PAT Assessment Centre Guide PDF

Assessment
Centres
an Insiders Guide
Written by
Chartered Occupational Psychologist Experts

Table of Contents Top tips for Presentations .......................................................... 67
Do…..................................................................................... 67
Don’t…….............................................................................. 68
Assessment Centres.........................................................................5 Analysis Presentation.....................................................................71
An insider’s guide......................................................................... 6 What is an Analysis Presentation?.............................................. 71
Why use Assessment Centres?............................................... 6 Example Analysis Presentations................................................. 72
How is an Assessment Centre designed?............................... 8
How does the assessing work?............................................. 10 How Do I Prepare for an Analysis Presentation?.........................76
What is ORCE? ................................................................... 10 a: Working with Business Information.................................... 76
Who gets the job?................................................................ 13 b: Analysing and Developing Your Content............................ 78
Preparing for an Assessment Centre..............................................19 c: Writing and Delivering the Presentation............................. 82
d: Handling the Question and Answer Session......................83
The day before........................................................................... 19 4.Top Tips for Analysis Presentations:........................................ 84
Getting there.............................................................................. 20 Do…..................................................................................... 84
A few small pointers................................................................... 21 Don’t….................................................................................. 86
At the Assessment Centre.......................................................... 21 EXAMPLE ANALYSIS PRESENTATION EXERCISE........................89
Background & Instructions..........................................................90
Group Exercises.............................................................................25
What is a Group Exercise?......................................................... 25 Analysis Presentation: Southwell Tennis Club – A Quick Guide.109
Example Group Exercises........................................................... 26

Group Discussions................................................................ 26
Group Tasks......................................................................... 26
How do I prepare for a Group Exercise?..................................... 46
Working with the business information................................... 46
Research, research, research! ............................................. 47
Read the information you are given....................................... 48
Useful pointers for the group................................................. 49
Top tips for Group Exercises...................................................... 52
Do ….................................................................................... 52
Don’t .................................................................................... 53
Presentation Exercises...................................................................57
What is a Presentation Exercise?............................................... 57
Example Presentation Exercises................................................. 58
How do I prepare for a Presentation Exercise? ..........................59
a: Researching your presentation.......................................... 59
b: Writing your Presentation ................................................. 61
c: Delivering the Presentation ............................................... 65
2 Assessment Centres - an Insiders Guide practiceaptitudetests.com Copyright Practice Aptitude Tests Ltd - All Rights Reserved 3
Assessment Centres
Assessment Centres are not a physi-

cal place. They are a method of as-
sessing multiple applicants for a job,
consisting of a number of exercises
designed to assess the competencies
deemed important for success in that
job.
An insider’s guide Assessment Centres (and many other selection methods) have been
under scrutiny for many years and lots of time and resources have
been dedicated to understanding whether they actually work.
As experienced assessors, our authors wanted to give you
some insight into what they see and what they do as part of an The short answer is yes they do.
Assessment Centre. In offering you this information, we hope
it will blow away some of the myths surrounding Assessment In order to justify the use of any assessment method, occupational
Centres. psychologists are required to carry out ‘validation studies’. This basi-
cally means taking candidates’ scores from an assessment that is used
to make a decision about someone’s suitability for a job and then
looking at how strongly they correlate with the same peoples’ per-
Why use Assessment Centres? formance on the job. A high correlation suggests that the assessment
method is predictive of job performance, a low correlation suggests
The first thing we want to say is that, despite many people’s anec- otherwise! The implication being that high performers score higher
dotal claims that they can ‘spot a good candidate as soon as they on the assessments and lower performers achieve lower scores on the
walk through the door’ or that they rely on ‘gut instinct’, Assessment assessments.
Centres really are the superior choice when it comes to assessing
whether someone is suitable for a job. Assessment Centres have consistently been shown to
be one of the best predictors of performance on the job.
Let us explain. That’s why we use them!
In a recent conversation that one of us had with a retired senior It can be a costly undertaking for the recruiting organisation to get
manager from the aero-engines industry, we were asked how busi- trained assessors, appropriate assessment exercises and the right lo-
ness was and what we’d been up to. I explained that business was cation, but they do so time and time again.
good and that I had been involved in designing some really interest-
ing Assessment Centre exercises for use in education when the reply Why?
came back: “Oh really, and would [the company I retired from] get
involved in this sort of thing? Only in my day, we relied on that good It is more cost effective than employing the wrong people and then
old-fashioned notion of gut instinct.” (Shortly followed by a snigger, having to re-advertise and recruit again (as people who are not suit-
a scoff and possibly a guffaw!) ed to a role are more likely to leave), or investing more time and
money in training and performance management for the candidates
Being as polite as I am, I smiled and quickly moved the conversa- who are not suited to the role.
tion on as family parties aren’t always the best place for this kind
of debate! However, it reminded me of why we constantly have to The overall objective of the Assessment Centre, as far as the recruiter
justify the use of all forms of objective assessment to recruiters and is concerned, is to gather as much information as they can about the
candidates alike. They cost a lot, they are time consuming and not candidates so that they can make an informed and objective decision
many candidates can honestly say they enjoy them. about who is the most suitable.
So why bother?
How is an Assessment Centre designed? Only when all of these stages are complete, is the Assessment Cen-
tre ready to commence.
Before the Assessment Centre even begins, a number of stages have
already been completed: Example Assessment Matrix
• A variety of methods are used to determine which competencies are
Questionnaire
Presentation
relevant to the role, often including interviews with job holders and other
Ability Tests
Personality
Job
stakeholders.
Interview
Analysis
Exercise
Analysis
Group
• This stage helps to determine which tests and exercises are required.
• Using information from the job analysis, a competency model is de-

signed. Communicating &
• Competencies have been described as “..an underlying characteristic Influencing √ √
• Competency of a person which results in an effective and/or superior performance
Design in a job” and different combinations of competencies are required for
•
success in different jobs.
Competencies all have behavioural indicators to demonstrate what
Team working √ √ √
constitutes “good”
Building
relationships √ √ √
• A matrix of which competency is to be assesed by which exercise is
• Assessment produced
• Matrix
• Each competency is usually assessed by at least two different methods.
(See our assessment matrix.)
Customer focus √ √ √
Creative & analytical
• Sometimes exercises are bought from test publishers ‘off-the-shelf’ and thinking √ √ √ √
sometimes they are designed specifically for one organisation.
Exercise
• The exercises used must reflect the competencies accurately, they must Commercial &
Design/
Selection be pitched at the appropriate level of difficulty and must be technically market awareness √ √ √
(psychometrically) sound.
Achieving results
• A timetable is drawn up that takes account of a variety of factors.

√ √ √
• They include time available, number of assessors, number of candi-
Timetable Planning &
dates, number and location of available rooms, breaks, report writing
Desig
and integration time for the assessors. organising √ √ √
This is just an example of how different methods are used to assess

• Even very experienced assessors are required to undertake training for
a new assessment centre. different competencies. The methods used to measure each compe-
Assessor
Training • Training generally covers familiarity with the competencies and exer- tency can vary widely.
cises, the ORCE process and report writing.
How does the assessing work? • Classify: Soon after the exercise is complete the assessor will
identify which competency each recorded observation relates to,
and decide whether it is a positive or negative reflection of that
Some assessors are occupational psychologists, some are Human Re- competency.
sources professionals and some are managers and professionals from
within the recruiting organisation. The common strand amongst
them is that they will have undergone thorough training before they
can become an assessor.
J turned to S
J turned to S Teamwork +
“What do you think?”
What is ORCE? Kept eye contact, nodded at S.
Comm & Infl +
As part of their training, assessors have to learn to use a method Teamwork +
“I agree, why do you think this is? Customer focus +
known as ORCE. ORCE stands for Observe, Record, Classify and Kept eye contact, nodded at S.
“How would it impact customers though?”
Evaluate. Assessor training ensures that all assessors are competent
in applying this method.
• Observe: Assessors are assigned 1 or 2 candidates to closely
observe in each exercise. Generally, each candidate is observed by “I agree, why do you think this is?
multiple assessors over the course of the Assessment Centre to
ensure a fair evaluation of all candidates. • Evaluate: Finally, they will assign a rating for each compe-
tency based on the amount of positive and negative evidence they
• Record: Assessors are required to make notes that reflect ev- have for each.
erything ‘their’ candidate said or did. (Including verbal and non-
verbal behaviour). An evaluation is provided for each competency within each ex-
ercise. In the example above, we can already see two positive ex-
Within each exercise the assessor will be assigned 1 or 2 candi-
dates to observe and they will observe and record everything these amples of teamwork.
candidates do or say. For example, their notes might include: Assessors use a predefined marking template that includes a defi-
nition of the competency and the key behaviours underlying it.
These templates can take a variety of forms but they often
look like the one below:
JJ turned
turned totoS S
Kept
“Whateye contact,
do you think?” nodded at S.
“IKeptagree, why do
eye contact, youatthink
nodded S. this is?
“How would it impact customers though?”
“I agree, why do you think this is?
Assessors undertake exactly the same process for every candidate
Name_______________________ ID number_________________________
they observe. This ensures all candidates are observed fairly and ob-
Communicating & Influencing – Group Exercise jectively. Don’t be surprised if you don’t manage to get eye contact
with an assessor during an exercise. As you can tell from the above,
Speaks clearly, fluently and with conviction. Uses own persuasive style to they are very busy! They are there simply to observe you so trying
successfully encourage others to strive towards the group objective. Influences
others to gain acceptance, agreement or behaviour change.
to get their attention or looking to them for help if something goes
wrong is not advisable.
Key behaviours to look for:
Negative behaviours 1 2 3 4 5 Positive behaviours

Stumbles, mumbles or
hesitates; speaks quietly
Communicates clearly and Who gets the job?
confidently
so cannot be heard
Uses jargon; presents
Before a decision can be made, each candidate is assigned a rating
Makes contributions which per competency and an overall rating of suitability. This is achieved
messages in a long-
are concise and easy to
winded and/or ambiguous
understand in the ‘Integration Session’. This is a meeting that takes place at the
manner
end of the Assessment Centre where all of the assessors take part in
Monotonous and Adapts language to suit the a detailed discussion about every candidate.
inexpressive language audience; uses varied and
and tone expressive language
Before the integration session, all assessors will have summarised
Does not pick up on cues Checks others understanding
from others; fails to adapt and adapts style in line with
their evaluations for each exercise into a form similar to that below:
style or seek feedback cues from others
Fails to acknowledge
Uses summaries, checks and
contributions of others;
agreement to demonstrate
shows little evidence of
active listening to others
active listening
Fails to respond to Defends own views when
challenges from others; challenged; adapts argument
backs down easily if required
Strengths:
Development Areas:
Assessors are provided with a definition of each rating level (in this
Summary of Evidence Observed: instance from 1 - 5) and they use this to assign the appropriate rat-
ing to each candidate on each competency. An example is provided
below:
Communicating and Influencing
Rating (1-5) Rating Level Description
Evidence of strength
in this competency
Team Working Meets all of the demonstrated
5 Outstanding
competency definition consistently across
Rating (1-5) all of the required
behaviours
Building Relationships Meets more than half of the demonstrated across
4 Good
competency definition more than half of the
Rating (1-5) required behaviours
across some of the
Customer Focus Meets half of the required behaviours
3 Acceptable
competency definition with some areas
Rating (1-5) of weakness or
inconsistency
Evidence of less
Creative and Analytical Thinking than acceptable
Meets less than half of the
Rating (1-5)
2 Marginal
competency definition
performance across
most of the required
behaviours
Evidence of weakness
Commercial and Market Awareness or less than acceptable
performance
Rating (1-5) Meets almost none of the
1 Poor
competency definition
across all of the
required behaviours.
No strengths
Achieving Results demonstrated.
Rating (1-5)
They will then combine the ratings from each exercise into an As-
sessment Results Matrix. This provides an ‘at a glance’ overview of a
candidate’s scores across the whole Assessment Centre:
Planning and Organising
Rating (1-5)
By the end of the integration session, each candidate will have an
agreed set of ratings. In some instances, any candidate that scores
above a certain threshold is considered for the role, or for the next
ity Question-
Presentation
Ability Tests
stage in the process (for example, a structured interview with a se-
OVERALL
Personal-
Interview
Exercise
Analysis
nior manager from the company). In other scenarios the candidates
Group
naire
who scored highest might be offered a position.
Communicating
& Influencing 5 4 4
Team working 3 4 4 4
Building
Relationships 3 4 3 3
Customer Focus 2 3 2 2
Creative &
Analytical 2 2 3 2 2
Thinking
Commercial
& Market 3 3 3
Awareness
Achieving
Results 5 5 5 5
Planning &
Organising 4 5 4 4
The Integration Session is chaired by the lead assessor (typically a

very experienced assessor). Taking each candidate at a time, asses-
sors are asked to justify the competency ratings they assigned. Any
discrepancies between how individual assessors evaluated candidates
are discussed and debated. Assessors are challenged by other asses-
sors where there is incongruence between opinions and written evi-
dence plays a vital part in this process. This is where the importance of
the Observation, Record and Classify stages comes in to play! An assessor
could observe up to 5 candidates in a day so it is paramount that they
keep detailed notes.
Preparing for an
Assessment Centre.
The day before

