Group Assessment
 

Help!

I have applied for a job. I have been not immediatly rejected. I now have to attened an 1 1/2 hour long group assessment. I've never done this sort of thing before and I really want to do well.

Any advice about this sort of thing would be really useful. :up:

Re: Group Assessment
 

have you ever done a belbin role thing previously?
I know they're not that great but it can give you a kind of idea of what position within a group you are most comfortable in.

Don't feel like you have to shout the loudest to "win". The best candidates are the ones who lets everyone speak without interrupting, then moves the group through decision making stages.
Also, don't sit there and do nothing (obviously).
Take notes, ask people to explain what they mean, remain calm and confident throughout and take the lead if there is no natural leader in the group.

If you can't think of things to say (or don't want to say anything in parts) then scribble stuff down as it'll look like you're working things out. Listen to what everyone is saying and think of the merits.

Remember that it doesn't matter too much whether you get the correct answer at the end - it's how you do it that gets you the job.


What's the group project actually going to be on?
Oh and what type of company is it?

Re: Group Assessment
 

OH MY GOD HOW EVER WILL YOU FIND INFORMATION ON SUCH AN OBSCURE TOPIC???!!!




Here's a pro-tip: CHECK OUT THE VERY FIRST LINK ON THE SEARCH!

Re: Group Assessment
 

Yeah well in that case he should have said "I've already researched this and i've found out [such and such]. I just want to know what people's thoughts and experiences in relation to [something specific] are. I mean how do you politely interupt somebody in that kind of situation so you get a chance to have an input?"


Something like than anyways.

Re: Group Assessment
 

If he's looking to you to be the person with something to say then he is well and truly ****ed.

Re: Group Assessment
 

Never a truer word rapped. Now, if you've quite finished fagging up my thread.

I have never even heard of it.

this all seems rather helpful.

It just says 'group assessment'. It's for a position on thr Graduate Management Programme of the council in the social care and houses services section. It requires 2 years studying for a masters in social housing or something.

I also have to write a 1,500 word essay on the takeover of Registered Social Landlords or something, if that gives you mre of an idea.

Re: Group Assessment
 

what they'll usually do then is give you a problem to solve "as a group" and see how you interact.

It's actually quite interesting to sit back for the first couple of minutes and watch the people look really nervous and then relieved when someone takes the initiative of the first step.

Don't be pushy but look around to see if anyone looks they're gonna jump in as 'leader' and if not organise the group yourself.
But the best thing to do is make sure everyone takes part and noone is left out. If someone hasn't said anything just say "what do you think?" to them - it looks good because you're bringing in the more shy group members.

I think i'm just repeating myself now...

Re: Group Assessment
 

One thing,
I think trying to kill someone of your group will not get you the job.

Re: Group Assessment
 

What the hell happened to just going there and see what happens? They won't bite your head off, and no one will hold it against you if you don't exactly know how this group assessment thing works. And you're a probably a nice guy ASG, right? So just go there, act your own, be nice, have a chat, agree, disagree with your fellow "victims"... They want to see how you act in a group and group discussions. And I bet you know pretty well how to act in a group, right?

I have never been in one, and I've had quite a few job interviews in the past, so it seems a bit of a weird statement to me that it is used by many employers and it's considered the most important selection method.
Sounds like fun though.

Re: Group Assessment
 

I guess they're scarce, but there's a trend to it. The Finnish Defence Forces have adopted a habit of testing all applicants (that is, the war school applicants) with such tests, and I guess it's rather rewarding from the perspective. Dropping in people to unfamiliar situations where they're more or less unprepared gives a good insight to how people really behave, instead of how they've prepped up for the interview. The harder it is to prep yourself up for it, the more "you" it will be, I suppose. This obviously doesn't apply to jobs where you're locked in your own office box eight hours a day and only pop out for lunch.

Re: Group Assessment
 

Takeover by whom?

Or do they mean the mergers that have taken place in the sector?

You should read this if you've not done so already as a very brief introduction. This from the CIH also provides a little background info - if you can get the full report, do so.

Re: Group Assessment
 

This is some pretty boring material right here dante.

Re: Group Assessment
 

Depends what turns you on man.

I personally find the practical application of policy (and thus in turn, political philosophy itself) ultimately quite interesting. The attitudes of the street level bureaucracy and all that.

Re: Group Assessment
 

Because I don't want to fail miserably, fall victim to rank humilation AND not get the job.

I am not a masochist, so I do not think painful experiances such as job interviews are 'fun'.

Re: Group Assessment
 

job interviews can be quite enjoyable.

A large part of it is deciding whether you want the job or not as much as it is about them wanting you or not.

The worst that can happen is that you don't get the job. Being nervous etc just makes it more likely that you won't.
Relax, enjoy it and use it as a learning experience as well as a networking opportunity with the other people there.

Re: Group Assessment
 

See, that's what I mean ASG. You shouldn't perceive a job interview as an event where they nail you to a cross, humiliate you, or where they try to make you look bad. They simply want to see if you would fit in. And you can decide if they are the right company for you. And that is fun, yes.
I vaguely know your history and problems finding a job, and you may not have the luxury to turn any job down, but that is how it normally works.

And about the Brad and Troy quote, I am not claiming that I even remotely know you. But I can not imagine you are not a nice person, are you? Nor that you do not know how to interact with other people.

Re: Group Assessment
 

I'm feeling slightly more relaxed now, even though I was stupid and forgot to phone them to tell them that I was going (essay has taken all my attention) which wasn't the best start.

In other news, I recieved a letter today from Goldsmiths in London telling me I have been accepted onto their MRes Politics course. \o/

Re: Group Assessment
 

I did one at IBM. there were about 5 of us sat in a room and we had to go through lots of bits of paper and decide who was the most suitable person to be employed as the manager of an eastern european company.
One bit of paper had, for example, that they didn't like women, another one had that they had to speak ubekistanish or whatever, another had that they needed a qualification... and we had to work through and decide together. It requires a certain amount of cooperation - they just want to see how you act with others.

Of course, I was pulling off my listening and being helpful act, and they were looking for people with leadership potential :(

If you have a rough idea of what they might be looking for, then it wouldn't hurt to try and show that you can do that, but being relaxed and just working together is a good idea. Listen to everyone, give suggestions as to what to do if no one else is forthcoming ... etc

' gratz on the MRes though