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While the specific objectives for which the assessment centre is set up may vary in making a promotion decision, diagnosing training needs, developing managerial skills, placement, etc., there are some essential steps that are common in all assessment centres. The essential features of an assessment centre are:

Job analysis. The aim of conducting job analysis is to reveal the details of the target job ¬its illustrative tasks, problems, and situations that a jobholder is likely to face in a given situation. Through job analysis, the dimensions like the skills, qualities, attributes, knowledge, motivation, tasks required for effective performance of a target job are systematically identified. These dimensions provide the framework for developing the instruments to evaluate or assess the participants and for giving the feedback. .

Multiple assessment techniques. The assessment centre aims at providing multiple opportunities to observe the complex behaviour of the participants and assess it against the dimensions identified in the job analysis. A variety of assessment techniques can be used, ensuring that these are the appropriate ways of observing one or more of the dimensions. These can include - interviews, psychological tests, questionnaires, situational exercises, etc.


Situational exercises. These exercises are simulations that portray the most important aspects of target jobs. Typically, a situational exercise tries to present the participant with a complex set of stimuli that he is likely to deal with on the job. For example, an in-basket exercise that captures the typical sample of tasks one is likely to encounter in a job.

Behavioural responses. Situational exercises provide a lot of opportunity to oversee the behaviour of participants, which are indicators of complex competences.

Behavioural observations. The assessors are trained to focus on the behaviour of the participants. These observations give a specific statement of observable actions and even actual words.

Multiple assessors. The basis for using multiple assessors is that this helps in ironing out individual biases. Different backgrounds and experiences of a group help to provide a rich perspective to the centre. It is recommended that a line manager, an HR manager, an outside consultant and others, familiar with the target job, may be included in the assessor panel. There should be at least three assessors to make observations on each participant's performance.

Trained assessors. It is important that the assessors have thorough training in assessment skills and also have a common frame of reference regarding the objectives, design and implementation programme of the centre. Specifically, training should be imparted on observing and recording behaviours, classifying behaviour into directions, making judgements about the performance levels, communicating individual judgements and understanding to others, integrating behavioural observations from different sources, etc. If required, make evaluation an overall success and give suggestions for future development.

Integration of observations. Regarding integration of observations, there are two schools of thought on its methodology. Traditionally, the judgemental method has been used in which the assessors use their pre-knowledge, wisdom and discretion in noting, classifying and integrating observations to derive an overall rating. The alternative method is found to be especially appropriate for some assessment situations, for instance, while screening a large number of candidates, for low level jobs. This is the statistical method. Here predetermined weights are assigned to dimensions and scores on exercises. These are then combined using a formula.