Serious companies take everything seriously in their work, including hiring new employees . As a rule, when recruiting for such companies, the competition amounts to at least 100 resumes per position. If you managed to go through a multi-stage selection system and get to the assessment , which is usually held at the very end, then the competition will be less - about 3-5 candidates per place. And it will be especially insulting not to pass it when the chances are so high. At the same time, the assessment is not only an assessment of what you already know, but also a certain skill that needs to be developed.

In this article we have collected information that will help you:
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a) find out what assessments are and what types of assignments they are in;
b) properly prepare for the assessment;
c) determine how to behave during the assessment and what cannot be done under any circumstances;
d) based on the results of the assessment, make correct conclusions for yourself.

What is assessment and what they are

Most of the assessment is like an obstacle course. An assessment is a set of assignments, role-playing and business games, interviews and other assessment methods that allow an employer to evaluate a candidate in the most structured, complex and objective way. First of all, company representatives will be interested in your competencies.

Each competence has its own behavioral indicators - an externally manifested type of action, by which one can understand how you possess this competence. For example, the competence of “analytical thinking” can manifest itself as a set of the following indicators: “capable of processing a significant amount of information in a short period of time”, “able to generalize and draw conclusions from the data”, “able to set priorities”, etc. For each of these indicators observers record your behavior and score points. In addition, the company will definitely pay attention to your personal profile and motivational component. To identify these factors, you may be asked to complete a questionnaire or pass an interview.

Thus, the assessment is aimed at three main things:

• checking your professional and personal competencies;
• identifying basic behaviors and ways of interacting with other people;
• identifying your motivational factors, values ​​and attitudes.

Assessment assignments can be both group and individual, and the number of appraisers ranges from one person to 2-3 candidates (for example, during a business game) to 3-5 appraisers to 1 candidate (for example, when passing the final interview with top management ). By the number of participants assessments are:

• small (3-5 people);
• average (8–12 people);
• large (20-30 people);
• massive (more than 30 people).

By the nature of the tasks and methods of the assessment there are a great many, but all of them can be divided into several types.

A. A series of different interviews

You have to go through several interviews consistently: with an hr-specialist, your immediate supervisor, representatives of top management. As a rule, such interviews include a brief self-presentation, a story about your personal and professional achievements, concrete examples of the manifestation of certain competencies (for example, the ability to lead people, resolve conflicts, overcome obstacles). Sometimes the interviewers may be interested in the informal side of your life - be prepared to talk about your hobbies and hobbies.

B. A set of small assignments and exercises for your future work.

Tasks of this type can be very different. The most common options are:

• Individual exercise

You may be asked to make a presentation or perform an individual exercise on a given topic. As a rule, such tasks are related to the processing of large amounts of textual and quantitative information (for example, to disassemble a mailbox, set the priorities correctly, draw up an action plan, write a letter or solve the problem in Excel).

• Tests and questionnaires

The company evaluates potential employees using standard psychometric tests for intelligence, motivation, self-esteem, or situational behavior. In such tests, it is important to answer as honestly and objectively as possible, since there are no correct answers in them, and it is almost impossible to juggle the results in the direction you want, if the questionnaire is well-made.

• Group discussion

A group discussion is a discussion of a problem with other candidates, the outcome of which should be a joint solution of the issue. Sometimes a task may have a solution acceptable to all members of a group, usually hidden in different information given to each participant. Sometimes you need to find a compromise. You can decide on what to spend the company's budget, which of the projects should be implemented, allocate office space or even survive on an uninhabited island.

• Role-playing game

Most likely, you will also have to participate in the assessment in a role-playing game, representing an imitation of your interaction with a client, colleague, boss or partner. Conflicts of interest were originally incorporated into tasks of this type. For example, you will have to work with the client’s objections, deal with a careless employee, convince the boss that he is wrong. Here it is important not to show knowledge of the correct theoretical schemes of action in such a situation, but to really get used to the role and demonstrate that you know how to do it in practice.

• Creative tasks

Most of the assessment assignments are fairly transparent - you understand what qualities and skills you must possess in order to successfully complete them. But sometimes companies include non-standard tasks in the assessment, which at first glance are not related to your professional activity. For example, you may be asked to build something out of paper or to draw a picture with a blindfold, following the prompts of teammates. Such tasks can be directed both to the verification of the creativity of your thinking and the ability to find a way out of non-standard situations, and to teamwork.

