Translated from German to English - www.onlinedoctranslator.

com

Case Studies | 26
page 1

Face-to-face assessment center event – What if

everyone involved is in the home office?
Virtual implementation of funding assessments with persona service AG & Co. KG

COVID-19 hit social and economic life more or less overnight and made
common practices impossible. Companies must respond to this challenge if
they want to ensure their economic survival. In this case study, we will show
you how the two companies in the group of companies, persona service AG
& Co. KG and ISD Immobilien Service Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, switched
their funding programs to virtual implementation within a very short time.

info box

The companies deliver for personnel selection and development. And all

(at the time of project implementation) this without physical contact between those involved.

The two companies in the group of companies, persona

service AG & Co. KG and ISD Immobilien Service
Deutschland GmbH & Co. KG, benefit from a joint
approach. As one of the first personnel service providers in
Germany, persona service is in fourth place in the current
Lünendonk, more than 50 years after it was founded®-List –
a recognized market barometer for the temporary
employment sector – with over 200 locations nationwide as
well as branches in Switzerland and Spain. ISD Immobilien
Service Deutschland has been developing individual
concepts for the maintenance and value retention of real
estate and land for its customers since 1983. With more
than 20,000 managed properties throughout Germany and
84 locations, ISD Immobilien Service Deutschland is a
competent and reliable partner for questions relating to
real estate.
The goal
Maintaining continuous personnel development is the
focus of the conversion of a tried and tested
assessment center for the promotion of prospective
executives to a web-based implementation. As before,
the process should run efficiently, convey appreciation
for the participants and valid information
The way
The rapid conversion of a face-to-face event to a web-based
procedure started with the involvement of all those
involved and the establishment of security in dealing with
the technology. The easy access to the respective virtual
rooms created the appropriate framework for valid
personnel diagnostics.
The use
For the participants, the rapid change in the procedure
meant that their personal support AC could take place
despite the Corona crisis and without compromising on
quality. By showing themselves to be flexible and open
to alternatives, the companies underscored the
importance of executive development and presented
themselves as adaptable, flexible, modern and reliable
employers. In addition, an interesting concept was
developed beyond the crisis period, in which travel
times and costs are eliminated, so that this offers
attractive added value in terms of both economy and
ecological balance.

||| meta | five | GmbHphone +49 221 71615 0 | fax +49 221 71615 400 | info@meta-five.com | www.meta-five.com
 Case Studies | 26
Page 2

the initial situation
For more than 10 years, persona service AG & Co. KG
and ISD Immobilien Service Deutschland GmbH & Co.
KG have been conducting group assessment centers as
a diagnostic measure for internal and external
applicants. The declared goal is not only to contribute
to a well-founded selection decision, but also to focus
on the development of the participants and thus further
expand the positive employer image.
For example, the requirement that, in case of doubt,
the procedure must be practicable for everyone
involved from the home office, not only for the
participants, but also for the observers, moderators,
role players and the assistant. The consultants were
largely given a free hand to make content-related and
organizational adjustments. meta | five then
developed a concept that was discussed and decided
by the project team.

The established procedure includes various

management situations that the participants tackle
in the form of role plays and are observed by
trained assessors. Their assessment is promptly
reported back after the event in a detailed,
development-oriented feedback discussion and
compared with the applicants' own experiences. In
a process supported by the supervisor, the
candidates are then internally developed and
promoted in a targeted manner based on the
results. The concept
In terms of content, the concept of the face-to-face
event was largely adopted and only adapted in a few
The goal
points. For example, the project group decided to
In order to react to the current situation, the procedure
slightly reduce the maximum number of participants.
should continue to underpin promotion decisions with
These decisions made it possible to straighten out
the best diagnostic quality, serve to further develop the
the schedule and devote the time gained to ensuring
candidates and find acceptance among internal and
the functioning of the technology and exchanging
external applicants. On the other hand, it should now
candidates before the exercises as a measure to
be implemented without physical contact between the
ensure acceptance.
protagonists and the dates already agreed should be
kept.
The project group also made only minimal adjustments
to the process in terms of organization. Furthermore,
The procedure
the documents are handed out and the participants are
After carrying out individual assessments in a virtual
individually prepared in a room supervised by an
setting at meta | five has been part of the standard
assistant, and the exercises are carried out in another
repertoire for years, it became clear after a brief
room with observers. These rooms were simply
analysis that the short-term conversion of a group
relocated to the virtual room using appropriate
process in which everyone involved is at different
software.
locations would pose particular challenges. The
internal HR managers therefore decided to define
In order to ensure both the smooth implementation of
only a few requirements for the adjustments. Among
the procedure and acceptance of the virtual
them fell to

