Assessment Centers

Research on the reliability and validity of assessment centers (ACs) has been ongoing for at least 50 years and continues to this day. The assessment center method is a technique or process that is used to assess individual performance and potential. One of the most heavily researched topics over the last 30 years has been the internal structure of AC ratings that assessors make on rating dimensions after the completion of each exercise. This volume, with contributions from experts from around the world, looks at Dimension-Based Assessment Centers, Task-Based Assessment Centers, and Mixed-Model Assessment Centers. All three perspectives are presented in different sections, and a summary of these diverse perspectives is given at the end of the book.

Assessment Centers and Managerial Performance presents the historical development of multiple assessment procedures with focus on those advances relevant to assessment centers. This book discusses the models of job analysis, the nature of managerial work, work-sampling assessment methods, and the process of human judgment based on the assessment center experience. Organized into 11 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the various methods to describe, evaluate, and predict management effectiveness. This text then describes a number of assessment programs, including the earliest assessment centers. Other chapters consider the five approaches to predicting managerial effectiveness, including psychometric testing, clinical evaluations by psychologists, supervisor's ratings of potentials background interviews, and assessment centers. This book discusses as well the three levels of managerial jobs, namely, supervisory, middle management, and executive. The final chapter deals with the development of standards for assessment center operations. This book is a valuable resource for psychologists.

Explores the evolution of the goals of assessment center programs and the ways in which assessment centers and their component parts have been used. This book differentiates between assessment centers used for prediction, diagnoses, and development. It also explores court cases involving assessment centers, assessor training, and more.

When applying for a new job or promotion many people face the rigours of an assessment centre. Many organisations, in both the public and private sectors, use these extended forms of assessment for selection purposes to guarantee they pick the candidate who will be the best fit for the company. However candidates often fail to do themselves justice as they are unaware of the different type of assessment tasks they may have to undertake. How to Succeed at an Assessment Centre provides ideal preparation for assessment events and gives expert advice on all the key issues such as how the assessments are conducted, how to behave in formal and informal situations as well as how to prepare for the different forms of assessment. With a plethora of practice questions, answers and explanations, How to Succeed at an Assessment Centre gives essential practical advice on the many different assessment processes, from group exercises to panel interviews and presentations.

Bridge the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Do you have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to evaluate behavior, performance, and readiness? Read Mastering the Fire Service Assessment Center to identify what you need to learn and understand how to learn it. There is no way you can read and reflect on the wisdom in these pages and not become a better person and a better firefighter. Why Read This Book? The American fire service is facing a new normal fueled by mass exodus, influx of new generations of firefighters, a lack of hands-on leadership training, sweeping changes in mission, decimated budgets, and the genetics of task-oriented, reactive forefathers. The greatest and perhaps only area that we can affect directly is hands-on, inspiring, realistic, and useful training for our aspiring and incumbent leaders. This book will help you regardless of the fire officer rank you seek. It will help you know where you need to improve, how to develop a specific personal plan to become an excellent officer, and how to do well with whatever assessment center exercises throw at you. NEW MATERIAL in this second edition: --Enjoy reading “Wisdom from the Masters” from 18 fire service luminaries. They provide invaluable insights and challenges you will face as you prepare to promote, whether for the first time as a company officer or up the chain as a chief officer. --Learn lessons from thousands of students from the past 12 years whose feedback will benefit you in this second edition. --Benefit from the many new elements in this book, including relevant articles, additional exercises, and content regarding the dimensions of leadership, management, and emergency operations. The complexities of being a fire officer in the 21st century require an undercurrent of humility while continually pursuing mastery of leading in the modern fire service. Learn how to lead the modern-day firefighter in a modern world, with modern technology, modern fire behavior, and modern sociopolitical and economic challenges. Many firefighters ask themselves if they really want to do this job, but nothing is as professionally rewarding and challenging as leading others in battle to save lives! “This book will give you the greatest probability of success in your assessment center process.” —Bobby Halton, editor-in-chief, Fire Engineering magazine

This third edition has the honesty, humor and interesting perspectives that made previous editions so enjoyable to read and easy to understand. In addition, every chapter has been refreshed and renewed with tips, techniques and insights that will help candidates use assessment center exercises to demonstrate their readiness for the rank and role they seek. Chapter Three, What Is Your Assessment Center Challenge? and Chapter Six, Three Characteristics of a High Caliber Candidate, are completely new. They reflect decades of observation and analysis and will provide insights and guidance not found in any other training or text. The entire book is focused on improving the law enforcement profession by helping promotional candidates prepare to be effective in their preparation and testing, then effective on the job as they develop as coaches and leaders. This book is a must-have for assessment center preparation for any rank or role.