A good night’s sleep is essential. Make sure you avoid all the things
that stop you from easily falling asleep, like caffeine, alcohol or using
an iPad or similar just before bed.
Check, double check and triple check your alarm clock. Ask some-
one else to check it too. Ask someone to call you if you know that
getting up early is not your strong point. You could even ask some-
one to come and bang on your door if you have been known to sleep
through the phone ringing!
Plan what you are going to wear a few days beforehand. Finding
a stain on your trousers or a missing button on your blouse hours
before you leave is not a great way to start your day.
• If the dress code is not clear to you, err on the side of caution
and dress smarter than you think you should. You don’t want
to be remembered as the candidate who was wearing jeans.
A suit or smart dress is usually perfectly acceptable. You can
A few small pointers
always remove your tie/jacket if you feel overdressed when
• Before you set off check you have the phone number for the
you get there.
building where the Assessment Centre is being held as well
• Put petrol in your car the day before. as the person who has been assigned as your main point of
contact.
• Wear a watch. There are likely to be clocks spread around
Getting there the Assessment Centre but it is useful to be able to quickly
check the time. Remember, you probably won’t have your
• Make sure you allow time for breakfast before you leave. It phone with you (and if you do keep your phone in your bag
is worth sacrificing the extra 15 minutes in bed in order to it should be turned off ).
eat a good breakfast.
• Take all of the relevant paperwork with you and place it in a
• Know where you are going. If you are driving, plan your smart wallet or folder. This will usually include:
route and take a map not just a sat nav. Check online for any
o Your CV or a copy of your application form
known road works etc.
o The job description/job advert
• Driving round and round a city trying to find a car park is
not conducive to a good start to the day so find out where o Any other details about the job that you have been
the nearest car park is too! (It’s also useful to have plenty sent
of loose change for the car park just in case credit or debit o Relevant details about the organisation that you
cards aren’t taken.) might want to brush up on if you have time
• If you are using public transport, double check whether o The details you have been sent about the logistics of
there are any known delays. Make sure you can get to the the Assessment Centre and the exercises contained
location of the Assessment Centre easily from the bus or within it.
train station. o A map and relevant contact details.
• However you get there, allow plenty of contingency and
consider booking a cheap hotel somewhere nearby the night
before if you will have to leave too early. At the Assessment Centre
• If you do get delayed the stress of being late could impair
• Consider yourself as being under scrutiny from the minute
your capability when you get to the Assessment Centre. It
you arrive. Asking the receptionist to run off a few photo-
does not reflect well if you turn up even a few minutes late
copies as you forgot, and treating the catering staff poorly
but just in case, make sure you have the contact details of
will not score you any points! People talk and you have no
the relevant person should you need to call and tell them
idea of who knows who.
you are delayed.
• Be polite and friendly, do use humour if it is appropriate but
don’t treat other candidates or the assessors as though they
are close companions. It is important to remain professional
yet approachable.
• Introduce yourself to other candidates to break the ice and
practice using a nice, firm handshake.
• If you are given opportunities to talk to current graduate
trainees or other employees, make the most of them. Have
some questions prepared in case this situation comes up.
Asking them what the sandwiches in the cafeteria are like is
probably not the best question! Think about what it would
be really useful to know.
o How long have they been there?
o What training and development opportunities have
they been given?
o To what extent do they work with colleagues from
other departments or countries?
o What’s been the highlight of the job for them so far?
• Do not criticise other candidates or any assessors that you
meet. Even if you come across someone who is rude and ob-
noxious, it is unprofessional to talk about them in this way.
• You are likely to take a number of breaks and even to have
lunch with other candidates, assessors and other employ-
ees from the business. This is unlikely to constitute a formal
assessment of you but it is vital to remain professional at
such times. These scenarios can feel very odd as they create a
blurred line between social and business but then, work can
be like this and it is for you to be true to yourself without
appearing unprofessional.
• Remain positive. Regardless of the competencies being for-
mally assessed, positivity is always highly regarded. Joining
in with others’ complaints about the food, the accommoda-
tion or the timetable is not a good use of the limited time
you have to impress.
• Having one bad exercise is not the end of the world. You
can see from the assessment matrix that this is not a ‘one-
shot’ approach. After a bad experience, take a few minutes
to compose yourself and then approach the next one as if it
were the first!
Group Exercises
What is a Group Exercise?

Group Exercises are designed to simulate realistic meetings or group
work situations. They allow recruiting organisations to observe how
candidates behave when working as part of a team and are designed
to assess a number of competencies that are deemed important for
the role in question. (See our competency matrix for details.)
Organisations use them as they offer immediate evidence of how a

candidate works and communicates with other people. They allow
assessors to observe candidates’ behaviour in a standardised setting,
which is fairer and more objective than casual observations of how
they interact with others.
Example Group Exercises ing, planning or solving a work-based problem or it might involve
completing a task (perhaps solving a puzzle or building something).
Group Exercises typically involve between four and eight candidates The information provided sets the scene for the meeting. Some
and are usually one part of a wider Assessment Centre. Candidates tasks provide all candidates with the same information, others give
sit around a table and the assessors are placed around the room. candidates information unique to themselves and they are expected
Each assessor will be assigned one or two candidates to observe and to share this with the group as the discussion evolves (just like in a
they will be recording details of the interactions that take place as real meeting). Many allow candidates to take part in the discussion
the exercise progresses. with no pre-assigned roles, others may give each participant a role
within the discussion (for example, they may be asked to represent a
There are two main types of Group Exercise:
specific department’s priorities or someone may be assigned the role
of Chair, Secretary.)
Group Discussions The topic area of the scenarios that candidates might encounter can
vary widely. Some offer a scenario very relevant to the organisation
In this scenario the group is given one or more topics to discuss. for which they are applying, for example, a technology company
The topic may relate to some of the issues impacting the industry might ask candidates to decide how to bring a struggling technology
in which the recruiting organisation operates or it may be a more project back on track. Other organisations might opt for a broader
general topic, perhaps current affairs or an issue impacting society scenario, for example, a wider discussion to plan the launch of a new
more widely. business or product.
Often the actual content of the discussion is not really relevant; what
Example Group Discussions matters is how candidates interact with one another within the con-
text of the competencies being assessed.
1. There is a shortage of semi-skilled labour in this country.
How can this be addressed?
Example Group Tasks
2. The industry is suffering as a result of automation, what is
the solution to this?
3. What is the best invention in the last 100 years?
4. Identity cards would reduce crime in the UK. Example 1: New Catering Contract
5. The family plays a less important role in society now than it
Information for the candidate
did 50 years ago.
You have 10 minutes to read the information attached and then a
further 45 minutes to discuss the matter with the rest of the group.
Group Tasks By the end of the discussion the group must:
• Decide what next steps should be in the decision-making.
Group tasks can take a variety of forms but usually the group is given
some preliminary information to read within a pre-defined period • Justify the decision the group has taken.
of time before the ‘meeting’ begins. The task may focus on debat-
• Outline key factors that impacted the decision. Information for the assessors
You have 10 minutes to read the information provided Key factors for consideration
and then a further 40 minutes to work as a group to
respond to each of the points above. Ultimate decision for the group is whether to accept the late pro-
posal. There are a number of key factors for the group to consider:
As a member of the procurement team at your organisation, it is
your role to help the group appoint a new provider with the con- • Value for money is vital across the business.
tract to provide all catering services to your organisation. Up to now • The impact the decision will have on existing employees in
catering services have always been provided in-house, however, the catering.
Chief Executive is keen to ensure that the organisation is getting
• If Caterit fail to make the deadline and the group accept the
value for money and the best levels of service. The closing date for all
proposal what implications does that have for the company
potential providers is 1 March at midday. Four organisations have
that pulled out due to time constraints?
been short-listed to this stage of the process. You are part of a team
responsible for the decision-making. The day before the deadline, • If Caterit can’t meet a deadline due to two people being off
two tenders have been received. One was provided by the current in- sick, how does that portray them? Levels of service are also
house catering services department and one is from a potential new an important factor!
supplier (Cookaway). A third party has decided to withdraw from • Is it fair to Cookaway/the in-house team that Caterit have
the process as they did not feel they were given sufficient time to put had extra time?
the proposal together. At this stage the in-house catering services
tender is the cheapest, whereas the other one is significantly more • Should the procurement team listen to the rumours about
expensive. Caterit being cheapest?
• Employees are the customer in this exercise as they will be
The team have just been informed by the fourth potential supplier, using the catering services. How do they best get serviced?
Caterit, that a couple of key people from their team have been off
sick but they hope to get the tender submitted within a couple of • Are redundancies a factor for consideration?
hours after the deadline and they are doing all they can to get it in
on time. The rumours that have been circulating imply that Caterit Competencies to be assessed in this exercise are:
are likely to offer the best price and they have a great reputation in
relation to the quality of what they offer. The CEO has already told Commercial & Market Awareness
the decision-making committee that if the late tender is accepted,
and if it is less than your own, then many internal catering staff will Demonstrates up-to-date knowledge of industry, market and com-
face redundancy which will not be a popular decision in the organ- petitor information. Uses such information to inform planning and
isation. However, as many other departments are looking for ways decision-making. Identifies and seizes opportunities to grow the
to reduce costs it is important that real value for money is achieved. organisation; demonstrates an understanding of the wider issues
that can impact its success. Understands how their own area and
input can impact the wider organisation and beyond.
Communicating & Influencing - What are the pros and cons of each store?
Relates well to others; adapts communication style to successfully - Which option should Wow! opt for and why?
influence and communicate with others. Listens to other people
and communicates with impact and empathy. Communicates ef- - What other information would have been useful to aid the
fectively orally, in writing and via electronic means in a manner ap- decision-making?
propriate to the audience. Successfully explains complex or technical
information to non-experts. Makes an impact, putting one’s own You have 10 minutes to read the information provid-
point across with clarity and purpose. ed and then a further 40 minutes to work as a group
to respond to each of the points above.
Team working
Background information
Works effectively as part of a diverse team and demonstrates the
ability to work collaboratively and empathetically within diverse Due to the success of the last twelve months, Wow! Fashion is keen
teams. Puts the needs of the team above their own and demon- to open a new store. There are a number of possible sites under con-
strates openness and honesty with team members. Builds a sense of sideration. Wow! is a fashion retailer aimed at females in their late
team spirit by listening to, encouraging and supporting colleagues teens and twenties. They source all materials ethically and have a
and wider team members. team of highly innovative designers on board. These factors are a key
part of their brand. This will be the eighth store they have opened
Customer Focus since they were founded 5 years ago.
Strives to anticipate and understand the needs of customers. Ap- They also have an online presence but their stores are currently prov-
plies their understanding of customers to ensure they receive timely ing to be more successful than the online side of the business, de-
and efficient service, going the extra mile in order to surpass expec- spite what is happening more widely in fashion retailing. The units
tations. Focuses on customer needs and levels of satisfaction in all outlined below are all available in two months and all have approxi-
they do; acts upon customer feedback; takes customer concerns and mately the same floor space.
feedback seriously.
Site 1: Osgaston village
Example 2: Retail unit suitability Osgaston is an average sized, fairly affluent village (approximately
10,000 inhabitants). It is approximately 25 miles from the nearest
Information for the candidate city (Siftford) with good transport links in the form of buses and
trains. It has a number of well-respected secondary schools in the
As a key member of the Wow! Business Development team, you
area and many of the children attending them walk past the store
have been asked to work with your colleagues to make a decision
twice a day including those from the very popular and expanding
regarding the expansion of the business. You are part of a team who
further education college (for 16-19 year olds).
have to choose between three different units for the company’s new
store. The options could all be a success but there is a lot of variation Whilst it isn’t a large village there are a number of other shops and
between them. Wow!’s commercial director has asked the group to it has a busy farmers’ market twice a week. The other shops on the
consider the possibilities and to discuss the following: high street tend to stock high end furniture, gifts, accessories and lo-
cally produced artisan crafts. The village also hosts a very popular art to its other stores. The rental costs are reviewed every two years
gallery which attracts many visitors plus there are a growing number but historically they have not been increased massively year on year.
of holiday lets becoming available in the area. The village is currently The local council are really keen to find suitable retailers to rent the
expanding as a new development of 300 houses is being built over empty units.
the next three years. It is thought that this development will attract
more affluent young families. Site 3: Hillview out of town shopping and leisure cen-
tre
The site is right in the middle of the high street between a café and
a leather shop. It commands an average annual site rental in com- Hillview opened five years ago and has been widely regarded as a
parison to other Wow! stores and the lease runs for five years. It is success. It plays host to 280 units and on average, 95% of them have
projected that a Wow! shop opened in Osgaston would generate been occupied most of the time. It is situated five miles outside of
slightly less than average turnover in the first year but the owners of Siftford. The shopping centre itself attracts a large number of inter-
the unit have committed to fixing the rental costs for five years. It is national high street brands with four major department stores being
also thought that the new housing development could have a posi- amongst them. The rest of the centre is split between fashion, shoes,
tive impact on turnover. Competition for this unit is high. beauty and homeware mainly. Independent retailers have tended
to be less successful over the last five years as the rental costs are
Site 2: Siftford city shopping centre very high, so many have closed within 18 months of opening. It also
contains a multi-screen cinema and bowling centre, both of which
Siftford is a large city with a very diverse population (just over 1 mil- prove very popular with teenagers. The owners of Hillview are also
lion inhabitants). It is surrounded by a number of smaller towns and building a luxury leisure club complete with swimming pool which
cities and a number of international businesses are based there. In is planned for opening in 2 months.
recent years there has been a downturn in retailing due to the open-
ing of a new out of town shopping centre (5 miles from the city) but There is no typical profile of Hillview customers. As one would ex-
over the last 12 months the local council has invested a lot of money pect, weekdays tend to be quieter with older people and parents with
to attract shoppers back to the city. An upturn has already been seen. children being major customers. The weekends tend to be five times
As part of this initiative, the shop units are being offered at a very busier and the customer profile widens to include teenagers, profes-
low rental rate, with the one Wow! is considering costing a lot less sionals and families. There are three main zones to the centre. The
than the rest of the units that Wow! rent. unit on offer currently is situated in the less expensive end which
tends to attract brands that are less well-known for quality, instead
The diverse nature of the city means that there are a wide variety of focusing on goods at a lower price point. This tends to attract lots of
people who use the shopping centre. There are a number of deprived teenagers hoping to spend their pocket money! The other two zones
areas close to the city but it also services many of the more affluent are ‘prestige’ and ‘leisure’. It is anticipated the turnover at this store
towns and villages within a 5 mile radius. The store itself is based could be above average if the shop is a success but the rental will be
inside a newly refurbished shopping centre. A number of large, well amongst the highest Wow! has ever paid. Rental costs are reviewed
known fashion chains have already started to open stores there and annually and they typically increase 5% year on year.
the low rental costs are attracting a lot of interest. There has been
an above average level of incidence of shoplifting reported in the
shopping centre over the last 12 months but the police are now of-
fering a heavy presence during peak shopping times. It is believed
that a Wow! store in Siftford would see average turnover compared
Information for the assessors Even with new Lots of competition Wow! is known
development of from out of town for ethics and
Key factors for consideration houses, only likely retail centre innovation which
to bring in 1200 is not in line with
more people (only the low end shops
Osgaston Siftford Hillview half likely to be it will be situated
adults), even less amongst
Advantages teens/early twenties
Affluent area (fairly Diverse and large Already a well- Average rent but Rental costs could Rent likely to
self-sufficient) city so lots of established below average rise in two years increase quickly
potential customers shopping centre forecast
in right age bracket
High proportion of Slight upturn in Facilities on offer
families therefore retail seen in last 12 likely to attract Competencies to be assessed
some teenagers months Wow! customers
Lots of visitors to Services lots of Investment still Communicating and Influencing
the town surrounding towns being made so
and village unlikely to see a Relates well to others; adapts communication style to successfully
downturn in near influence and communicate with others. Listens to other people
future
and communicates with impact and empathy. Communicates effec-
Village is growing Council keen to Above average tively orally, in writing and via electronic means in a manner appro-
support retailers in turnover anticipated
this centre priate to the audience. Successfully explains complex or technical
No rising rental Low rental costs Very busy
information to non-experts. Makes an impact, putting one’s own
costs despite being weekends point across with clarity and purpose.
a popular site
Disadvantages Team working
Surrounding shops Last 5 years has Lots of competition
aren’t in keeping been poor for for business Works effectively as part of a diverse team and demonstrates the
with Wow! offering retailing overall – no ability to work collaboratively and empathetically within diverse
guarantees that the teams. Puts the needs of the team above their own and demon-
recent upturn will
last strates openness and honesty with team members. Builds a sense of
team spirit by listening to, encouraging and supporting colleagues
Only 10,00 Competition from Smaller retailers
inhabitants in total other well-known have traditionally and wider team members.
fashion chains failed due to high
rental costs Customer Focus
Visitors’ focus tends High incidence of The unit available
to be art gallery shoplifting is amongst low-end Strives to anticipate and understand the needs of customers. Ap-
(not typical Wow! brands which could plies their understanding of customers to ensure they receive timely
customers) impact the Wow!
brand negatively and efficient service, going the extra mile in order to surpass expec-
tations. Focuses on customer needs and levels of satisfaction in all
they do; acts upon customer feedback; takes customer concerns and
feedback seriously.
ingredients. The other alternative is to replace Burst with a range of
Commercial and Market Awareness flavoured sparkling waters. Results of the trials show some advan-
tages and disadvantages to each.
Demonstrates up-to-date knowledge of industry, market and com-
petitor information. Uses such information to inform planning and The Marketing department has also been carrying out research to
decision-making. Identifies and seizes opportunities to grow the understand whether the Burst image is in need of an update or
organisation; demonstrates an understanding of the wider issues whether the product itself may be the problem with customers.
that can impact its success. Understands how their own area and A financial review has also revealed some major differences between
input can impact the wider organisation and beyond. sales across Europe.
Example 3: Product Proposal Today’s date is 14th January.
Information for the candidate Information sheet 1

