Assessment Centres: Through the Glass Brightly

Abstract

Identifying, developing and sustaining a competent and capable workforce has always been one of the primary concerns of any business, private or public. In the turbulent 1990s a major determinant of corporate success is the ability of companies to create new sources of competitive advantage or superior customer service faster than competitors mimic today's (Hamel & Frahalad, 1989). And this speed is dependent largely on the skill and capability of the people in the organization. So a core issue for organizations is how to attract and recruit the best people, deploy them so that they are doing current work very effectively, and then develop them to have the skills for future challenges

One avenue for meeting these needs is the application of assessment centre methodologies Over the last five to ten years, assessment centres have undergone a transformation. Shedding their image as intense, pass-fail examinations that either assured individual success within the corporation, or consigned individuals to the waste basket, assessment centres are enjoying a renaissance of interest. It has become more common to see them applied with far greater flexibility, characterized by more openness, enhanced realism, and, in many cases, with a primary focus on development initiatives This paper reviews currentpractice and some recurring trends, summarizing lessons of practitioners over the last five years Finally, it looks forward to the likely future directions of assessment centres and how they can assist in addressing business issues.