Preparing for an assessment

An assessment will give you insights in your talents, your motivators and drives and what your growth potential is. It will provide you with nuanced insights in your competencies. Assessments might consist of online assessments and/or questionairres.

An assessment gives more certainty about the competencies and growth potential of candidates through a nuanced insight. This way employers will get a clear picture of the candidate.

An assessment gives more clarity about the competencies and growth potential of the candidates through a detailed, nuanced insight. In this way, the employees will get a clear view of the participant.

Assessments can be used in different phases and in different departments within an organization. For example: recruitment, employability and development.

As a professional and experienced assessment bureau, hrmforce offers a wide range of assessments. We have developed assessments for selection, development and careerpaths. We also developed group- and teamassessments which provide insights in talents and growth potential for teams. Click here to view our assessments.

The main benefit of an online assessment is that you can do it at any time in any place. Assessments can be held at home, at the office, or at any specific location.

The candidate will receive an email with an invitation to start the assessment. This email contains practical information, personal login credentials and a link to a secure online environment. In this secure area, the candidate will be able to start the assessment.

If the employer/client wishes that the assessments are made in a controlled environment, they will provide you with a suitable place within their organization.

We strongly recommend to practice assessments beforehand.

Practicing assessments will help you to get a clear view of the assessment you are about to make. You will learn how to cope with timepressure and have an understanding of the type of questions you might expect.

In short, practicing an assessment beforehand, will help you to be better prepared and relaxed when you have to perform the real assessment. You can find a practice assessment here (of a capacity test).

First of all, it is important that you know the purpose of the assessments and what they are about. For most assessments it is possible to practice beforehand and to read more about it online.

Make sure that before you start with an assessment, you are well rested and you are seated in a quiet environment where you will not be distracted by any (external) disturbances.

Cognitive capacity tests belong to the category of ability tests and are the most effective predictors of success in a job. These tests often consist of analytical skills (series of figures and numbers), logical reasoning, spatial awareness and arithmetic and/or linguistic capacities.

A cognitive ability test, also known as Ability Analysis, measures how quickly a person can comprehend problems, formulate an opinion and/or learn new skills.

A personality questionnaire translates a candidate’s personality profile into competencies. There are no wrong or right answers in this assessment. This instrument presents the scores of the candidate based on the five major factors of personality for behavior in the workplace; the Big Five (Neuroticism, Extraversion, Openness, Adjustment and Conscientiousness).

You can use the latest version of Internet Explorer and Safari (on Mac computers). Internet Explorer 9 or lower is no longer supported by Microsoft and therefor we cannot guarantee it is compatible with the assessments.

In general the assessments can be done on most tablets. However, because of the large variety in tablets on the market these days, we can not guarantee it will work on all varieties. We recommend a desktop computer or a laptop if you are performing an assessment.

Yes, it is possible to perform an assessment or test from home. Under the condition that the employer/client has approved it. Make sure that there is a stable internet connection from your home.

If you are invited to participate in an assessment day, you are expected to arrive at the indicated location in the morning. During this day various assessments will be taken, interviews and (simulation) conversations will be held. The goal of this entire day is to get a clear picture of the candidate in terms of the following:
– Development and growth potential,
– Ambition,
– Motivation
– And personal wishes.

The duration of the study is different and can vary from 4 to 8 hours. You will always receive information about the duration of the day before the start.

The exact content of the day depends on the wishes of the client/employer and will always be communicated in advance.

The time may vary per assessment. At the beginning of the assessments it is always indicated how long it will take. Assessments that you can make at home do not last longer than one and a half hours.

In order to prepare for an assessment interview, it is especially important that you know who you are and how you are able to show this. If there are any required competencies, prepare them by showing that you possess the required competencies by using examples.

Make sure that you have a clear overview of your ambitions and motivators. Be honest about your strengths and weaknesses. If present, you could talk about the ‘red line’ in your career and development/growth. It is recommended to practice the interview in advance.

It differs per interview what questions will be asked.

A selection assessment (mostly) looks at job related competencies. There will be questions about ambition, motivators, strenghts and weaknesses.

A development assessment (mostly) focusses at career opportunities and potential for growth. This involves looking at options within the client’s (employer’s) organization. Here, too, ambition, motivation and career are addressed.

In assessments focused on career development, (mainly) motivation and motives are examined. Linked to ambitions, we look at an appropriate, next step that can be within or outside the current organization.

During a practical simulation a job related situation is reenacted. During the simulation, you will be partnered with an actor who plays his or her role realistically. By simulating a practical situation, it can be observed how someone responds in a certain (work) situation. The results of the practical simulation will be linked to the results of the interview assessment, the personality questionnaires and any other assessments.

During a practice simulation, the social and communication skills of the candidate are examined. The behavior and the interview techniques of the candidate are also observed.

It is advisable to dress as you should dress to your future work or as you go to your current job. It is important that the dress code fits the environment where you wish to end up or for which you are attending the assessments.

1. Be yourself. This is easiest for you and will provide the best insights for you and your employer.
2. Make sure you are well rested and on time. Therefor make sure you plan ahead.
3. In advance, look at which location you are expected and what the best route is to reach this location. If you incalculate any delays, this will make you feel more confident and reduce possible stress. Leave on time and take into account possible delays or traffic jams.
4. Prepare for the assessment and do a practice assessment.
5. Never wait for the last possible moment to start with an assessment. This ensures that you will have enough time to finish the assessment. If anything might go wrong, you still have enough time to find a solution and complete the assessment.
6. Always carry out assessments in a quiet environment where you will not be disturbed.
7. Assessments are developed to give a clear picture of the candidate. Be honest in your answers and you will be able to learn more about yourself through the results afterwards.
8. If you have been invited to an assessment day, prepare yourself for the following:

– Know your own strengths and weaknesses and know how to describe them using examples.

– Indicate what your points for development are.

– Make sure that you can put your ambition and motivation into words.