You have recently joined Quench International, a producer of soft
drinks who export their products to many countries around the
world although mainly Europe. Your role as a graduate trainee is to
work across a number of different departments, learning about the Memo
organisation and taking on a variety of projects. Over the last year,
concerns have been raised about Quench’s key product and you have To: The Graduate Trainee Team
been asked to work with the other trainee graduates in the business
to decide next steps. From: Sam Baird, Head of Product
You have 15 minutes to review the information on Date: 14th January

your own. The group will then have 40 minutes to ______________________________________________________
discuss what recommendations should be present-
ed to the Head of Product. ______________________________________________________
My PA has collated a series of useful papers for you to review in rela-
Background information: tion to the decline in Burst’s sales. I’d like you to look at the informa-
Quench’s flagship product is Burst – a range of fresh fruit smoothies. tion provided, then together as a team:
Burst is the most important brand amongst the Quench products • Consider the advantages and disadvantages of each
and up until recently has been a really popular product in the UK product
and Europe. However, a decline has recently been seen in both its • Decide on which product we should launch/relaunch
sales and market share across most of Europe. It is not obvious • Create a high level action plan for next steps
whether this decline is due to Burst’s image and marketing or to the • Create a list of what extra information you need to see.
characteristics of the product itself. You will be asked to spend 5 minutes outlining your solution at the
The Research & Development department are in the process of un- end of the meeting. Please appoint a spokesperson to do this.
dertaking research to look for possible replacements for Burst. One
option is to consider a range of energy drinks using mainly natural
Information sheet 2
The papers I have attached include:
- Initial New Product Test Results Initial New Product Test Results
- Burst Marketing Research Report
- Quench Company Values
- Excerpt from Burst Sales Report Full technical results are not yet available but what follows is a high
- Memo from Head of HR level summary of the findings. Trial participants were not given any
prior information about the drinks and what they were designed to
I’m sorry I can’t be there in person, I am travelling until early next do/who they would be marketed to.
week but I have arranged for a colleague to listen to your proposal
at the end of your meeting.
Fruit-based energy drink:
I feel it is also worthwhile offering you my views in relation to the
current problems we are facing regarding sales of Burst in Europe. 4 prototype flavours were produced for the trials: guava, mango, ba-
I was part of the original marketing team that launched Burst 10 nana and passion fruit. Taste trials suggested that banana was the
years ago. At the time, it was ahead of the competition as no one least popular and mango was most popular. Guava and passion fruit
else was offering affordable smoothies. Over the last 10 years we were moderately successful in the taste tests. There were no gender
have seen a rise in the volume of smoothies on offer, and whilst not differences between preferences but the under 20’s rated the product
many are as inexpensive as Burst, they do seem to be more popu- less favourably overall.
lar. It is interesting to note that the marketing emphasis amongst
our competitors has changed somewhat from when Burst was first Technical tests show that it would be possible to have an average
launched. Our original intention was to market to parents as Burst shelf life of 10 months, which is a lot less than traditional, caffeine-
was a healthy alternative to the then popular sugar-filled drinks. based energy drinks offered by competitors. The product would
However, many competitor smoothie products are aimed at adults also require storage in a refrigerator (like Burst is currently stored),
too with a lot of attention being paid to stylish packaging and the whereas caffeine-based energy drinks do not.
offer of a luxury brand and linked food products. This extra spend
Manufacturing costs for this product would not be excessive as
on marketing and design does seem to have resulted in many com-
Quench already have access to all necessary product development
petitor products being more expensive though.
equipment that would be required, but there are obvious extra costs
It would be a shame to lose Burst following just one year’s decline associated with developing a new product range
in sales but we need to think fast now if we want to claim back this
Most energy drinks are currently stored in cans; we could differenti-
market. I haven’t seen any of the results of the trials of the energy
ate by supplying in recyclable clear plastic bottle. Trials suggest that
drink or the sparkling waters but this could lead to an even more
clear drinks are the least popular, with consumers preferring energy
difficult decision.
drinks to reflect the colour of the associated fruit. This would require
artificial colorant.
Good luck. In a follow-up survey 40% of trial participants felt that the drink did
impact their energy levels for more than 30 minutes afterwards. Half
Sam of the participants claimed to be regular consumers of caffeine based
energy drinks and 80% of these people claimed that their ‘usual’ en-
ergy drink enhanced their energy levels for at least 30 minutes.
Flavoured sparkling water: Information sheet 3
4 prototype flavours were produced for the trials: orange, apple, Burst Marketing Research Report
mango and lemon. The most popular were orange and mango; lem-
on was least popular and apple fell into the middle. The only gender The following is an abstract of a full marketing report surrounding
difference was seen in relation to apple, whereby females rated it consumer research in relation to Burst.
higher than males. The over 60 category appeared to enjoy the range
less overall but no other age differences were observed. The brand appears to be confused. Under 25’s think it is old fash-
ioned and over 25’s think it is for children.
The shelf life of the sparking water is likely to be 12 months, which
compares favourably with many similar competitor products. The The branding has not changed for 10 years. Consumers appear to
product would most likely be presented in a recyclable plastic bottle like the name but many stated they feel like the packaging and ad-
with a coloured label to represent the associated fruit flavour. Con- vertising is dated and not in keeping with latest trends.
sumers were positive about the packaging, saying it compared fa-
When asked what connotations Burst had for them, themes in-
vourably to other sparkling waters.
cluded:
Like the energy drinks, manufacturing does not require purchase of
Fruity drinks for children
any new equipment but there are obvious extra costs associated with
developing a new product range. Lunch box fillers
Burst: A good alternative to fruit
Questions about preferred competitor smoothie drinks led to the

Blind trials were also conducted using Burst. There are currently conclusion that the most popular were those which offered organic
8 different Burst flavours and of these, 3 were consistently rated products and had related health benefits.
as ‘poor’ by at least 80% of trial participants. There were 4 flavours
that 90% of those taking part rated as at least ‘good’, namely Or- Parents had concerns over children consuming too many smoothies
ange, Mango, Passion fruit and Strawberry. The under 20’s gave all due to the risk to their teeth and would prefer to give them fla-
flavours less favourable ratings than all other age groups. Burst was voured water as an alternative.
most popular overall with those in their 30’s and 40’s.
Knowing that products were sourced locally or at least in the UK
The drink was presented in both clear plastic containers as well as was also important to consumers that were interviewed in the UK.
the traditional card boxes. The former was overwhelmingly more
popular. Most people said they liked seeing the ingredients as they Marketing research was not conducted outside of the UK.
looked so fresh and inviting.
Information sheet 4 Information Sheet 6
Quench company values Memo

Nature is king – as our customers become more concerned about To: European Executive Team
health and well-being, our role is to support them as best we can by
From: Tony Slane, Head of HR
offering products that, where possible, are made with the freshest
and healthiest ingredients. Where we have to resort to an artificial Date: 5th January
alternative we will make this clear to our customers.
_____________________________________________________
Relish opportunities – our success this far has been based on grasp- _____________________________________________________
ing opportunities when we see them. We don’t want our people to
feel constrained by process, entrepreneurialism is vital to keep ahead I am pleased to inform you all that Will Dickinson, Head of Sales
of the competition. for UK and Ireland will be returning to work following a period of
extended absence following illness. He plans to return this summer.
Look after others – this includes each other and our customers. We We would like to thank Jorge Montague for covering this region as
want to support and improve our community and our environment. well his own area of Western Europe during this period. We look
forward to welcoming Will back to Quench and wish him a speedy
Look after the numbers – making money isn’t a bad thing. We can
recovery between now and then.
support our community and each other whilst also being commer-
cial. Without consideration of the numbers, none of us would be
here!
Information sheet 5 Information for the assessors
Excerpt from Sales Report (Burst Sales) Key factors for consideration
Year 5 - We know Quench export outside of Europe, could this be

