The assessment centers (AC) combines various methods of aptitude assessment, its general aim being to obtain a maximum accuracy prediction of future professional performance. It can be used both for screening several people at once (Group AC) or for assessing just one person (Individual AC).
If the AC subtests have been carefully designed, they are providing a reliable assessment of applicant potential. They supply decision-makers with information about the aptitude of an applicant for a specific job; they also give participants a useful starting point for setting future career goal as well as serving as a guide for future personal development.
Various studies have proven convincingly that very few AC subtests actually meet this high standard, the problem being that in order to be effective they need to be designed according to the principle of multimodality. Here, simulation tasks in which applicant's behavior is observed in job related test situations are systematically combined with test instruments that enable basic job skills to be measured, as well as processes that record professional experiences. Although it is common practice to implement just the simulation approach in assessment centers, doing so does greatly limit the prognostic potential when compared with a multimodal AC. The combination of the simulation approach (e. g. group tasks or role playing) with the aptitude approach (psychological personality tests and performance tests) and the biographical aspect (e. g. biographical questionnaire, or interview components related directly to the applicant's biography) maximizes the prognostic potential of an AC and also the practical value for the company and participant S & F Personalpsychologie systematically incorporates this knowledge with the results of many other research projects which results in participant-oriented tests reflecting practical situations.
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