From the event (comment from the participant):

“The most unusual task in my practice was to build a city of the future and choose the most necessary professions for it. It was necessary to think over everything (the location of the buildings, what they would have inside, energy supply and budget), not relying on any auxiliary materials. ”

B. Decision of the case

During the assessment, you can be offered to solve a small case. It can be devoted both to the industry of the company you are interviewing and to a completely different industry. In the second case, this is done intentionally to test your problem solving skills without reference to previous experience in a well-known industry. Sometimes the case materials are sent in advance, and the ready-made solution should be prepared for the assessment itself.

Case can be both individual and team. The task of the case is mainly printed on paper and includes additional information, charts and tables, and in another case, you will only verbally describe the problem. For example, you may be asked to come up with a scheme for launching a new product on the market, develop a marketing plan, calculate the stock of goods in a warehouse, or find out the reasons for the decline in profits. With the help of case studies, such professional competencies as strategic and analytical thinking, business understanding, etc. are usually checked. Teamwork also evaluates teamwork and presentation skills.

G. Mix of these types

Many companies are not limited to only one type of tasks and offer candidates one- and two-day assessments from several tasks at once. During this assessment, you are likely to have time to make a self-presentation, to take part in the decision of the case and role-playing game, to pass a series of interviews with future leaders.

Preparation for assessment

What does preparing for an assessment mean? You will not be able to find out in advance the tasks that you will have to complete, besides, they differ radically in different companies, but you can and even need to do something. Your preparation must include three stages.

1. Collection and study of information

Begin preparation by collecting information. Once again, study the company's website, specialized forums and communities on social networks. Carefully analyze the company's projects, try to imagine yourself in these projects. What would your responsibilities be? It is important for you to accurately determine for yourself the skills and personal qualities that you possess and thanks to which you are suitable for this position. In addition, many companies describe in detail all the assessment stages on their website and give advice on how to prepare for them.

In addition to official information, try to collect a maximum of data from insiders. The best way is to find contacts of a person who has already participated in the assessment, and ask him to share his opinion and impression. Try to find out as much information as possible about the procedure itself, the atmosphere of the assessment, the behavior of observers and other participants. Do not be afraid to ask hr-employees who invite you to the assessor - in some cases they are also ready to answer your questions.

Checklist of what you need to know in advance:

• How long is the assessment?
• What tasks are scheduled for it?
• What pitfalls are found in these tasks (lack of time, lack of information, conflict of interest)?
• What are the limitations (for example, you can not use calculators, the Internet or assessment is exclusively in English)?
• What competencies will you be assessed for?
• What are the company's values ​​and principles of work, what is its mission?
• How many people will rate you? Who are the hr-employees, employees of business units, line managers or top managers?
• How are appraisers set up, in what manner does communication with them take place (interviews, role-playing games, etc.)?
• How many people participate in the assessment and how many of them go to the next round?

It will also be very useful, 2-3 weeks before the assessment, to start daily reading the industry press in order to keep abreast of the main news, as well as know the main problems, language and terms of the industry.

From the event (comment from the participant):

“Be sure to read the documents relating to the corporate culture of the company. The most important values ​​are even better to memorize and prepare in advance for them examples from your personal and professional experience. This question will be raised in one way or another on the assessment - if not in a direct formulation (“what do you know about the company's values, do you share them”), then indirectly (“how would you act in such and such a situation; tell an example when showed such a quality "). If you prepare the examples in advance, you can easily find out which principle is being asked to ask you a question, and select the most appropriate answer. ”

2. Preparation of materials

You must clearly understand what you want to demonstrate to the company and how you will do it. One of the biggest disappointments in life is to fail the assessment due to the fact that observers could not correctly assess your potential. You will not always be asked the right questions and put you in convenient situations, so you need to take care in advance to accurately convey all the necessary information to those people who make the decision.

During the assessment, you will probably have to give a self-presentation and pass an interview on competencies. Prepare the structure of the story about yourself and examples from your life experience, showing how and where you revealed the required skills and qualities. Try to keep 2-3 examples in stock - they may unexpectedly interrupt you and ask for an additional example.