All figures in £m Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 (this an option to consider further for Burst? Why focus only on
year) Europe?
UK and Ireland 1.5 2 2.2 2.1 - We have no information to tell us how energy drinks and
Northern Europe 0.4 0.9 1.1 1.1 sparkling water are performing more widely at the moment.
Southern Europe 1.8 2.1 2.2 2.3 We need to look at whether they could even come close to
Eastern Europe 0.0 0.1 0.1 0.3 becoming a key product for Quench. Would like to see a full
competitor analysis.
Western Europe 0.4 0.8 0.9 0.8
Total 4.1 5.9 6.5 6.6 - Image is very obviously an issue. Could the brand be split in
two? There is clearly a market for children and for adults but
the same product won’t work for both.
- There are some differences within Europe in relation to Competencies to be assessed in this exercise are:
sales. We need to understand more about this. HR memo
shows that the two declining areas have been managed by –– Commercial & Market Awareness
one person for a while. The UK & Ireland Head of Sales is
Demonstrates up-to-date knowledge of industry, market and com-
returning this summer. Could Will’s absence have been a
petitor information. Uses such information to inform planning and
factor?
decision-making. Identifies and seizes opportunities to grow the
- It is clear that smoothies face increased competition and organisation; demonstrates an understanding of the wider issues
that Quench hasn’t really done anything to move the Burst that can impact its success. Understands how their own area and
brand forward in that time. They are now lagging behind. input can impact the wider organisation and beyond.
The marketing report already shows some ideas for how the
brand could be improved. –– Communicating & Influencing
- Could a rebrand of Burst include a focus on local products? Relates well to others; adapts communication style to successfully
Organic offering? Packaging looks to be a factor too. influence and communicate with others. Listens to other people
- Competitors have smoothies at a higher price point. Maybe and communicates with impact and empathy. Communicates ef-
sales to adults can carry the extra cost. Could that make the fectively orally, in writing and via electronic means in a manner ap-
product seem more luxurious? propriate to the audience. Successfully explains complex or technical
- It is also clear that there are many flavours of Burst that information to non-experts. Makes an impact, putting one’s own
are not enjoyed. Could be sensible to stop supporting these point across with clarity and purpose.
flavours and focus on the more popular ones.
–– Team working
- There is mention of storage in the report, is this an impor-
tant factor? What impact might this have on the decision? Works effectively as part of a diverse team and demonstrates the
ability to work collaboratively and empathetically within diverse
- Whilst it is clear that the general manufacturing costs
teams. Puts the needs of the team above their own and demon-
wouldn’t be an issue necessarily, we still need to take account
strates openness and honesty with team members. Builds a sense of
of the increased costs associated with product development.
team spirit by listening to, encouraging and supporting colleagues
- A potential issue with the energy drink is the reduced im- and wider team members.
pact on energy compared to other products. This could be
a barrier and would need addressing in the next phase of –– Customer Focus
development.
Strives to anticipate and understand the needs of customers. Ap-
- Concerns could be raised as to whether the energy drink plies their understanding of customers to ensure they receive timely
is in accordance with company value of ‘Nature is King’. and efficient service, going the extra mile in order to surpass expec-
Could this devalue the wider Quench brand and values? tations. Focuses on customer needs and levels of satisfaction in all
- Looking at the sales report shows that Burst sales are still they do; acts upon customer feedback; takes customer concerns and
increasing year on year in three regions. Worth considering feedback seriously.
why this might be.
How do I prepare for a Group what you do – so their opinion matters! In every busi-
ness decision you need to consider how your staff will
Exercise? feel – this information might be included in the form of
staff surveys or opinion polls.
yy Good business people use “gut feel” and listen out for
information that will give them hints about mood and
Working with the business information morale. You may also find snippets of informal infor-
mation about staff weaved into other data amongst the
–– The information you are provided with in a Group Exercise information provided. Small snippets of information
can vary widely – just like in real life! Business data comes might add up to an important theme – so refer to it in
in many forms, reflecting the complexity of business. Think the discussion if you think there’s something there.
about how effective business people make decisions – they
–– One Group Exercise is very unlikely to include all of the
take on board information from a wide variety of people and
information listed above as there is usually limited time for
sources. Included in this might be the following:
reading – the main focus is on the discussion. For a detailed
yy Profit and Loss Accounts – also referred to P&L: this overview of each of the above, take a look at the Analysis
is a financial statement that summarises the revenues, Presentation section.
costs and expenses incurred during a specific period of
–– As part of the Group Exercise you will be required to read
time - usually a quarter or year. These records provide
and digest this type of information before discussing it with
information that shows the ability of a company to gen-
the rest of the group.
erate profit by increasing revenue and reducing costs.
yy Balance Sheet – this gives a snapshot of how the com-
pany is doing on a certain date. Research, research, research!
yy Organisation Charts – these give a pictorial view of
how the company is structured and who key people are. –– Look at the company website. What recent initiatives have
yy Sales and Trading data - Data reflecting current trad- they been involved in? Are there any key people it is worth
ing information including pricing and volume and oth- finding out more about? What plans are there for expan-
er information related to the trade. sion? Who are their main competitors and what market
share do they appear to hold?
yy Customer data – this could come in the form of demo-
graphic data about the customers used to inform such –– Is there any information about their values? What is impor-
as gender and income; or it could be data from the cus- tant to them? Are they more focused on acting with social
tomers such as feedback, complaints or market research. responsibility or are commercial gains more important to
them for example?
yy Organisational Structure – organisational and business
charts will show you how the company is structured in –– Use the information on their recruitment website. Often
terms of who key people are, what their job is and where you will see what competencies they regard as vital for suc-
they work. cess in the company. Think about how they relate to your
natural style of behaving and use this to guide the way you
yy Staff – the people who work for you will make or break think about the task at hand.
–– Look at any social networking links that they have. Often way of bolstering your confidence in a less pressured situa-
Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook can provide valuable infor- tion prior to the real thing.
mation about their latest thinking and offers. This can give –– Try and find opportunities to observe others whose style
you an insight into what’s important to them and this can you respect. For example, take the time to sit back in meet-
help you to frame your thinking in relation to the exercise. ings, or during group work, and look at what is happening.
Are people naturally taking up specific roles? What is the
chair person doing to ensure that everyone is involved in
Read the information you are given the meeting? If there is no assigned chair or facilitator, how
is the group managing to work cohesively? How could the
–– You will inevitably have seen some form of job description, meeting be improved?
maybe even a list of key competencies for the role. Use this
–– You can also talk to friends who have already undertaken a
to think about what the assessors may be looking for in the
Group Exercise to get a better understanding of what to ex-
Group Exercise but do remain true to yourself.
pect. However, their experience will inevitably be different
–– The website will also often give you more information about to yours so don’t place too much emphasis on this.
the specifics of the Assessment Centre and may tell you
about the exercise. It is also likely that the company will
send you more information ahead of the exercise. It is really Useful pointers for the group
important to read this.
–– The task set for the group can vary widely but there are
Understand yourself
some useful models and techniques that are worth knowing
–– Ask for feedback from those who know you best. This about. Having them in mind can help you to give the group
might be teachers, employers, friends or family. Ask them a useful framework for their discussion.
what they think about your communication style in a group. yy Categories and themes. Typical headings might include:
What do they think are your strengths and your develop-
–– People & staff issues
ment needs in this regard? Play to your strengths in the ex-
ercise and spend time considering your development needs –– Finance issues
and thinking about ways to improve. For example, if you –– Customer issues
are told that sometimes you tend to take over in a group
setting, try and manage this when you are with friends and –– Facilities and Resources
colleagues so that it becomes more natural for you. You can yy Importance & Urgency. How important and how urgent
even ask a very close friend to give you a nudge when they are the key issues that are apparent in the information?
see you doing this! This is a useful approach when planning is required. It
–– Get involved in group discussions or debates. This could be will help give the group some structure.
as part of an organised club or group, for example a debat- yy Timeframes and Priorities. If you are asked to plan a
ing society, book group or committee, or, it could simply project or to develop a product launch plan, the asses-
be taking part in more serious discussions with friends and sors will be looking for evidence of you prioritising and
colleagues. If you are naturally quite shy this can be a good planning ahead. You could suggest using the headings
that businesses often use – immediate, short, medium
and long-term. impact upon the organisation, its people, prod-
yy SWOT. If the group is asked to make a decision, the ucts and customers?
assessors will be looking for evidence of how you came –– Legal: will changes to the law impact upon the
to that decision. The group can use SWOT to help company, its products, services and customers?
make the decision and it can offer a nice structure to –– Environmental: how will changes here impact
help you keep track of how you got there. upon the company? Consider how the resources
–– Strengths: what is the company or business good could be affected by change.
at? What are the special or successful things it yy SMART (Targets and Measures of Success). If the
already does? group is required to develop a plan it can be useful to
–– Weaknesses: what problems or pitfalls exist have targets and measures of success to help structure
within the business? Where are there current or the planning. It helps the group agree on what they
future concerns? want to achieve and what success looks like. SMART is
–– Opportunities: consider the business context a useful and straightforward way of setting targets and
or market – what opportunities could or might measures.
come up and how could the business take advan- –– Simple: state the goal in one line or sentence –
tage of those? describe exactly what needs to be achieved, what
–– Threats: what risks and liabilities are there? What the result will be.
negative things could happen to put the company, –– Measurable: how will success be measured? Will
its product, its people or reputation at risk? it be in sales units, reduced costs, increased cus-
yy PESTLE. PESTLE offers the group a useful way tomer foot-fall, happier staff, and better return
to evaluate the data. It is most useful if you have been for your share-holders? Whatever it is, make it
given a lot of context regarding the organisation and the something you can measure and count! Be as
climate in which it operates. It might not be useful in all specific as possible and say exactly how the mea-
scenarios. Simply put, PESTLE is: surement will happen.
–– Political: the political landscape - remember this –– Achievable: no point putting in an unrealistic
can include the politics within the company as target that will let people down and disappoint.
well as those outside the organisation. Good targets are tough, but can be done.
–– Economic: this can include the financial situation –– Realistic: Whatever your target, encourage the
inside the company as well in the wider market. group to think about exactly what needs to hap-
pen to get there.
–– Social: this can include an internal view which
would mean looking at staff and people issues - Timebound: be clear and specific about when
within the company, or outside the company you want to see your results.
which would mean looking at the wider societal
context.
–– Technological: how will technology and change
Top tips for Group Exercises good, why not encourage everyone to remind the rest of the group
what their name is at the start of the session and make a note for
yourself.
A useful check-list of “dos” and “don’ts” when taking part in a Group
Exercise: –– Encourage quieter group members to have
their say as well as trying to get overbearing
people to listen to others. This is not increasing the
competition; it is demonstrating good teamwork skills. Not ev-
Do …. eryone naturally gets involved but even though someone is quiet
it doesn’t mean they don’t have valid opinions.
–– Think before you speak. Filling quiet time with ir-
relevant and useless opinions and suggestions will not gain you –– Consider the time allocated to the exercise
points with the assessors. and what you all need to achieve in this time.
Reminding the team of how long they have left can help bring
–– Relax and be yourself. It is important to remain profes- the group back on track.
sional but being yourself will also ensure that you do not come
across as contrived or trying too hard. –– Focus on what’s important and not all of the
detail. If the group is spending too long on an area that is not
–– Body language is important. Think about how you really relevant to the overall objective, be polite and diplomatic
sit and interact with others non-verbally. A smile can go a long in how you approach this but don’t be afraid to suggest that you
way towards improving relationships with others as can nod- move on and come back to it later.
ding and demonstrating agreement with others when relevant.
–– Find opportunities to summarise the discussion so far. Do-
–– Take an active part in the discussion. If you sit ing this demonstrates that you have understood the discussion
back for too long you will find it more difficult to find a way into so far and that you are comfortable taking a leadership role by
the conversation. Try and remain active throughout without bringing the group back on track.
saying things to fill the gaps!
–– Think about the ‘big picture’. You may have your own
–– Reign yourself in if you feel you are taking priorities but often compromise is important in order to do what
over. If you feel that you are starting to dominate create a way is best for the fictional group you are part of.
of pulling yourself out of the discussion by asking someone else
what they think.
–– Let other people speak and listen to what they Don’t
say. You might not agree with what they are saying but ev-
eryone deserves to have their opinion heard and often opposing –– Completely take over and be too dominating
views can help the group to come to a more balanced decision. or controlling. Leadership is important but a strong leader
Making reference to someone else’s point later in the discussion listens to others and makes sure that the right people are involved.
demonstrates that you have been listening.
–– Confuse being assertive with being arrogant.
–– Call people by their first name. This may seem re- There is a fine line between these two concepts and it is important
ally simple but by remembering someone’s name and address- to get the right balance. You may be confident that your ideas are
ing them accordingly you are more likely to get them ‘on-side’. workable but other people are more than likely feeling the same.
”That’s a great idea Helen.” If your memory for names isn’t very Usually, there is not necessarily one right way of completing an
exercise. friends in a more familiar setting. That said though, appropriate
–– Interrupt others. You may have a burning desire to com- humour and charm will get you a long way.
ment on something that another group member is saying but –– Think that you are superior to others. The whole
reign that in, let them finish, but be sure to make a mental or point of Group Exercises is that they create a level playing field.
written note so that you don’t lose that thought. Acting superior and as if you are ‘above all this nonsense’ will not
–– Demonstrate frustration with others. Your diplo- be regarded well by the assessors or the rest of the group and you
macy skills can be tested to the max in a Group Exercise and could quickly alienate yourself.
it is important not to lose your temper or shout someone down.
Remain polite and calm.
–– Offer to take notes and then end up being left
out of the conversation as you are acting as
the secretary for the group. Someone will of course be
required to take notes but if you do volunteer to do so make sure
you remain part of the discussion. Taking notes can also reduce
opportunities for eye contact with others.
–– Respond to rude or offensive behaviour with
similar rude or offensive behaviour. Don’t be
afraid to stick up for yourself but do so with tact and diplomacy.
–– Be afraid to offer your opinion and defend
your point of view. You may find yourself surrounded by
more confident and outgoing people than you are used to but just
because someone has a lot to say, this does not make them right.
Present evidence to support your own viewpoint and don’t be
afraid to ask others what they think.
–– Criticise other people’s opinions or ridicule
their responses. It is fine to disagree with others but it is
also vital to offer constructive alternatives too. Under no circum-
stances should you attack someone personally.
–– Consider yourself in charge and start delegat-
ing roles to others in the group. Leadership is one
thing but teamwork is also key. Bossing others around will not
reflect well on you.
–– Relax so much that you become unprofession-
al. It is great to feel relaxed and the assessors will be looking for
those people who are not highly strung but don’t fall into the trap
of thinking you can act in the same way you might amongst close
Presentation Exercises
What is a Presentation Exercise?

