An assessment offers different benefits depending on the stakeholders. The benefits for a company that mandates or performs an assessment and the benefits for participants are briefly described below.
Benefits for the company
- Assessments can be easily complemented with other instruments (e.g. 360 ° feedback, management audit, etc.).
- The two-person rule enables a more objective evaluation of the candidates. This allows to easily identify candidates who blend in, whilst giving slow starters a better chance.
- Selection assessments can minimise the risk of incorrect placements, thus reducing personnel costs. This is particularly the case when qualities beyond the subject-specific competencies are required.
- An assessment also makes personnel decisions more transparent and more acceptable for employees and candidates.
- Displaying the strengths and weaknesses enables targeted training of the selected individual.
- A development assessment enables the identification of previously untapped potential. Furthermore, it allows to establish a pool of high-quality managers for the long term.
- This means that training opportunities are not offered with a scattergun approach; instead, the development of targeted individuals can be justified.
- Carrying out assessments for several candidates, i.e. as part of an assessment center or of several individual assessments, facilitates the comparison.
- Assessments of the current situation offer the opportunity to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of the employees, to deploy them specifically where their strengths are best suited and to support them in addressing their weaknesses.
Benefits for the participants
- The content of the assessment, based on simulated situations, provides candidates with realistic preliminary information about the target role. An assessment thus reduces the risk for candidates of starting a job that does not suit them.
- The assessment provides feedback on the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses.
- The transparency of the procedure facilitates the understanding of the decisions made, and it allows candidates to compare themselves with other candidates.
- By addressing their external image, candidates obtain a realistic assessment of their own self-image.
- Moreover, assessments illustrate how strengths can be better deployed and how weaknesses can be addressed.