Inboxes, group discussions, role-playing games, case studies and the like cause headaches for many applicants. Anyone who knows the right strategies and practices beforehand has klare advantages in Assessment-Center. At this selection rarely does a master fall from the sky.

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Demand-driven task path in the assessment center

Anyone who has made it to the assessment center belongs to the narrowest circle of those who should be taken seriously Candidate. The typical assessment center lasts one day and consists of various individual and group tasks that the applicants have to solve under time pressure while being observed and evaluated.

Candidateswho have never had this experience find it difficult at the first attempt and usually fall short of their potential. Assessment center participants should therefore contact the Methods for Solution deal with the typical assessment center modules and as many as possible Tasks practically to practice. Here are the essential facts and the most important tips for the typical tasks:

1. mailbag

The most important facts:

You will receive extensive documents that represent the accumulated inbox of your area of ​​responsibility. Messages from superiors, employees, other departments and business partners alternate. Your task is to coordinate appointments and processes on the basis of this inbox to organize and make the right decisions.

The most important tips:

Work quickly into the initial situation. What is your function in Companys, who are your superiors, colleagues and Employees and what is the starting date today? Lay out the meta information it contains, such as an overview of appointments or an organizational chart, so that you can keep an eye on it throughout the process. Get a rough overview of all the documents before you start working on them. Because at the end of the stack there could be a message with far-reaching consequences, such as an employee's sick note, which has an impact on other processes.

2. group discussion

The most important facts:

In the classic group discussion, you have to work on an order together with three to seven other participants. For example, it can be a group Concept to develop or to agree on a suggestion for improvement to be presented to the board of directors. In order to increase the level of difficulty, candidates are given competing positions in some assessment centers that they are supposed to hold.

The most important tips:

Instead of immediately getting into the content of the discussion topic, it is more expedient to first coordinate the procedure and ensure that everyone has the same understanding of the work order. Be present throughout a group discussion and engage continuously. Commit yourself to your own position, but also be willing to compromise, otherwise a common goal can hardly be achieved. Alpha animals that are on Costs others just want to do their own thing are not in demand.

3. Case Study / Case Study

The most important facts:

Similar to the inbox, you receive extensive documents, you have to penetrate them and work out a solution. The difference, however, is that it is not about day-to-day operations with many individual decisions and appointments, but about developing one Strategy or a holistic solution. So it could be that the fictitious company is in trouble and you should propose a concept to the board to increase sales. The elaboration of the case study is usually carried out within the framework of a Presentation, in which the observers slip into a specific role – for example the board of directors – is checked.

The most important tips:

A high level of perfection is a hindrance in the accomplishment of this task. Solve the need to present a perfectly refined result. The only correct pattern solution is often not. What counts is plausibility and a comprehensible approach. Please allow enough time to prepare the presentation. This is usually the only way to make the result visible.

4. role playing game

The most important facts:

A role-playing game is the simulation of a four-Eyes-conversation. Interviews with employees and customers are particularly popular. In the appraisal interview, you act in the role of the manager. It is usually about a critical topic with potential for conflict. In customer meetings you are a company representative and are dealing with a tricky sales or complaint situation. The role of your counterpart is taken by an observer or role-player.

The most important tips:

During the preparation time, define your personal goals in terms of minimum and maximum goals. Go in with the claim Conversation, the view, needs and Set really wanting to understand your counterpart. This requires matching Ask to ask and to listen carefully. This is usually where the key lies Success. Pay attention to balanced parts of speech. For most conversations, fifty-fifty is a good guide. Try to end the conversation with a concrete agreement or at least with an interim result.

5. presentation

The most important facts:

The assessment center can meet this task several times, for example in the form of a self-, professional- and results presentation. The latter is about presenting the results of a previously worked task, such as a case study or group discussion. In most assessment centers, only traditional presentation media such as flipcharts and moderation walls are provided instead of PowerPoint and Beamer. The situation is different in the case of presentation orders, which are already given in advance with the invitation to the assessment center and are to be processed at home.

The most important tips:

Get familiar with the presentation medium Flipchart. Because by a good visualization it is most possible to stand out from the crowd. An appealing and fast flipchart design is an exercise. Develop a concept for your self-presentation in advance. If this task comes abruptly at the Assessment Center, it is only in the shortest time that only a few succeeds in presenting a convincing self-presentation. Practice home presentations on different topics. Compared to the other assessment center tasks, this module allows the most rapid training progress to be achieved within a short time.