Assessment Centers

Paper Summary:

This paper studies the development and use of assessment centers to eliminate unfair and unequal employee selection procedures. The paper defines the purpose of assessment centers as providing a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple exercises and observations. The paper then provides a historical reviews of assessment centers, which reached large scale implementation for the first time in the military during World War II. Next, paper discusses the essential elements of an assessment center, explaining that it is multi-faceted and goes well beyond panel interviews or single techniques and assessors. The paper also examines how assessment centers aid employers in making decisions about candidates and how the use of these centers protects potential candidate from biased criteria. The paper concludes by discussing how assessment centers increase the validity and acceptance of the results of such a process.

Outline
Introduction
Background
Essential Elements
Candidate Selection and Rights
Validity
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"The first private sector use of assessment centers was seen in the Michigan Bell Telephone Company. They became the first company to establish an assessment center program for operational use, specifically to assess the qualifications of long-term, non-management employees for the purpose of moving into managerial positions. Companies to follow suit were Standard Oil of Ohio, IBM, Sears Roebuck, General Electric, and J. C. Penney (MacKinnon, 1975, p. 2-3). The first use of assessment centers in uniformed public service, such as police and fire services, can be found in England. The British are considered to have pioneered this process and have led the field for many years (Olson, 1981, p. 2). Perhaps the most historically influential use of the assessment center process can be found in the American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Management Progress Study which took place from 1956 through 1960. This was strictly a study and the results were not used for actual promotional decisions within the company. The steps taken in the study almost mirror the steps taken in creating and implementing an assessment center in any organization. Characteristics of successful managers were identified, including dimensions such as managerial functions, interpersonal relations, general abilities, attitude, and values. Candidates were then rated on each of the variables through the use of exercises designed to cover each of the characteristics. An in-basket exercise was used which required the assessee to prioritize and carry out multiple administrative tasks which might be found on a manager's desk. A business game and a group discussion allowed assessors to observe the behaviors associated with group problem solving and communication skills. An interview was used to cover the areas of attitude and values, and several pen and paper tests were administered as well."

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