When preparing for an interview, look at yourself through the eyes of the interviewer. What would you like to know about a potential employee? What conclusions about your motivation and priorities can be drawn from your story? What values ​​are reflected in it? What words do you use? For the interviewer, there is a difference between the words "I had to (I) have to (and)" and "I had the opportunity", "on the first working day I will introduce my colleagues and get acquainted with the instructions" and "on the first working day I I will meet my colleagues and my duties. ” In your examples, do you speak about yourself personally or about the team?

3. Rehearsing and practicing skills

Now that you know what awaits you, and have a good idea of ​​what you have to say and how to act, it's time to turn knowledge into skills, that is, to go to practical exercises.

When preparing for an interview, be sure to rehearse it. Your speech should not be memorized, but you should not stumble and mumble too. It is best to memorize the structure, and the examples to speak several times out loud in your own words to achieve a confident and smooth presentation. Discuss the text with friends, ask them to act as an interviewer and give you feedback.

If you know that tests for testing intellectual skills (verbal, logical and others) await you, find relevant materials on the web and pass several tests. Be prepared in advance for the fact that sometimes tests for intelligence are specifically designed so that you do not have time to complete all the tasks 100%. It is useless to prepare for psychometric tests in advance, as they measure the basic personality traits, but you can also look at the descriptions of the corresponding tests in order to get an idea of ​​their essence.

If the case solution is included in the assessment, read tips on how to complete the case-interview and refresh your knowledge of the cases. However, if in practice you encounter this type of task for the first time, be prepared for the fact that, most likely, you will not be able to express yourself fully. So take care of gaining practical experience in solving case studies in advance. Try to clarify whether you can use the Internet. It may be necessary to clarify some details or find the necessary information on the products as the case is solved. The role-playing game in terms of preparation is very similar to the individual solution of the case: you can know perfectly well in theory what the trick is, but without practical training this knowledge will not help you. Practice solving case studies and resolve basic types of conflict encountered in role-playing games with friends and classmates.

In addition, on the assessment you are most likely waiting for teamwork. You will solve the case or participate in a group discussion with other participants - complete strangers, who are also your competitors. How to prepare? Chances that you get the perfect team a little. It is necessary to learn to work with different people, and in severe cases, to deal with their own shyness. You will probably have to publicly come up with your own ideas. The best way to practice is practice. First, it is worth submitting a resume to the maximum number of companies using assessments at the selection stages.

In addition, you can take part in case-championships. An additional plus of such competitions is the opportunity to get feedback on your case-solving, public speaking and teamwork skills from the judges, which are usually the top managers of the largest companies.

And finally, try to properly tune in the assessment. Do not take the assessment as an execution, and appraisers as strict examiners, who are only looking for a chance to overwhelm you. First, it will inevitably affect your behavior. Secondly, the purpose of the assessment is to get to know you better and give you the opportunity to open up, so most companies are trying in every way to provide participants with the most friendly and comfortable environment. Another important difference from the exam: a sleepless night spent on training is likely to have a negative impact on the result. This is explained by the fact that competences are quite complex structural formations of a personality, and it will take you from half a year to two years to noticeably improve your level. The assessment is a serious test, but too much excitement has brought no benefit to anyone. Relax and try to sleep well on the eve.

Let's sum up. Three factors will contribute to your success in the assessment:

• Knowledge of the assessment procedure.
• The ability to demonstrate the required skills at the right level.
• Well-being and positive attitude.

How to behave in the assessment itself

The main rule: be yourself and open up as much as possible

One of the most frequently asked hr-specialists questions: how to behave properly on the assessment? And there is only one right answer to it: just be yourself.

Why is this the best strategy in this situation? First, as mentioned above, a comprehensive assessment on a variety of parameters awaits you, and it is very difficult to convincingly simulate them all and play the role of a person whom you really are not. Secondly, even if you manage to conduct appraisers, you will have to play the same role not for two days, but for the next few years of work, and you will not cope with this for sure. The assessment is a two-way process: not only the company chooses you, but you choose the company.