It is very common to have to make a presentation at an Assessment
Centre. There are a number of different types of presentation and in
this section we focus on presentations you can prepare in advance
and deliver on the day of the Assessment Centre. Very often the
subject matter is “about you” or what you know about the organisa-
tion or job you are applying for. Organisations use this kind of exer-
cise not only to see how well you can “present yourself ” but also learn
a little about you, your background and career aspirations. They are
not testing your knowledge as such, but through the presentation
want to see how you communicate, interact and present. Aspects of
your confidence and style will be assessed, and if you are asked ques-
tions about your presentation, assessors will also get to see how well
you think on your feet.
There are endless variations and possibilities for this type of presen-
tation exercise. Perhaps the most common aim of all is to find out
about you, your reasons for applying for the job, and what you know
about the organisation. As well as the typical competencies such as
communication, assessors get the chance to see just how much re-
How do I prepare for a
search you have done about the company and the job in question. If Presentation Exercise?
you can demonstrate that you really understand the job and that you
“get” what the business is trying to do, then in the assessor’s mind, Most organisations using this technique will give you a topic or title
you are likely to make a better recruit than another candidate who upfront along with some general guidelines about how long they
isn’t really sure what they are getting themselves in to. expect your presentation to be. There are a number of things you will
If the presentation content relates to a specific business case study, need to consider to help you to prepare for the presentation:
then this is an Analysis Presentation (see Analysis Presentations
section).
a: Researching your presentation
Example Presentation Exercises What could be nicer than writing a presentation all about you?
Wrong! When assessors ask about you, they really want to know
There are many variations of this kind of exercise. What follows are what you can do for their business. So when it comes to research,
some typical example scenarios. start by doing all you can to understand the role, the organisation
and the market you are applying to. The company web-site, Google,
Example Presentation Exercises Wikipedia will all be useful sources of information to you. The more
you can find out about the organisation the better. Think about what
I. Please prepare a 10 minute presentation on “Why you think the company is really trying to achieve. What are its aims and as-
you are right for this job” pirations? What is it really good at? What are the main challenges
II. Prepare a 15 minute presentation telling us what you would it faces? If you really want to get below the surface of the organisa-
do in this job in the first 6 months. tion, you might want to use evaluation techniques such as SWOT or
PESTLE (See our section Analysing and Developing Your Content
III. A 10 minute presentation describing who you are and the
under the Analysis Presentation area for details.)
qualities you would bring as an employee for company X
IV. Convince us to employ you in 10 minutes Once you have done your company needs analysis, turn it into a
checklist. Try to match up what you offer. Be specific and think
V. Provide a 15 minute presentation outlining what attracts
about real examples that actually demonstrate what you have done
you to this role
in the past.
VI. A 20 minute presentation outlining the skills and experi-
ence you bring to this job
VII. A 20 minute presentation on what you know about our
company and why you think we should employ you
Company X What I can offer
b: Writing your Presentation
Culture of long Got myself through University whilst holding Presentations combine two things: firstly, the content of your slides,
hours and hard down 2 part-time jobs. Undertook summer and secondly, what you actually say. Both of these important ele-
work jobs each year with Company X – 100% ments need to add up to make a convincing and logical story. More
attendance & good reviews from line
manager – used to working early and late. No than that, it needs to be your story! And like every story, you need a
absenteeism. Demonstrated punctuality. start, a middle and an end. And just like a good story, it needs to be
Values team- Experienced working in teams – on year out informative, interesting and personal.
work worked with volunteer team & was made
team leader Let’s look at structure. A good structure for a presentation includes:
Expanding into Degree in European Business Studies
foreign markets –– The start: a welcoming and informative introduction
Experience of working for Italian Manufacturer
–– The middle: a coherent series of main points presented in a
Fluent French & Italian logical sequence
Reached Times Friendly and work well in a team – I can add –– The end: a clear and meaningful conclusion.
Top 100 Great to the team culture that is important here
Places to Work The Start:
The Role
Working with University research project cross-country
This is the point where you introduce yourself and invite your audi-
complex study into market x – used techniques a, b & ence to listen to your story. So you need to gain the audience’s inter-
numbers c est and confidence by telling them what they can expect from you
and data; during your presentation. Key elements to include are:
researching
potential
markets yy A positive start: “Good afternoon, my name is Karen and
…”;
Working with Worked with research team at university
researchers yy A statement of what you will present on: “I am going to
from other During summer job with Italian manufacturer explain why I will make a good employer for you”;
countries to had to liaise and work with suppliers from
pool common across Europe yy Describe how you are going to do this: “I will share with
data sets you examples of my work and university experience that
Once you have gathered as much information about the company, demonstrate the skills and qualities you need…
and why you think you match their needs and requirements you are yy A statement of the outcome: “and I hope this will show
ready to pull it together and write an actual presentation. you why I am right for this job…”;
yy Slides at this point: On your first slide include the title
of your presentation, your name and the date (see Rules
on Style for hints and tips about using presentation
software).
The Middle have these skills
o 1 minute x 1 slide summary and conclusion of your
This section will become the backbone of your presentation, so you
key points.
need to make sure you have prioritised, focussed and sequenced the
information gathered in the research phase. The Conclusion
yy Start by pulling out the most important and key points The conclusion is a very important but often forgotten part of a
for your summary checklist. Express each of the points presentation. Here you summarise and remind the audience about
in few words or a short sentence. These are the key state- what you have said and reinforce the key messages you want to com-
ments to go into the presentation slides. Keep them municate. Important parts of a conclusion are:
short, neat and to the point.
yy Once you have identified and written your main points, • A review of the purpose of your presentation: “In this presen-
you need to back them up with supporting information tation I wanted to tell you why…”;
or evidence. This will add colour and interest to your • A reminder of your aspirations: “I hope to have been able to
presentation. Again, express the evidence in a short show that....”;
statement or phrase to go on to your slide. • An invitation for questions “Please ask me questions …”;
yy Ask yourself: “What am I really telling them? What do • A thank you to the audience for their attention and partici-
they really want to know here?” Your answers to these pation: “Thank you very much for listening.”
questions will help you to form what you actually say as
you present the slide. You will need to talk around the Holding Attention
short statements, explain them further, build up more
detail and share why they are important and meaning- It’s not that assessors are lazy. In fact they work really hard!
ful. This won’t necessarily be formally scripted or writ- But how do you hold their attention and keep them focussed
ten down, but you need to communicate to the assessors on you? One way to do this is to keep your eye contact with
the key messages behind your written content. the assessors – if you keep looking at them, they will find it hard
to look away! Another useful technique is to use transitions.
yy In 10 minutes you will only have time for five or six
Transitions are like a signpost which tells the audience that you
main points and allow everything else to support these.
are moving on to a new section or about to tell them something
Don’t try to pack too much content in - think qual-
really important or that your presentation is coming to a close.
ity, not quantity! A good example of structure over 10
Just as signposts on a country walk give you guidance on which
minutes might look something like:
route to take, transitions tell them what to expect next, and that
o 1 minute x 1 slide introduction – who you are and makes them more inclined to follow you and your presentation.
what you are going to tell them
Examples include:
o 2 minutes x 2 slides on the challenges facing the
organisation in the current market yy “I will begin by telling you about …”;
o 1 minute x 1 slide on the skills the organisation re- yy “Now that I have described my project, let me explain how
quires in their graduate it will help me in this job, firstly….
o 4 minutes x 4 slides on evidence showing that you yy I would like to move on to my next point….
yy “In contrast to my earlier statements concerning …”; c: Delivering the Presentation
yy “Finally, I’d like to focus on.…”
Transitions can also be made without speaking. Non-verbal transi-
Be Yourself: the more you can make this presentation your own,
the better it will be. Not everyone enjoys delivering a presentation
tions include pausing, changing a slide or other visual aids, moving
and standing up in front of people can be daunting. Importantly
to a different area of the room before resuming speaking, or making
you need to think about how to be truly yourself and be authentic.
eye contact with a different group in the audience.
The best presenters never deliver a perfect presentation – but they do
present an honest picture of themselves and that is what we like and
Rules on Style respond to. So the best advice is to be yourself.
If you are preparing a presentation in advance then it is appropri-
Body Language: walk in and smile. Take a breath and take
ate to use professional presentation software such as PowerPoint or
your time as you set up and get ready. Stand up straight and to the
Keynote.
right of your presentation screen. Face out to the room and the as-
yy Choose a simple background and template that is sessors – do not face the screen and turn your back on the assessors!
straightforward and clear Your body language needs to show that you are at ease. Keep your
hands out of your pockets (especially important if you are a male!).
yy On your first slide include the title of your presentation, Stand straight with your feet a comfortable distance apart. Don’t
your name and the date cross your legs and keep your core straight (especially important if
yy Aim to have just 1 slide for every 2 minutes of time you are female!) Try to breathe slowly and this will help you to re-
yy Use bullet points, key words and short phrases lax. Keep your shoulders back but don’t puff out your chest! Think
neutral. And breathe again!
yy Keep the formatting consistent throughout and use a
standard classic font such as Ariel, Calibri or Times Expression and Tone: think about how you will express each
New Roman point – body language, tone and volume will add much to the mean-
yy Use images sparingly and carefully – keep them clear, ing of what you say. Consider how a storyteller does this: Little
tasteful and in theme with your presentation. Stay clear Red Riding Hood didn’t meet any old wolf. It was the “BIG, BAD
of comedy images, cartoons and other gags WOLF!”
yy Slides that whizz in from different directions? Forget Timing: you should aim to deliver your introduction confident-
it! Don’t complicate your presentation. If you need the ly (wait until the audience is quiet before you start speaking) and
wow factor think how you can deliver it in what you say, communicate energy and enthusiasm for your topic by smiling, and
not what’s on the screen making eye contact. Speak a little more slowly than you think you
yy Practice setting up the technology beforehand. Ask the should. Use pauses and breaks as you move from one slide to the
recruiting company what hardware they will provide. next – what may seem like a long silence to you will be a welcome
Most will ask you to email your presentation in advance break and time to write important comments for the assessor.
or bring it with you on a data stick on the day. If it’s on Practice: make yourself actually rehearse the presentation over
a data stick, file it somewhere obvious and easy to find. and over again. Don’t just sit and think it through. Stand up and ac-
Bring backup. tually talk it through as if the assessors were there in the room with
yy Have an end slide – which says “Thank you”. you! Actually doing a presentation uses different parts of the brain
than simply thinking it through. So the rehearsal does matter – a
lot! It will help give you confidence and fluency on the day.
Top tips for Presentations
Scripts and Notes: no-one expects you to learn your presenta- A useful check-list of “dos” and “don’t’s” when delivering a Presenta-
tion off by heart, line by line, word by word. Good presentations tion:
need balance between being “gentle scripted” and natural conver-
sation. The most straightforward way to do this is by using your
presentation software. It will allow you create a version of the slides Do…
with your own notes underneath. So for each slide, write out the key –– Stand up for your presentation. To the side of the screen so the
points you need to make, print this off and bring it with you. Make audience can see it and you at the same time.
sure your staple and number it so it stays in the right order!
–– Say hello, smile and try to make eye contact with each of the
Dealing with Nerves: for many the very idea of speaking in assessors. Try to maintain this throughout the presentation.
public is a nightmare come true – never mind having to actually do –– Speak a little more slowly than your normal pace. The infor-
it. But keep your ultimate goal in mind – won’t it be worth a little mation is new to the assessors and new information needs more
pain for that dream job? Learning how to manage your nerves so processing time. You are likely to raise your pitch and speed up
that they work for you is an important skill. So how do you over- when you are nervous so just try to keep a slow steady pace.
come the anxiety and turn it into performance enhancing energy?
Firstly, keep imagining yourself delivering a great performance. Vi- –– Use pauses – there’s no great rush! Pauses add impact and
sualise yourself calmly walking into the room, smiling and deliver- emphasis when slotted in at a key point in a presentation. They
ing a great presentation. As you imagine it, really feel how con- also give you and your assessors time to digest and think about
fident, happy and in control you will be. Smile to yourself as you what has been said.
visualise the assessors smiling at you. Now, hang on to that feeling –– Monitor your time. Work out how long you have for each sec-
and switch up the volume! Keep practising this exercise – research tion of your presentation (say 2 minutes per section) and keep to
shows that those who practice visualising the outcome they want are it. You could be penalised for running over time.
much more likely to achieve it. –– Check your audience are with you! From time to time invite
Dealing with Disaster: things don’t always go to plan and the the assessors to ask you questions.
same is true for presentations. Real life business presentations are –– It’s OK to use humour, in moderation, but better to use an-
never perfect, but good presenters know what to do when things ecdotes than to rattle off a string of jokes.
go wrong. Firstly, whatever the mistake is, they make no big deal –– Practise, practise, practise. You have no excuse not to film your-
about it. They admit they have made a mistake, pause, and fix it. self and give yourself feedback. When you re-play, note down
By making no big deal out of it, they appear in control. And most what works well and what needs to improve. Time how long
of all, no-one feels uncomfortable or embarrassed. Even the most your talk takes and get your friends / family to give you feedback
experienced and hardened assessor can squirm with embarrassment too.
when a candidate gets flustered and upset. It just doesn’t feel good to
see someone struggle. So if you make a mistake, “fess-up”, fix it and –– Take a hard copy of your presentation (printed-out). If your
move on! Assessors will be impressed by how well you dealt with technology fails you have a safe fall-back.
adversity! –– Expect to be asked questions at the end of your presenta-
tion.
–– Make use of all the time. If you are given up to 10 minutes,
then use the 9-10 minutes. If your presentation is well below
time it suggests you cannot think of enough to say.
Don’t……
–– Go over your time. Just as bad as not using all of the time, but
suggests you cannot be precise and ramble on.
–– Don’t read out your talk. This sounds boring and stilted.
–– Look at your notes all the time. It suggests insecurity and will
prevent you making eye contact with the audience.
–– Put your hands in your pockets (especially all you men out
there!) If you don’t know what to do with your hands hold a
pen or your notes.
–– Use too many slides. Try to aim for a new slide roughly every
2 minutes.
–– Insert a dirty stick – now that got your attention! If you’re
loading a presentation from a data stick, remember that the
names of all the files on that stick could be projected on screen as
you set up. Use a new / clean data stick.
–– Forget to check the focus. Fuzzy presentations never come off
as professional.
–– Forget to spell check your slides. Unforgiveable in the eyes of
every assessor!
–– Chew gum. As above!
Analysis Presentation
What is an Analysis Presentation?

