WHAT IS AN ASSESSMENT CENTER? NOT A PLACE TO TAKE A TEST A TESTING PROCESS CANDIDATES PARTICIPATE IN A SERIES OF SYSTEMATIC, JOB RELATED, REAL-LIFE SITUATIONS MANAGEMENT POLICING SUPERVISION ARE OBSERVED BY ASSESSORS INDIVIDUALLY AND GROUPS PERFORMING THE EXERCISES/SCENARIOS THESE SIMULATE CONDITIONS AND SITUATIONS FOR A SGT /LT ETC.

IT IS THIS ATTEMPT TO SIMULATE ACTUAL WORKING CONDITIONS THAT SEPARATES ASSESSMENT CENTER TESTING FROM THE ACADEMICS OF WRITTEN EXAMS AND MUCH OF THE SUBJECTIVITY OF ORAL TESTS AND INTERVIEW ONLY TYPE SCENARIOS

BRIEF HISTORY WORLD WAR II OFFICE OF STRATEGIC COMMAND REALIZED THAT PURE ACADEMIC TRAINING/EDUCATION WERE NOT PREPPING THEIR PEOPLE FOR REAL LIFE SITUATIONS. WHILE THEY SCORED WELL ON TESTS, THEY SOMETIMES COULD NOT PERFORM UNDER PRESSURE…THEY COULDN’T APPLY THEIR ACADEMIC KNOWLEDGE TO REAL PEOPLE, PLACES OR THINGS. THE OSS DEVELOPED A SERIES OF SITUATIONAL TESTS THAT PLACED THEIR PEOPLE IN SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRED SUCCESSFUL JOB PERFORMANCE UNDER CONDITIONS THEY WOULD FACE ON AN ACTUAL ASSIGNMENT. THIS COMBINATION OF WRITTEN EXAM AND SITUATIONAL EXERCISES PRODUCES SUPERIOR PERSONNEL. THE PRIVATE SECTOR BEGAN TO USE THIS PROCESS AND IT HAS NOW SPREAD TO THE POLICE TESTING PROCESS….

LEADERSHIP IS ACTION NOT POSITION

WHAT HAPPENS FIRST AGENCY/HUMAN RESOURCES CONTACTS BANNON & ASSOCIATES IMPORTANT!! BANNON & ASSOCIATES DOES NOT HOUND YOU FOR BUSINESS. YOU COME TO US WHEN YOU ARE READY. TENTATIVE DATE SELECTED

NEXT STEP BANNON & ASSOCIATES SUBMITS A PROPOSAL TYPES OF EXERCISES OPTIONAL EXERCISES DIMENSIONS HOW MANY EXERCISES PROCESSES – ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS ADHERE TO TO THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS ON ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODS CANDIDATE INFORMATIONAL BOOKLET ORIENTATION SESSIONS

1.Multiple assessment techniques must be used. At least one of these techniques must be a simulation. 2.Multiple assessors must be used. 3.Judgments resulting in an outcome must be based on pooling information from assessors and techniques. 4. An overall evaluation of the candidates performance must be made by the assessors at a separate time from observations of candidate behavior. 5. The dimensions, attributes or qualities evaluated by the assessment center must be determined by an analysis of relevant job behaviors. 6. The techniques used in the assessment center must be designed to provide information which is used in evaluating the dimensions, attributes or qualities previously determined. INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ASSESSMENT CENTER METHODS

DIMENSIONS DECISIVENESS INTERPERSONAL SKILLS LEADERSHIP PLANNING & ORGANIZATION JUDGMENT WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SELF INITIATIVE PROBLEM ANALYSIS ORAL COMMUNICATION ADAPTABILITY Optional dimensions: SOLUTION ASSESSMENT CONCEPTUALIZATION SKILLS INDEPENDENCE OF THOUGHT ALL DIMENSIONS CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO YOUR PARTICULAR ASSESSMENT CENTER EXERCISE(S) AND NEED.

THE EXERCISES

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: BANNON & ASSOCIATES HAS AND CONTINUALLY PERFORMS TASK ANALYSIS FOR ALL RANKS TO ENSURE THAT ASSESSMENT CENTER SCENARIOS DIRECTLY RELATE TO THE EXERCISES CHOSEN FOR THE ASSESSMENT CENTERS. IT IS THIS TASK ANALYSIS THAT LEADS TO THE FORMATION OF THE PARTICULAR EXERCISES USED IN AN ASSESSMENT CENTER.

