ECB 511 - Assessment Center Training (1/4)

Assessment Centers are a series of standardized group activities that are the basis of judgements or decisions about human behavior in a work or an organizational setting.  Assessment centers may take place at the organization’s home office or at a remote site maintained by an assessment center company. Two specific assessment activities - performance appraisal and job selection - will anchor the adjunct course.  The information gained from the assessment center activities is typically used by an organization to select or promote employees.

Assessment centers require training a group of assessors (raters) who work as a team to evaluate human behavior in the context of a simulated work environment.  Training of assessment center assessors and role-players takes several days and involves learning best practices in a work environment, government regulations (e.g., Title IX legislation and implementation) as well as using methodologically sound behavioral observation techniques.[1]

In the class students will have an opportunity to be assessors, role-players, and job candidates.  There will be a high degree of active participation required on the part of all students to make the assessment center successful.  Although background reading will be provided about the nature, methods and goals of assessment centers, the bulk of the course will involve active participation in the assessment center activities.  Students in this semester long course will be required to attend each class meeting, participate in all activities, keep a structured journal, and practice writing an assessment center final report.