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How to provide management training and development through an assessment centre.

A recent review of assessment centre tools published in the CIPD's People Management magazine outlined 7 clear principles to be followed when choosing the right assessment tools - but it not did not go on to consider how to build in an element of management training and devlopment into these programmes. This news article lists the CIPD's principles and then goes on to consider how to build these assessments into a developmental experience rather than just a "test" situation.
The principles are:-
1. Have a clear purpose - know what you are trying to achieve and explain it clearly to the participants.
2. Identify your needs - in both the current and future jobs that the Organisation may have.
3. Do your research - into the most appropriate types of assessment tools to fit your purpose.
4. Consider your resources - how much time, experience and budget do you have available.
5. Understand the context and culture of your Organisation, business and the people involved.
6. Seek advice - which is freely available from expert suppliers.
7. Try the assessment tools out yourself - to ensure that they can be effectively undertaken by your participants and that they will measure the characteristics that you are seeking to assess.

These principles above are a good and relevant guide to selecting your assessment tools but in order to build your assessment experience into a meaningful development one for the participants then you should also consider the following features:-
a. Involve your line managers in the process - both at the briefing, observation and feedback stages. This will provide a link back to the day to day work performance of the participants and on to developmental actions and steps for them to take in the future.
b. Link the assessment process to the Organisation's appraisal process whereby the employee receives feedback on his strengths, weaknesses and development areas. Use any relevant competency framework that the Organisation has developed.
c. Ensure that the participant is given the assessment data and feedback both during and after the Assessment Centre process and in language that they can understand and make sense of. This should be done by an objective person outside of their direct line management relationship but should also be shared with the line manager.
d. Where appropriate use real feedback data e g 360 feedback and real work examples and activities that the participants will see as relevant to their Organisation and their work.
e. Help the employee build this feedback data into a Personal Development plan that they and their line manager commit to work on in the future.
f. Look for the strengths in each participant for them to understand and play to - as well as outlining their weaknesses and development areas.
g. Provide the participants with the relevant management training , coaching or project experience that they need to undertake to develop.

Following these additional principles will help transform an Assessment centre into a more relevant and positive developmental experience for the key people it is aimed at - the participants.

If you would like more information on how to make this happen then please contact Developing People Limited.