EXERCISE ONE IN BASKET EXERCISE 1. MANY ITEMS TO BE PRIORITIZED. 2. FIVE TO SIX ISSUES TO BE RESOLVED. 3. PHONE CALLS  DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED: DECISION MAKING INTERPERSONAL SKILLS LEADERSHIP PROBLEM ANALYSIS PLANNING & ORGANIZATION JUDGMENT WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

EXERCISE TWO WRITTEN EXERCISE 1. ISSUE IS GIVEN TO THE CANDIDATES 2. ISSUE MUST BE RESOLVED IN WRITTEN ESSAY FORMAT WITHIN ONE HOUR. DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION PROBLEM ANALYSIS ADAPTABILITY DECISION MAKING JUDGMENT WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

LEADERLESS GROUP DISCUSSION IS AN OPTIONAL EXERCISE THAT IS OFTEN CHOSEN BY THE POLICE AGENCY IN PLACE OF THE WRITTEN EXERCISE. DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED:  ORAL COMMUNICATION  INTERPERSONAL SKILLS  PROBLEM ANALYSIS  PLANNING & ORGANIZATION  LEADERSHIP SKILLS  JUDGMENT  SELF INITIATIVE

EXERCISE THREE BIO LIFE EXERCISE MINUTES PREP TIME  WHO THEY ARE  HISTORY  QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE JOB  STRENGTHS  WEAKNESSES MINUTE PRESENTATION 3. ASSESSOR QUESTIONS (if any)  DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED: SELF INITIATIVE PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION ORAL COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP DECISION MAKING

EXERCISE FOUR TACTICAL EXERCISE 1. SITUATION PRESENTED TO CANDIDATE. 2. TWO MINUTES TO READ AND PLAN AN ACTION. 3. FIVE MINUTES TO RELATE THAT ACTION TO THE ASSESSORS. 4. ASSESSOR QUESTIONS.  DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED: PROBLEM ANALYSIS JUDGMENT PLANNING AND ORGANIZATION ORAL COMMUNICATION LEADERSHIP DECISION MAKING

COUNSELING / DISCIPLINARY EXERCISE IS AN OPTION SOMETIMES REQUESTED IN LIEU OF THE TACTICAL EXERCISE. DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED:  INTERPERSONAL SKILLS  PROBLEM ANALYSIS  LEADERSHIP  JUDGMENT  DECISION MAKING  ORAL COMMUNICATION

EXERCISE FIVE IN BASKET INTERVIEW 1. IN BASKET ITEMS HAVE BEEN REVIEWED BY ALL ASSESSORS. 2. CANDIDATE BROUGHT BEFORE THE ASSESSORS TO “DEFEND” IN BASKET.  DIMENSIONS COMMONLY ASSESSED: PLANNING & ORGANIZATIOM INTERPERSONAL SKILLS ORAL COMMUNICATION DECISION MAKING JUDGMENT ADAPTABILITY LEADERSHIP UMMMM I don’t know WHY I said I would do it that way….

OTHER OPTIONAL EXERCISES INCLUDE MEDIA EXERCISE ROLE PLAY CUSTOMER SERVICE ROLE PLAY

SOME AGENCIES FOREGO IN BASKET EXERCISE ALL TOGETHER  TEMPLE POLICE DEPT. SOME AGENCIES DO IN BASKET BUT NO IN BASKET INTERVIEW  BELTON POLICE DEPT. CANDIDATE ORIENTATIONS  ACQUAINT CANDIDATES WITH PROCESS  ACQUAINT CANDIDATES WITH TYPES OF EXERCISES WE ARE FLEXIBLE TO WORK WITH YOUR AGENCY FOR THE BEST RESULTS OPTIONS

ANOTHER OPTION IS TO PERFORM THE IN BASKET AHEAD OF TIME  LESSENS WAITING TIME  PROCTORED  ALL ANSWERS HELD SECURELY BY BANNON & ASSOCIATES  NOT SEEN BY ASSESSORS UNTIL THE ACTUAL DAY OF THE CENTER OPTIONS CONTINUED

THE ASSESSORS THREE TO FOUR, DEPENDING ON HOW MANY CANDIDATES OF SAME RANK OR HIGHER APPROVED BY CITY/CHIEF DO NOT HAVE PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE OF CANDIDATES CANDIDATES CAN OBJECT TRAINED NO DISCUSSION VOLUNTEERS

DOCUMENTATION AND SCORING DOCUMENTATION ASSESSORS MAKE NOTES JUSTIFYING THEIR SCORE NOTES VALIDATE THE SCORE PROCTORED BY BANNON & ASSOCIATES EXPLANATION MUST JUSTIFY THE SCORE DIMENSIONS THE ONLY JUDGE SCORING SCALE EACH DIMENSION GRADED INDIVIDUALLY EACH CANDIDATE GRADED INDIVIDUALLY FINAL STANDING DETERMINED BY ADDING AVG SCORES ON ALL EXERCISES.

COMPLETION OF PROCESS CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN RANKED BASED ON FINAL SCORES RELEASED TO COMMANDING OFFICER OR HR REP ONLY ALL WRITTEN MATERIALS BY CANDIDATES GIVEN TO COMMANDING OFFICER OR HR REP ASSESSOR NOTES GIVEN TO COMMANDING OFFICER OR HR REP NO COPIES MAINTAINED BY BANNON & ASSOCIATES PRIVATE TO THE INDIVIDUAL AND AGENCY

© This presentation is the exclusive property of Bannon & Associates.