and smiling when appropriate will demonstrate your engagement with the conversation.
- Don’t forget that everyone else is feeling nervous too!
As employers become increasingly informed about topics such as neurodivergence and anxiety, which can make these types of exercise very challenging for some individuals, many will offer reasonable adjustments such as more time, written instructions provided in advance, quiet spaces and breaks. If you feel able to disclose, it can be worth talking to an employer in advance of your interview or assessment centre to see what adjustments they may be prepared to make.
Virtual assessment centres
In the video you have just watched, some of the advice refers to virtual assessment centres. This was a relatively new approach prior to 2020, which became increasingly popular as the pandemic rules restricted our ability to leave our homes. Many employers have seen the value, for example in terms of accessibility and cost saving, and continue to use virtual platforms for at least part of their recruitment process.
Lewis (2023) describes how they work:
You usually log into a video or specifically designed assessment platform. For certain activities, you may go off into breakout rooms. On a traditional assessment day, there could be 15–20 candidates. At a virtual assessment centre, there are likely to be fewer.
It could be seen as more difficult to assess teamwork skills in a virtual environment and many employers have taken the group exercises out of this process and instead ask more focused questions at interview stage. However, the same advice applies whether virtual or in person – be collaborative, share your thoughts as clearly and concisely as you can, and listen to other candidates without talking over them.
In addition, you should make sure you feel comfortable using the technology and look into the camera when you are speaking as a proxy for eye contact. You could practise using a more familiar video tool such as WhatsApp or FaceTime and ask your friends or family to interview you.