You do not need to replay, but at the same time it is important not to be shy and not pinch, hoping that the observers will be able to see your high potential with the help of telepathy. You need to open up on the assessment as much as possible, and perhaps for this you have to be a little more active, offer more initiatives, take on additional responsibility and act a little more confidently than you do in ordinary life.

Teamwork

Remember that in all group tasks it is not so much the final result that is important as your behavior during decision making. Observers will evaluate how roles are distributed in groups. Who takes responsibility and is called to become a leader, how effectively the leader manages to organize the work of the group, whether he is trying to do all the work on his own or crush other participants, which of the participants takes the initiative, who passively sit out and who only hinder everyone to work productively, excessively trying to stand out.

During the discussion, try to hear the views of each team member. At the same time do not forget that you also need to demonstrate active participation. Make comments on the speeches of other participants, be sure to state your position, but try to make it as brief and convincing as possible. Be friendly, do not try to argue and defend your point of view with all your might, even if you are absolutely sure that you are right. In no case do not interrupt your teammates (observers are watching this closely!), Even if you fundamentally disagree with them - wait until the end of the statement, thank you politely, express your disagreement and state carefully thought-out arguments against.

Identify participants who claim leadership position and do not engage in direct confrontation with them - observers always have a negative attitude towards participants initiating conflicts in a team. Try to gain authority in a team in another way - for example, with your professional qualities, helping to solve a common task. A good move is to take the role of moderator of the discussion, record the opinions of all team members, and then sum up: clarify whether you understand each of the teammates correctly, suggest general conclusions and ask if anyone has any fundamental objections. This model of behavior will allow you to very naturally take a leadership position in a team without directly hitting other participants. Often, observers give extra points to the participant who keeps track of time and manages the discussion in order to meet the deadline.

From the event (comment from the participant):

“Sometimes on the assessment there are perfect“ inadequacies ”that scream, get up, throw pens, or even try to insult other participants. In this case, you need to cope with yourself and be able to withstand irritants. It is even better to try to turn the situation around in your favor: to wrap everything up in jest, to sober up the person with a reminder of the limited time or complexity of the problem. Observers will appreciate your behavior from all sides: self-control, stress resistance, time management, ability to resolve conflicts. After all, in real work, people are also subject to stress, nervous breakdowns, and it is important to keep yourself in hand and be able to cope with such situations. ”

During the defense of a case solution, try not to get out of the role - in front of you are not the interviewers, but the client’s board. If you present a team decision, it is desirable that all team members have time to speak. It is better to pre-allocate who is responsible for what part of the decision. Do not interrupt each other, do not contradict. If your colleague suddenly starts to answer incorrectly, in any case do not say “no, in fact, everything is not so”, wait until the end of his speech and say that you would like to add and clarify important points.

General positive attitude

The right attitude is very important. Think of the assessment as a fascinating game where you need to demonstrate what you can do, and not as an assessment of your self or a place where they want to find your weak points.

Be flexible. Try to simultaneously consider several versions and options, do not dwell on one solution or example. Be prepared to change your behavior — observers can change assignment conditions and assess your learning abilities. When passing an interview or role-playing games, your appraiser may at any time expand the dialogue in the other direction, put obstacles in your way, insist on your opinion - be ready for this.

Be calm and confident. On the assessment it is important not to get lost. You may be asked to substantiate your point of view in a variety of tasks. For example, ask questions about solving a case, or ask why in a role-playing game you did just that, or clarify why you think you have such a quality or skill.

Behave yourself naturally, be benevolent and smile - it brings people to you. Try not to think about what impression you make on the observers. The best way of behavior will be to concentrate on the essence of the tasks and their solution - this will help you not to be nervous and not to think about how you look.

Eight common assessment errors

Demonstrative behavior. Do not try to specifically stand out and attract the attention of observers. Most likely, this will have the opposite effect. Observers will think that you tend to work for the public, not for the result.

Pretending and trying to fool the observers. Do not try to show the qualities, knowledge and skills that you think are needed by the company and which you do not really have. Personality traits change slowly enough, and attempts to demonstrate behavioral features that are not peculiar to you, on the one hand, will look artificial, but on the other hand, they may not allow existing strengths to appear.

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