In an analysis presentation you are given a detailed information pack
about a realistic business scenario. You are required to analyse the
information and investigate specific themes. Once you have done
this, you have to formally present your answer(s) to assessors, ex-
plaining your rationale and putting across a convincing and well-ar-
gued case. This is usually followed by a question and answer session.
This kind of exercise is relatively in-depth and could take between

1 – 2 hours to complete. Whilst the business scenario in these ex-
ercises is fictional, the kind of information you will be required to
analyse is very realistic and could include things like profit and loss
accounts, data about staff, organisation charts, customer related data
and general communication and update emails. You may be required
to undertake some analysis of the data and depending on the level
expected you may be supplied with a calculator to do this. You will
also be given flip chart paper and pens so you can make visual aids
for your presentation. There isn’t necessarily a right or wrong answer
as this kind of exercise requires you to use your judgement and put
your own ideas and views forward about the issue concerned.
Exercises like this allow recruiting organisations see how candidates –– How will you ensure that business carries on “as usual” dur-
evaluate information from a variety of sources and put together a ing changes?
strong and convincing business case. It also allows assessors to see You have just 1 hour and 15 minutes to prepare your presentation.
how well candidates communicate ideas and respond to questioning. The presentation itself should last up to 15 minutes. You will then
Because all candidates are given the same task, the exercise is a fair be questioned by the assessors about your recommendation for a
way to evaluate analytical skills, decision-making skills, communica- further 10 minutes.
tion skills and confidence under questioning. (See our competency
matrix for details.)
Example 2: Fairlawns Finance Group
You are on the Graduate programme for Fairlawns Finance Group
Example Analysis Presentations and have been with the company for 6 months now. The 12 other
graduates on the programme this year have voted you as their coun-
Below are some example Analysis Presentation scenarios. Each try representative.
would come with its own “information” pack containing background
information. (See our Analysis Presentation “Fit & Funky” for an Traditionally graduates are offered an exchange with Fairlawns Fi-
example pack containing full background information.) nance Group overseas - a 3 month work exchange, living overseas
and working in a Fairlawns office. This year the exchange might
not go ahead: the down-turn in the global economy has meant that
Example 1: Wow Media Communications
budgets have tightened. The Managing Director is not decided if
You have just joined Wow Media Communications as an analyst. the exchange programme should be offered to the graduates.
Over the past few years Wow has been very successful and has grown
The Head of Graduate Training has asked you to help persuade the
in size. Staff numbers have increased and the business has now out-
Managing Director to fund the exchange. He has managed to get
grown its current HQ, Wow House. The company directors have
a 30 minute meeting slot for you with the Managing Director. In
looked at a number of options to resolve the issue of housing the
this meeting you are to deliver a 15 minute presentation stating your
growing business and 2 emerge as the most viable:
choice for either New York or New Zealand and must convince the
Managing Director to fund the exchange this year.
Option 1: Stay but extend Wow House
You have consulted with your graduate colleagues and have discov-
Option 2: Move to a new site. ered that opinion is equally split. With half the group wanting to
go to New York, and the other half wanting to go to New Zealand,
Because you are new to the company the Directors are keen for you you must cast the deciding vote as well as convince your Managing
to look at both options with “fresh eyes” and make a recommenda- Director.
tion regarding which option they should back.
You will have 1 hour to make your decision and prepare a 10 minute
Your Task: you are asked to read through the documentation and presentation for the Managing Director. Your presentation should
answer the following questions in a presentation: cover:
–– Which option would you recommend for Wow Media –– Reasons for funding the Graduate Overseas Exchange
Communications
–– Preferred choice of location
The Managing Director will be played by an assessor and you can keting promotion. Information has been collated for you including
expect up to 10 minutes of questioning after your presentation. production and manufacture costs, market research data, predicted
sales figures, and other feedback about the 3 potential products. The
Example 3: Fresh Zest Supermarkets Head of Products is going to meet with you in 1 hour and 30 min-
utes and wants you to make a 15 minute presentation on the fol-
You have just joined a specialist consultancy team and have been lowing:
given your first client project. Fresh Zest is a new supermarket chain
which specialises in organic, health and wholefood lines. The com- –– The product you recommend to join the Super-Clean line
pany has a number of successful retail operations across London and –– The rationale behind your choice
the South East. Your consultancy has been asked to help Fresh Zest
with its plans for expansion. One of the issues they want advice on Once you have made your presentation you will be questioned for
is where they should open new stores. They have a number of op- up to 15 minutes about your choice.
tions which include further penetration of the London and South
East market, or expanding into a completely new geographical area. Example 5: Dalesford Veterinary Group
Keen to get you on board with the client, your manager will bring Dalesford Veterinary Group is a large veterinary group in the Cen-
you along to help out at a meeting tomorrow. You have been given tral belt of Scotland providing exceptional care to pets, horses and
some background information and your manager would like you to farm animals. There is a small animal hospital in Dalesford and a
prepare a presentation on the following: small animal veterinary centre in Northfield. There are separate
farm and equine teams working across Northfield and Dalesford
–– The advantages and disadvantages of further penetration in Counties. The group prides itself in the quality of their staff. Many
London and South East of the dedicated vets and nurses have been with the group since the
–– The advantages and disadvantages of expanding to a com- beginning of their careers and have further post graduate qualifica-
pletely new geographical area tions in their area of interest.
It is now 2pm. Your manager is in another meeting now but wants Having founded the group many years ago, the Dr Pat Greenwood
you to have prepared your presentation and deliver it to him when is exploring how to phase into retirement. Dr Greenwood is keen
he gets back to the office at 3.30pm. Your manager will be played by to hand on the business as they no longer wish to be personally
one of the assessor team. and financially involved. A number of options have emerged which
include: absorbing the Dalesford Group into a Central Scottish Vet-
Example 4: Super-Clean Household Products erinary School; offering the group for Management buy-out; or sell-
ing the group to a large U.S. based veterinary group.
You have recently joined Super-Clean, a highly reputable on-line
company which sells general household and cleaning products direct Your company offers business advice and specialises in small and
to the customer. The company has been in business for 7 years and family run companies. You met Dr Greenwood at a recent business
in spite of tough competition has been in profit for the past 5 years. networking group and you are keen to engage Dalesford as a client.
Dr Greenwood has agreed to see what you can do and has suggested
You have been with the company for just a few weeks now but the that you present your initial ideas in a meeting.
Head of Products is keen to see what you can do. 3 different prod-
ucts are currently being evaluated but only one is to be launched by You have been given some background information and will have 1
Super-Clean, in time for the January “Super Clean New Year” mar- hour and 30 minutes to evaluate the contents and prepare for your
meeting with Dr Greenwood. You will have just 30 minutes for graphic data about the customers used to inform such as
the meeting itself. For the first 15 minutes you should make your gender and income; or it could be data from the customers
presentation on “Future Recommendations for Dalesford”. During such as feedback, complaints or market research.
the second 15 minutes Dr Greenwood will ask you questions about –– Organisational Structure – organisational and business
the advice you have given. charts will show you how the company is structured in
terms of who key people are, what their job is and where
they work.
How Do I Prepare for an Analysis –– Staff – the people who work for you will make or break
Presentation? what you do – so their opinion matters! In every business
decision you need to consider how your staff will feel – this
Whilst you cannot predict the scenario for an Analysis Presentation, information is often included in Analysis Presentations in
there are 3 main areas you can concentrate your preparation on in the form of staff surveys or opinion polls. Good business
order ensure you do perform to your best ability in the exercise: people use “gut feel” and listen out for information that will
give them hints about mood and morale. You may also find
snippets of informal information about staff weaved into
other data in the data pack. Small snippets of information
a: Working with Business Information might add up to an important theme – so refer to it in your
decision if you think there’s something there.
Business data comes in many forms, reflecting the complexity of Finally, we already stated that very often there is simply no right or
business. Think about how effective business people make decisions wrong answer to an Analysis Presentation. In fact, it is very much
– they take on board information from a wide variety of people and the same in business. Whilst there is lots of data and fact out there,
sources. Included in this might be the following: there are also huge amount of “grey areas” and unknowns. If work-
–– Profit and Loss Accounts – also referred to P&L: this is a ing in business was simply a matter of adding up numbers it would
financial statement that summarises the revenues, costs and be easy! You will find that an Analysis Presentation is like this.
expenses incurred during a specific period of time - usu- Whilst you need to focus on establishing the facts, you will also
ally a quarter or year. These records provide information that have to deal with unknown quantities, gut feelings and opinions.
shows the ability of a company to generate profit by increas- Assessors will be keen to know how you balance the two and you
ing revenue and reducing costs. should be comfortable stating where there is fact and where there is
“opinion” or where you have used “gut feel”. However, you must be
–– Balance Sheet – this gives a snapshot of how the company able to justify your approach and say why you have made a decision.
is doing on a certain date. Usually a smart business approach relies on a mix of different types
–– Organisation Charts – these give a pictorial view of how the of data. Can you do the same?
company is structured and who key people are.
–– Sales and Trading data - Data reflecting current trading in-
formation including pricing and volume and other informa-
tion related to the trade.
–– Customer data – this could come in the form of demo-
b: Analysing and Developing Your Content and urgency quite well in a simple 4x4 matrix:
The Information Pack can seem daunting and you can easily feel
overwhelmed by the amount of information in front of you. Don’t –
instead do what top executives do – take a helicopter view of what’s
there! Take the pack apart – literally – un-clip the staples and have a
quick flick through the pages just getting a feel for the content. Ev-
ery Analysis Presentation has a story and context, so it’s worthwhile
just reading again the background and what you have to do. Ask
yourself what it would be like if this were real?
Then, go back to the start and look through in a little more depth.
Think carefully about what you have been asked to do and make sure
you follow this structure. When drafting and actually doing your
presentation, be very explicit that you are following this structure
(see our section on Presentations for lots of ideas on how to struc-
ture and deliver a presentation).
Every Analysis Presentation will be different but detailed below are

some techniques you can use to help you to sort out what is there.
yy Categories & Themes: when you read through the in- Importance and urgency can be particularly useful if you
formation, are there any key themes that emerge? Can have to plan over timeframes (see below)
you cluster and group pieces under different headings
to help you to make sense of it? Typical headings or
clusters might include: yy Timeframes and Priorities: all businesses need to plan
ahead – and assessors will look at how well you are able
–– People & staff issues to plan activities. Your Analysis Presentation might ask
–– Finance issues you to plan and or show how you would implement a
–– Customer issues response. Demonstrating that you can plan and struc-
ture time well is critical here. So keep it simple and do
–– Facilities and Resources what most businesses do – use immediate, short, me-
yy Importance & Urgency: another way to understand dium and long-term headings to show what you will do:
your data is to think about how important the issues –– Immediate: as in right now! Include here the
are along-side how urgent they are. Remember, if you things that have to be done absolutely right away!
are making a business decision, what’s important to you How would you know? If you didn’t do it now,
might be different to what is important to other people then something really serious and significant
in the fictitious business. When you present your argu- would happen! Remember these aren’t always
ment, it can be useful to show that you have considered obvious big issues and could be as simple as en-
a variety of points of view. You can present importance suring staff comply with a new safety procedure
– a small act with a very serious consequence! put, PESTLE is:
–– Short-Term: things you need to do in the next –– Political: the political landscape - remember this
1 – 2 weeks. No successful business person works can include the politics within the company as
alone – so include in here things like meeting new well as those outside the organisation.
people, getting to know staff and understanding –– Economic: this can include the financial situation
the business itself. inside the company as well as in the wider market.
–– Medium-term: include here things you will do –– Social: this can include an internal view which
in the next 1-6 months. Make sure you break would mean looking at staff and people issues
down the time to say roughly what you will do within the company, or outside the company
each month. which would mean looking at the wider societal
–– Long-Term: Include here things you might do in context.
the next 6 months to one year and beyond. Good –– Technological: how will technology and change
advice is to include here targets and measures of impact upon the organisation, its people, prod-
your success (see below). ucts and customers.
yy SWOT: Assessors will also be keen to understand –– Legal: will changes to the law impact upon the
your rationale or the reasons behind your decision. company, its products, services and customers?
SWOT will help you to make that decision and give
you a nice structure to help you explain yourself. Simply –– Environmental: how will changes here impact
put, SWOT is: upon the company? Consider how the resources
could be affected by change.
–– Strengths: what is the company or business good
at? What are the special or successful things it yy Targets and Measures of your Success: Successful
already does? companies and successful people don’t just drift along
and get lucky! They set tough and stretching targets
–– Weaknesses: what problems or pitfalls exist and goals for themselves that act as beacons to aim for.
within the business? Where are there current or They keep actions on track and ensure that everyone
future concerns? knows what they have to achieve. Targets and measures
–– Opportunities: consider the business context of success will help to structure any kind of planning
or market – what opportunities could or might activity, showing that you have thought about what you
come up and how could the business take advan- want to achieve and what that success looks like.
tage of those? SMART is a useful and straightforward way of setting
–– Threats: what risks and liabilities are there? What targets and measures. It includes all the important as-
negative things could happen to put the company, pects you will need and can be presented easily.
its product, its people or reputation at risk?
–– Simple: state the goal in one line or sentence –
yy PESTLE: Another useful way to evaluate your data is describe exactly what you will achieve, what the
to use PESTLE. Like SWOT, it will help you to pull result will be
out what is important in the data and can easily be used
to show the rationale behind your decisions. Simply –– Measurable: how will you actually measure the
success? Will it be in sales units, reduced costs, should reflect the instructions you have been giv-
increased customer foot-fall, happier staff, better en
return for your share-holders? Whatever it is, –– If you have been asked to make a decision, state
make it something you can measure and count! this up-front and say that the rest of your presen-
Be as specific as possible and say exactly how the tation will outline how you came to your decision
measurement will happen.
–– Break the bulk of your presentation down into
–– Achievable: no point putting in an unrealistic key sections – use headings and a structure to
target that will let people down and disappoint. show how you analysed the data. Say what in-
Good targets are tough, but can be done. fluenced you and why. Explain the options you
–– Realistic: saying exactly how and why it will hap- evaluated and why you came up with your deci-
pen makes it real – and gets people to buy into sion in the end. Use some of the ideas from the
it. Whatever your target, describe exactly what Analysing and Developing your Content section
needs to happen to get there. to help you.
–– Timebound: be clear and specific about when
you want to see your results.
d: Handling the Question and Answer
c: Writing and Delivering the Presentation Session