||| meta | five | GmbHphone +49 221 71615 0 | fax +49 221 71615 400 | info@meta-five.com | www.meta-five.com

To ensure leadership among the participants, the
project team decided on a three-stage approach.
On the one hand, a technical check was offered in
advance. Here, participants and observers
gathered together with the moderator in a virtual
meeting, in which the audio and video connections
were tested, the practical use of the software tool
was tried out and practiced, and the process of the
funding assessment was discussed. On the day of
the procedure, the second step was an
introduction to the participants by meta | five
moderators, in which the details of the procedure,
such as the assessment criteria, exercises used
and tips & tricks were provided and questions
answered. In addition, as a third step, the project
team planned a short extra time before the
exercises,
The special challenges
In addition to ensuring the acceptance of all those
involved - especially the participants - for a first-
time virtual implementation of a group process
and its results, the logistics proved to be
particularly challenging. It had to be ensured that
everyone involved who was physically in a different
place was always in the right virtual place at the
right time. This was solved by linking participants'
and observers' schedules to the virtual rooms,
eliminating the possibility of "lost". Similar to
conducting a group procedure in person, it is also
important to strictly adhere to the schedule when
conducting a virtual procedure.
||| meta | five | GmbHphone +49 221 71615 0 | fax +49 221 71615 400 | info@meta-five.com | www.meta-five.com
Case Studies | 26
page 3
In addition to the usual discipline, this requires
scheduling times in which the technique can be
checked and adjusted before the exercise so that
the interaction between the discussion partners can
take place undisturbed and the focus can be on.
Feedback from stakeholders
In retrospect, everyone involved found that the differences
between an online-based AC and a face-to-face event are
smaller than expected. The observers made no difference in
the course of the conversation during the role-playing
games. In fact, the observers moved closer to the events
and were better able to recognize the facial expressions of
the participants. There was also positive feedback from the
participants and difficulties in the discussion situations were
attributed to the circumstances of the methodology to the
same extent as in a face-to-face event: "That was unusual
for me and I was nervous, but the feedback is correct."
Conclusion
In addition to the stability of the Internet connection and
the quality of the technical equipment, the commitment
of the participants and observers is particularly
important for a successful implementation. Especially for
people who have little experience with web conferences,
trying out the technology and actively asking questions
about concerns creates security.
Strengthened by this security, the participants can
show their potential in difficult management
situations. The observations made here form the
basis for reliable personnel decisions that minimize
the risk of wrong appointments and consequential
costs, and offer added value for each participant by
deriving individual development measures.
The positive experience of converting a face-to-
face event to a web-based approach gives us
courage to invest in the continuous development
of managers, even when circumstances prohibit
physical contact.
 Case Studies | 26
page 4

info box

Your contact to us: About us:

||| meta | five | gmbh human meta | five is a consulting company with an
performace consulting deutz- interdisciplinary team of psychologists,
mülheimer str. 183d | 51063 economists and IT specialists.
Cologne Our range of services extends from the development
and implementation of strategies and processes to the
phone +49 | 221 | 71 61 5 | 0 conception and implementation of personnel selection
info@meta-five.com and development instruments to the analysis of "soft"
success factors and aspects of organizational

Further information: development. We always carry out these tasks with

www.meta-five.com regard to the concrete objectives and specific

framework conditions of our customers. All trainers and
consultants from meta | five have many years of
experience through a wide range of projects for our
customers from a wide variety of economic sectors.

||| meta | five | GmbHphone +49 221 71615 0 | fax +49 221 71615 400 | info@meta-five.com | www.meta-five.com