yy You will be relieved to have finished the presentation
The second part of the Analysis Presentation is the actual presenta-
itself. However the assessors may now want to ask you
tion itself ! So not only do you have to wade through lots of data to
questions. This is their chance to clarify some of the
get to the bottom of the issues, but you also have to write and pres-
points you have made and understand more about your
ent your plans to the assessors! If the thought of a presentation fills
points of view. Questions give you another chance to
you with fear, don’t worry! Treat this kind of presentation more like
show your ideas and understanding. Some candidates
a business meeting. You have information, you have ideas and you
find that they prefer the question and answer session
simply want to communicate it in a clear and straightforward way!
because being asked questions helps them to think on
You won’t have long to make your presentation and it is important their feet!
that you get all of your key points across. However it is also impor- yy Just like the content of the Analysis Presentation, you
tant that the style of your presentation is professional. This means it cannot predict the exact questions you will get. How-
needs to be brief and clear. You should have one flip chart for each ever you can expect to get questions about areas where
of your main areas. there are differences of opinion, areas where the data
conflicts, and areas where the answer may be ambiguous
Suggested Presentation Structure: – assessors will try to see how you deal with ambiguity!
Be prepared to be as straightforward as you can. Try to
–– Introduce yourself and state your role if you have respond in a pragmatic way by saying exactly what you
been given one would do for real, step by step if this were your business.
–– Explain the purpose of your presentation – this
yy Take the questions slowly – don’t be afraid to pause and –– Get used to explaining why you have made a decision. This
think before you answer. Where you can, explain your is exactly what you have to do in an analysis presentation, so
point of view and use evidence – in other words data practice giving reasons and explaining your choices.
from the information pack to back up your point of –– When you start the exercise itself, take your time and read
view. When you have given your answer, check with the through all of the information pack.
assessor that you have said enough – ask if they would
like to know more. –– Feel free to take the documents apart, re-order them and
make notes on them to help you keep track of what’s there.
yy Don’t try to fudge your answers. If you don’t have an
answer or don’t understand the question, say so. As- –– Ensure that you follow the instructions themselves. You will
sessors will appreciate your honesty. That said, if you be asked to respond in a specific way so ensure that your presenta-
don’t have enough information, they may want you to tion clearly follows that structure.
estimate or guess – so admit that “it’s an estimation” or –– Manage your time carefully. As well as analysing, you will
“an educated guess”. have to actually write the content of your presentation. Spend
yy At the end of the exercise thank the assessors for their about half of your time actually analysing the data, then use the
time and ask them if they would like to keep your flip- remainder to plan your flip-charts, what you are going to say
charts (they probably will). and how you are going to say it.
(Also see our section on “Presentations” for further tips and ideas on –– Keep your flip charts tidy and legible. You may have com-
making presentations.) pleted them in a rush, but the assessors will find them much easier
to read and follow if they are relatively neat and uncluttered.
–– Take a glass of water with you into the presentation room.
4.Top Tips for Analysis Have a quick drink of water before you start.
–– Number your flip charts. You may prepare your presentation in
Presentations: a different room to where you will actually deliver the presenta-
tion – so it will help to have them numbered and in the correct
A useful check-list of “dos” and “don’ts” when undertaking an Analy- order before you are assessed. You might be asked to pin them up
sis Presentation: on a wall – take your time, breathe deeply – you won’t be assessed
at this point.
–– Remember that the context of this kind of exercise is likely
Do….. to be a business meeting of some kind or other. So, as you
would in any meeting, smile, shake hands, introduce yourself be-
–– Familiarise yourself with typical business data such as P&L fore you start.
accounts, organisation charts, survey type data. Use the in- –– Keep your notes and information pack with you during your
ternet and good business newspapers / journals to see the kinds of presentation. You may need to refer to it during your presenta-
information you will be expected to use. tion. Just as in any business meeting, share the documentation
–– Get comfortable interpreting and being able to explain data with your assessors – if there’s an important map or chart, show
that you see in numerical form or on a spreadsheet. it to them and explain why it’s so important!
–– As with any presentation, at the start, explain what you –– Face your flip charts. Stand at the side of them, face the assessors
are going to cover (AND THIS MUST FOLLOW THE and refer to the flip charts with occasional glances.
BRIEF YOUR WERE GIVEN!). Spend 80% of your time –– Panic when you are asked a question. It’s easy after you have
on the main content of your presentation; and in the remaining just done a presentation to lose your focus. Take a quick drink of
few minutes, make a summary of your key points, thank the as- water, a deep breath and gather your thoughts. Ask the assessor
sessors for listening and ask them for their questions. to re-state the question if you need to hear it again.
–– Make up the answers just to have something to say. If you
don’t know, offer an educated guess. But if you cannot offer an
Don’t… educated guess, but if you cannot offer that, be honest and say so.
–– Panic at the start of your analysis. Information will take you –– Don’t use too may flip-charts. Keep your content brief and use
a little time to absorb so you may not understand it all straight- the flip charts to “sign-post” and note the key facts and points you
away. want to make.
–– Avoid certain types of information. If you are biased towards
numbers, you may feel uncomfortable with the people stuff; and
if you have an arts background, business and numerical data
may be harder for you to work with. It’s better to show that you
recognise something is important than to ignore it at all. Try to
show that you have taken on board all of the different types of
data in the information pack.
–– Think you can do it all yourself. In many analysis presenta-
tions you will be given a context where you have other people
about you who can help – so use the colleagues and teams in the
scenario to help deliver the solution.
–– Spend too much time analysing and not enough time pre-
paring to present your argument. Remember the assessors
only get to see you doing the presentation – they won’t have any
idea what went on in your head when you did the preparation!
Therefore balance your time between analysing and preparing
your actual presentation.
–– Expect your flip-charts to be perfect! In this day and age we
all tend to use computers and slides for our presentations. But at
an Assessment Centre this usually isn’t possible so it’s back to flip
charts and pens – old school but it works! Try to keep them neat
and orderly.
–– Don’t cram too much on to your flip-charts. Assessors want to
hear what you have to say, not read about it!
EXAMPLE ANALYSIS
PRESENTATION
EXERCISE
Southwell Tennis Club
Background & Instructions • Club Shop
Selling latest tennis equipment including racquets, cloth-
BACKGROUND ing and shoes. The shop also offers a racquet re-stringing
service.
In this exercise you have just taken over from as a General Manager
for the Southwell Tennis Club. Your predecessor has had to travel Our company mission:
unexpectedly to the USA for family reasons and is not expected to “Our goal is to be the premium tennis organisation in the
return for 3 months. You currently manage a successful business UK. We are passionate about service excellence and cre-
and are known to be a promising leader of the future. You are ex- ating an environment where fun happens.”
cited about the opportunity of stepping into the role of General
Manager. Each of the Rose Tennis clubs prides itself on providing a fantastic
customer experience and engaged employees. With our successful
Today’s date is May 1st. mix of recruitment, training, development and promotion oppor-
tunities, we offer employees excitement, growth and reward. Our
COMPANY BACKGROUND: Rose Leisure Group clubs are full of people who are committed and passionate about
what they do.
There are 15 Tennis clubs in the Rose Leisure Group. Each of the
clubs has 4 main business areas: The business has struggled during recent economic times but recog-
nises that in current times it needs to increase market share if goals
• Tennis are to be reached. A key initiative to help drive this is the Customer
Value Programme. This programme focuses on two key points:
Each of our sites has 10 state of the art tennis courts with
summer and winter protection, air-conditioning and state of 1. Knowing the customer
the art equipment.
2. Serving the customer well
• Restaurant/Bar
It was realised that Rose Leisure Group knew little about its mem-
Separate from the tennis area we have a fully licensed bar bers. Importantly records of who customers were, where they lived
and restaurant where you can choose hot meals and deli- and what they liked were scant. To tackle this, the group announced
cious desserts from our Restaurant menu. a new initiative: The Rose Members Club. Offering free member-
ship would allow the company to capture customer personal data
• Events Room and therefore make contact with them and offer more by way of
promotions and special offers.
If you need a place to meet and work then look no further.
We have rooms available for hire to corporate guests look- Since its launch at the beginning of the year, revenues have started
ing for somewhere to run events, or for groups of up to 20 to increase. This is particularly the case where clubs have fully em-
who simply want some private space. braced the Customer Value Programme and implemented changes
in how their staff operate. Early research also confirms that cus-
tomers who become “Rose Club Members” are delighted with its
offerings.
Your Task: Item 1
In this exercise you are required to step into the role of General
Manager. Read the background information and present on the fol- Hi,
lowing:
Welcome to Southwell and congratulations on your new appointment.
1. What are the key issues facing the Southwell Leisure Club? Your predecessor had to leave at very short notice so thank you for step-
ping in. I am sure you will do well in the role.
2. How will you motivate staff to make the changes you sug-
gest? These papers should give you an idea of what is going on here at Southwell.
Some of it comes from your predecessors in-tray and some of it is data
You will have a total of 90 minutes to prepare your presentation.
I have pulled together for you myself. Please look through the data and
The presentation itself should last up to 15 minutes. You will make
present back to me on the following:
the presentation to Pat Bennett, your regional manager. Pat will be
played by one of the assessors. What are the key issues facing the Southwell Leisure Club?
Once your 15 minutes presentation time is up, you will be ques- How will you motivate staff to make the changes you suggest?
tioned about your presentation for up to a further 15 minutes.
Please could you present your ideas to me in 15 minutes as I don’t have

much time. That will give us a further 15 minutes for questions.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts soon.
Pat Bennett
Regional Manager
Rose Leisure Group
Item 2 ITEM 3
Southwell Valley City Council
Southwell House
18-22 Johnston Street
Southwell
W122 4EQ
The Manager
Southwell Tennis Club
Rose Leisure Group
150 Victoria Road
Southwell
BR7 5HX
14 April
Dear Sir,
Health & Safety Notice
Following the recent inspection of your premises carried out by my

team on 10th April, you are given notice that your premises do not meet
the following criteria for the Health and Safety at Work Act 1996.
Our note specifically refers to the indoor public bar and disco area.
• Fire doors should remain unlocked at all times
• Fire doors should remain unimpeded
• Noise levels must not exceed 95 decibels
On our recent visit the inspection team noted the following:
• 2 fire doors other than the main exit were locked
• Audio-visual equipment blocked 2 fire doors
• Noise levels exceeded the above stated levels and were re-
corded at 110 decibels continuously for over 3 hours
You are hereby given notice that you have a period of 7 (seven) days
from the date of this letter to rectify the faults as listed here. Failure to
do so will result in the immediate closure of the premises.
Gerald Wilson
Health & Safety Officer
ITEM 4 The reception staff take
my details when I enter 37 25 12 16 10
the club
Memo
Staff are knowledgeable
about Rose Membership 29 32 24 10 5
Date: 10 April
and other special offers
Re: Customer Satisfaction Survey
The restaurant offers value
5 15 14 25 51
for money
Please see below the results for Southwell Tennis Club
The restaurant offers
13 21 30 21 15
excellent service
Customer Satisfaction Survey Results Food service staff talk to
68 12 11 6 3
me about special offers
The shop offers me value
0 1 12 32 55
Disagree
Disagree for money

Strongly
Strongly
Unsure
Agree
Agree
The shop staff talk to me
32 21 25 12 10
about special offers
%
%
The Leisure area offers
5 45 6 13 21
Southwell Rose Leisure excellent service
3 7 25 52 13
offers me value for money The Leisure staff are quick
3 7 5 25 60
I would refer the club to a to help me out if I need it
5 9 34 41 11
friend or colleague I am asked to book
I always enjoy my visits to another visit when my 60 30 7 2 1
8 11 35 43 3
the club session is over
The club offers a wide
range of services which 5 6 13 45 31 Comments:
suit my needs
Staff respond to my The restaurant is great – but at peak times tables don’t get serviced
queries quickly and 11 29 17 16 27 and are not cleared quickly enough.
effectively
The shop has a great
14 27 24 28 7 The restaurant food is good and service is quick most of the time.
range of products
The club is clean 3 7 12 55 33
Reception is friendly and helpful – and it’s easy to book tennis courts.
Buildings and car parks I don’t always hear about special offers until it’s too late.
are maintained well and 14 27 24 28 7
look smart As a family we are really enjoying coming to the club. We are think-
Staff are friendly and
2 5 14 65 14
ing of having a party for our son there – but it’s a bit pricey com-
helpful pared to other venues.
I am treated well as a
3 7 12 68 10
customer I have been impressed by the events rooms – for business they offer
The reception staff greet good value for money.
me in a warm and friendly 0 10 10 69 11
manner Staffs don’t seem to be updated about the offers you have on your
web-site. ITEM 5
The car park is messy and I don’t necessarily feel safe at night in it
Mystery Shopper Feedback: Southwell Tennis Club
with all the kids hanging around.
30 April
Overall we love the club for our weekend family activity but over the
past few months there seems to have been a change in staff – a few SCORE
AREA COMMENT
familiar faces have gone and new staff who I don’t know and they (%)
don’t wear name badges. CAR PARK;
Good. Rubbish and litter around side
ACCESS &
68% access door. Cigarette butts around door
Shop staff are friendly – but I can get much cheaper on-line. EXTERNAL way. External ashtrays overflowing.
APPEARANCE
My details never seem to be kept in one place. Adequate. Welcome good but receptionist
did not ask for or capture personal data.
RECEPTION 57%
Shoes met clean & fresh test.
Adequate. Turnaround time good but 2
COURTS 54% courts not in use.
Adequate. Service quick and attentive.

BAR /
54% Standards of food good. Server did not
RESTAURANT recommend membership or special offers.
Good. Service quick. Daily newspapers

18+ BAR AREA 62% available. Area tidy but some seating
appeared to be missing.
Good. Staff responsive to questions. Clean
SHOP 67% but in some areas disorganised. No sale
items on show.
Very good. Clean. Bins emptied. Smell
TOILETS 79% fresh. 2 soap dispensers broken.
Leaflet Dispensers: often empty and offer
literature not replaced.
Staff approachable but general lack of

OTHER knowledge re membership & special offers.
Completed application for membership has

not been registered.
ITEM 6 ITEM 7
Memo Memo
To: Pat Buxton To: Pat Bennett
From: Sarah Jones (Cleaning Team Manager) From: Graham Johnson, HR Business Partner, Southwell Tennis Club
Date: 13 April Date: 13 April
Re: Mess Re: Employee data: absence; attrition & engagement
Pat, can you please step in. I’m just tired of me and my team picking Pat – the Southwell stats are low again and we really cannot understand
up leaflets all over the place. They cause such a danger because you what is going on. What is going on with staff there? Let’s sit down soon
can slip on them so easily. And they are also such a waste. Surely and see if we can come up with a plan when you new manager comes in.
reception or someone should be picking these up as customers have
filled them in. It’s not fair that we have to be the ones to refill the Engagement
Central Absence Attrition
dispensers all the time when the leaflets just end up on the floor. Red – Amber - Green
We are just too busy to cope with yet another demand and are still Feb 7% 16%
two team members down. It really is getting impossible. Southwell Mar 12% 17% Red
Apr 14% 19%
Sarah
Feb 7% 12%
Ambergate Mar 9% 12% Amber
Apr 9% 13%
Feb 8% 11%
Partshore Mar 7% 14% Amber
Apr 9% 10%
Feb 7% 9%
Bemrose Mar 8% 11% Green
Apr 7% 10%
Feb 13% 15%

Pavely Mar 10% 14% Red
Apr 11% 16%
Feb 7% 13%
Marlow Mar 9% 11% Amber
Apr 9% 14%
Feb 8% 10%
Erinside Mar 8% 9% Green
Apr 6% 12%
100Assessment Centres - an Insiders Guide practiceaptitudetests.com Copyright Practice Aptitude Tests Ltd - All Rights Reserved 101
ITEM 8 ITEM 9
Memo Memo
Memo
To: All Club General Managers To:
To: Pat Buxton
Buxton
From: Bruce Baxter From: Jenny Knox
CC: All Regional Managers; Andrew Kennard From:
Date: Jenny Knox
13 April
Date: 20 January Re: Brian Patey
Re: Rose Club Membership Initiative Date: 13 April
Re: Brian Patey

As you are aware, we need to drive up revenue and encourage our existing Pat,
customers to increase their take-up of our offering. Added to this, we know Pat,
from research that potential customers are choosing other clubs. Yet we Sorry to bother you like this but I really need your help. For the past few
have the capacity to take on more customers – our current peak average ca- Sorry
monthstoI have
bother
beenyou likereally
trying this hard
but Itoreally
build need
up theyour
Afterhelp. ForHour.
School the
pacity is 20% below where it could be – which means that typically 2 courts past few months I have been trying really hard to build up the
I know that our competitor is doing it and we are losing out to them. My After
are not in use at any one time. School
team andHour.
I haveIworked
know that
reallyour competitor
hard and thingsisare
doing it and
starting we are los-
to happen.
ing out to them. My team and I have worked really hard and things
The Rose Club Membership Initiative is to be rolled out in the next few However,
are Brian
starting has been giving me a hard time about this. Every time I
to happen.
months and we ask all clubs to help us facilitate the great ideas and initia- create a lively and fun tennis event, he is there in the background with a
tives which will generate further sales. They include: However,
complaint and Brian has been We
a concern. giving
haveme a hard
agreed thattime about
we will runthis.
after Every
school
yy Training to help all staff understand their role in service and time
discos in the events room and they have been a real success. Butthe
I create a lively and fun tennis event, he is there in back-
Brian has
sales. ground
complained withto amecomplaint
about the and
noiseaon concern.
a number We have agreed
of occasions – but that
if we we
are
yy Increased capture and use of customer data. will run after school discos in the events room and they
doing an after school training session then frankly, noise and fun are a bighave been
yy Rose Membership – which will allow us to capture customer apart
realofsuccess.
it. My team Butare
Brian has but
nothing complained to me
enthusiastic – theyabout
lovethe
whatnoise
they on
do
data in the first place but also enable us to offer customers aand
number of occasions – but if we are doing an after school
our feedback is good. It’s just a shame that Brian has to bring the side training
special discounts, preferential booking times, tips on improv- session
down like then
thisfrankly, noisework
– I thought and wasfun meant
are a big
to bepart
funofand
it. that
My this
team area
was
ing skills and so on. nothing but enthusiastic –
relaxed and easy going environment. they love what they do and our feedback
yy Increased ease of access to offers – the amount of special of- is good. It’s just a shame that Brian has to bring the side down like
fers will increase as will the format of the offers. In particu- this
Jenny– I thought work was meant to be fun and that this was a relaxed
lar leaflet dispensers will be installed at various key customer and easy going environment.
points (such as side of courts).
Jenny
yy Staff will be given a cash reward for signing up new custom-
ers.
We hope that all clubs will be fully utilising the approach by June 1.
Thank you for your input.
Bruce Baxter
Managing Director
ITEM 10 ITEM 11
Matt Forrester Memo

24 Heron Road To: Pat Buxton
To: Pat Buxton
Waltone Park
From: Jenny Knox (Leisure Team Manager)
Southwell From: Jenny Knox (Leisure Team Manager)
Date: 29 April
Date: 29 April
Re: Support
12 April
Re: Support
Pat,
Dear Sir, I was wondering when I could get some time with you. I know you are
Pat, I was wondering when I could get some time with you. I know you
I am writing to complain about the experience my family and I had whilst busy but we haven’t had a one-to-one or team meeting for months now and
are busy but we haven’t had a one-to-one or team meeting for months now
visiting the Southwell Leisure Centre last Saturday. You should be aware I could do with some time with you to talk about some new initiatives. My
and I could do with some time with you to talk about some new initiatives.
that it was less than satisfactory. team and I are not really clear about who should be doing what when it
My team and I are not really clear about who should be doing what when it
comes to membership. Some of us haven’t been able to get on the training
comes to membership. Some of us haven’t been able to get on the training
We had booked our courts 2 weeks in advance and were told on your web- and we are not able to answer some of the customer’s questions.
and we are not able to answer some of the customer’s questions.
site that we would be eligible to get a 50% discount on drinks if we became
Rose Club Members. We were also promised a special family offer which Also, whilst we are busting a gut to get members signed up, the restaurant
Also, whilst we are busting a gut to get members signed up, the restaurant
included a free play. The receptionist told us about membership and it staff won’t help us out at all. Our customers leave completed forms at re-
staff won’t help us out at all. Our customers leave completed forms at re-
sounded great as we are a large family and whilst we all enjoy special tennis ception or the bar staff but they just aren’t being passed on. As a result we
ception or the bar staff but they just aren’t being passed on. As a result we
nights out it can be expensive. However she said it would be quicker to fill are losing out on our bonus which is not fair.
are losing out on our bonus which is not fair.
in a paper membership form rather than there and then on the computer. Could you intervene to sort this out please?
As there were no forms at reception we were told that if we went to our Could you intervene to sort this out please?
court we would be able to fill a membership form there. We completed Jenny
our form but the court staff seemed to know nothing about how it worked
and would not give us our 50% reduction. Leisure staff did eventually give Jenny
us a free 30 minutes extra, but only when we showed them the offer on the
membership form itself.
We still have not received email confirmation that our membership ap-
plication has been received, and as we are regular visitors we would like to
know what has happened to this.
Yours sincerely,
Matt Forrester
ITEM 12 Item 13
Memo To: Pat Bennett

From: Paula Robertson Financial Controller
Memo
T o: Pat Buxton
CC:
From:
To: Brian Patey
Pat Buxton
Re: Financial Data
CC:
From: Jenny
Brian Knox
Patey
Date: 1 May
Date: 14 April
CC: Jenny Knox
Re:
Date: Noise and After School Hour
14 April
Re: Noise and After School Hour I have got the finance team to summarise the Southwell Tennis Club per-
Pat, formance throughout the last 24 months and produce the P&L detailed
below. I hope it helps.
Pat,noise from the above is just getting out of hand. Sure, teens need
the
to have a good run around after school and make noise. But I question Do let me know if you have any other queries.
the noisethis
whether from theright
is the above is justI have
place. getting
hadout of hand.complain
customers Sure, teens
aboutneed
the
noise. Also, some of the teens are just messing around – they don’tIstay
to have a good run around after school and make noise. But ques-
in
tiontennis
the whethercourtthis is itself
area the right place.
and are I have
barging intohad
thecustomers complain
bar area and getting
about the noise. Also, Paula
underfoot. Added to that,some ofthem
half of the teens
seem toarespend
just messing
most of thearound
time in–
theycar
the don’t
parkstay in theand
smoking tennis court
lurking area itself
around. and
I don’t aretobarging
want be a killinto the
joy but
bar area and getting
it’s just too wild. underfoot. Added to that, half of them seem to
spend most of the time in the car park smoking and lurking around.
I have spoken to Jenny about this but she seems to think I am just has-
I don’t want to be a kill joy but it’s just too wild.
sling her for nothing.
I have spoken to Jenny about this but she seems to think I am just
hassling her for nothing.
Brian
Brian
SOUTHWELL TENNIS CLUB P&L Analysis Presentation: Southwell
Tennis Club – A Quick Guide
Qtr1 Qtr2 Qtr3 Qtr4 Full Year
2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012 2013
Revenue (000s)
Whilst there is no right to wrong way to approach the exercise, there
Bookings
(Courts & 198 225 206 222 215 209 220 200 839 856
are some common themes and activities that should be included in
Coaching) your answers.
Bar 15 16 15 14 15 13 16 10 61 53
ITEM
Shop 5 5 5 5 6 5 5 4 21 19
As well as telling you about what you have to do in the
Restaurant 49 54 48 54 50 49 51 45 198 202 exercise, this part of the document gives you important
Events 13 15 16 17 19 16 20 14 68 62 INTRODUCTION information about the company, its mission statement and
the Customer Value Programme – these are highly important
Total 280 315 290 312 305 292 312 273 1187 1192
issues that you need to focus on in your response.
Cost of Sales (000s) Item 1 A letter from your new boss telling you what you have to do.
Wages & NI 13.5 14 13.5 14 13.5 14 13.5 14 54 56 The organisation chart – the people working for you and the
Item 2
areas they are responsible for.
Staff Bonus 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 0.54 0.56 2.16 2.24
A Health and Safety notice – you need to deal with this
Uniforms 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.2 0.8 0.8 Item 3
urgently and as a priority – it’s a legal requirement.
Merchandise 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 8 8 Customer Survey – from this you can see what customers
Training 1 1 0.5 1 3 0.5
think about the club. Key areas where scores are really low
indicate:
Marketing 9 10 5 5 2 2 8 8 24 25
Catering Staff are not responding quickly to customer requests
21 25 20.5 26 22 24 22 24 85.5 99
Supplies
Buildings and car-park areas are not maintained and
Total 47.2 51.8 42.7 48.3 41.2 42.8 46.2 48.8 177.5 191.5 Item 4
cleaned well enough
Gross Profit 232.8 263.2 247.3 263.7 263.8 249.2 265.8 224.2 1009.5 1000.5
Staff don’t know about special offers and as a result
Overheads (000s) customers are missing out
Rent & Rates 120 133 120 133 120 133 120 133 480 532
Staff aren’t capturing customer details – so without data,
Insurance 30 32 32 41 32 41 32 41 126 155
they can’t contact customers with offers – link to item 5.
Management
15 16 15 16 15 16 15 16 60 64 Mystery Shopper information: should be taken very seriously
Wages
Item 5 – key things include the need to clean up and sort out the
Equipment
6 4.5 6 4.5 6 4.5 6 4.5 24 18 car-park, and capture customer data – link to item 4.
Depreciation
Staff in disagreement about practice and procedure – your
Total 171.0 185.5 173.0 194.5 173.0 194.5 173.0 194.5 690.0 769.0 Item 6
job will be to help them sort it out - link to item 9 & 12.
Operating
61.8 77.7 74.3 69.2 90.8 54.7 92.8 29.7 319.5 231.5 Attrition and Absence data – your staff have high levels of
Profit
Item 7 absence and many are leaving – big signs of discontent.
How will you deal with this?
Details about the very important Rose Club initiative – and
Item 8 from the Managing Director – indicating importance and
priority.
Item 9 Another issue between staff members – link to item 6 & 12. discussed and resolved. Use these meetings to
Item 10 Customer Complaint – always high priority. share important feedback with staff – such as
A member of staff is telling you that no-one is having
customer and mystery shop. Include praise for
Item 11 meetings, people are unhappy and have no direction – link successes in these meetings.
to item 7.
o Walk the floor and meet with all staff – ask
Item 12 Staff complaining about each other – link to item 6 & 9.
them about their jobs - attend departmental
Profits and Losses for the year – in other words, the money meetings – this shows you are interested in
coming in and the money going out. Where is the revenue
Item 13 strong? Where could costs be reduced? The shop does not them and need to get them on board.
appear to be bringing in much money. Why have staff had
o Update and explain to staff about the Cus-
no money spent on training for the past 6 months?
tomer Value Programme. Ensure each team
Based on the above, did you include the following in your response: leader gets their staff trained on this important
programme. Set objectives and targets for all
1. Key issues facing the company include: staff to focus them on achieving results in this
o Staff are de-motivated and not given enough area. Set up a reward programme to incentivise.
leadership and direction (as seen in absence & This could include non-financial awards such as
attrition data, complaints from staff re lack of “employee of the month”.
meetings and direction, complaints from cus- o Praise and celebrate staff where progress and
tomers re staff being unresponsive, petty argu- achievements have been made.
ments between staff which should be resolved).
o Customers not happy – mystery shop, customer
satisfaction data & customer complaints indi-
cate much room for improvement.
o Big push needs to happen re Customer Value
Programme: all staff need to be updated, trained
and working towards new targets around this.
o Other: urgent need to deal with Health and
Safety notice; urgent need to respond to cus-
tomer complaint.
2. Motivating your staff:
o Set up an immediate meeting with your direct
reports to let them know who you are.
o Set up 1-2-1 meetings with all your staff to lis-
ten to them and find out from them what has
been going on.
o Put in place a regular meeting between staff,
chaired by you, where issues can be up-dated,

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Assessment

Chartered Occupational Psychologist Experts

Example Group Exercises........................................................... 26

Assessment Centres are not a physi-

• A variety of methods are used to determine which competencies are

• Using information from the job analysis, a competency model is de-

• A timetable is drawn up that takes account of a variety of factors.

This is just an example of how different methods are used to assess

“I agree, why do you think this is?

Negative behaviours 1 2 3 4 5 Positive behaviours

The Integration Session is chaired by the lead assessor (typically a

The day before

What is a Group Exercise?

Organisations use them as they offer immediate evidence of how a

Example 3: Product Proposal Today’s date is 14th January.

Information for the candidate Information sheet 1

You have 15 minutes to review the information on Date: 14th January

Burst: A good alternative to fruit

Questions about preferred competitor smoothie drinks led to the

Quench company values Memo

Information sheet 5 Information for the assessors

Year 5 - We know Quench export outside of Europe, could this be

What is a Presentation Exercise?

What is an Analysis Presentation?

This kind of exercise is relatively in-depth and could take between

Every Analysis Presentation will be different but detailed below are

c: Writing and Delivering the Presentation Session

Southwell Tennis Club

Please could you present your ideas to me in 15 minutes as I don’t have

I look forward to hearing your thoughts soon.

Rose Leisure Group

Health & Safety Notice

Following the recent inspection of your premises carried out by my

Disagree for money

Adequate. Service quick and attentive.

Good. Service quick. Daily newspapers

Staff approachable but general lack of

Completed application for membership has

Date: 13 April Date: 13 April

Re: Mess Re: Employee data: absence; attrition & engagement

Feb 13% 15%

Re: Brian Patey

Matt Forrester Memo

Memo To: Pat Bennett

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