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THE ASSESSMENT
CENTER HANDBOOK
FOR POLICE AND FIRE
PERSONNEL
By
CHARLES D. HALE
President
Resource Management Associates
Tinley Park, Illinois
Published and Distributed Throughout the World by
Hale, Charles D.
The assessment center handbook for police and fire personnel / by Charles D.
Hale.--3rd ed.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-398-07948-2 (Spiral)
1. Assessment centers (Personnel management procedure)--Handbooks, manuals,
etc. 2. Police--Personnel management--Handbooks, manuals, etc. 3. Fire
departments--Personnel management--Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title.
HF5549.5.A78H35 2010
363.2’2--dc22
2010012351
PrefACe To The Third ediTion
I am gratified this book has helped people who are either interested in learn-
ing more about assessment centers or who hope to improve their perform-
ance as they face an assessment center. There are other sources of
information about assessment centers and all of them have something im-
portant to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about this important
selection method.
In preparing the third edition I have attempted to expand upon the con-
cepts and principles presented in the first two editions and have introduced
a few new ideas. Several chapters have been extensively edited and refor-
matted. In addition, in Chapter 4, I have added sections of the Tactical EMS
Problem as well as the Public Education Exercise, both of which have spe-
cial applicability to emergency medical and fire prevention personnel. I have
also included a new Chapter 9, entitled “Best Practices in Assessment Cen-
ter Exercises,” which provides a number of examples on how candidates
may achieve superior performance in many different kinds of assessment
center exercises. I have included only a few of the best examples I have
found and I know there are many others of which I am not aware.
I have addressed the use of modern technology in a new section in Chap-
ter 5 and have attempted to reinforce the notion that assessment center devel-
opers and administrators need to be continually alert for opportunities to
improve their policies and incorporate advancing technology into their work
products. I am confident that we will see new developments in this arena in the
years ahead and I hope to be able to update this book accordingly.
Regardless of how hard we work to design and administer successful as-
sessment centers, our hard work can be easily unraveled by the thoughtless
actions of a careless, lazy, or unprofessional assessor. I have been privileged
to work with a great many thoughtful, dedicated and hard-working men and
women who have served as assessors in the several hundred assessment cen-
ters I have administered over the last thirty years. Selecting good assessors
does not happen by accident nor do they work effectively without sound princi-
ples of supervision and administration. I have provided some additional insight
into the selection, preparation, and supervision of assessors in Chapter 6.
v
vi The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
I n previous editions I have acknowledged that this book is the result of a col-
lective effort involving numerous people and organizations. This statement is
no less true today. However, it is virtually impossible for me to list the many
men and women with whom I have worked over the last 30 years who have
contributed in one way or another to making this book a reality. Nevertheless,
I owe them all a great debt of gratitude for their understanding, support and
guidance.
I am also indebted to the many police and fire chiefs, city managers, per-
sonnel directors, fire and police commissioners, civil service examiners, and
others who have been gracious enough to allow me to assist them in design-
ing and administering assessment centers for their agencies. I appreciate the
trust they have placed in me and I hope that I have not disappointed them.
I would also like to acknowledge the contributions of the hundreds of men
and women who have participated in assessment centers under my direction.
They have offered many comments and suggestions which, over the years,
have helped us to improve the quality of our work. They deserve a great deal
of credit for having the fortitude to go through the process which is indeed ex-
hausting and challenging and I sincerely hope that they consider the experi-
ence a satisfying and rewarding one.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge with the greatest respect and fond mem-
ory of several of my colleagues who have passed on to their eternal reward
but who remain among my most treasured friends: Mr. Gary Konzak, former
Chief of Police in Carol Stream, Illinois and Grand Junction, Colorado; Mr.
Robert Sauer, retired Chief of Police of Hanover Park, Illinois; Mr. Pete
Sanders, retired Chief of Police of the Riverdale, Illinois, Police Department;
Mr. Ed Archer, retired District Chief of the Rockford, Illinois, Fire Department;
Mr. William Sudbury, former Chief of Police of the Munster, Indiana, Police
Department; Mr. Bennie Crane, retired District Chief of the Chicago Fire De-
partment; and Mr. Robert Baird, retired Chief of Police of the Elgin, Illinois, Po-
liceDepartment. These gentlemen, professionals all, have served their
respective profession well and nobly and I am honored to have served with
them.
vii
ConTenTs
Page
Preface to the Third Edition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . v
Chapter
ix
x The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Figures:
Appendices:
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221
The AssessmenT CenTer hAndbook
for PoliCe And fire Personnel
Chapter 1
1 Patrick Oliver, “The Assessment Center Method: Not Just for Promotions Anymore.” in Subject to Debate:
2International Task Force on Assessment Center Guidelines, “Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for As-
sessment Center Operations,” International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Vol. 17, No. 3 (Septem-
ber, 2009), pp. 244–247.
6 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
The assessment center process has proven itself in more than fifty years
of application in both government and in private enterprise. While assess-
ment centers are usually viewed as tools for determining a candidate’s suit-
ability for promotion in rank or assignment to a higher position in the police
or fire service, this method is also used by some agencies for evaluating
candidates for entry-level positions.
No single method can or should be used to evaluate the skills and abili-
ties of persons for new appointment, promotion, or career advancement and
none of the many methods that are available is absolutely guaranteed to
produce perfect results. Instead, any fire or police department personnel
selection or promotion program should be multifaceted and designed to
meet the unique needs of the employing agency. No one method will work
well in all circumstances and no single method is infallible.
Although there are other methods that can (and should) be used in eval-
uating the supervision, management, and administrative skills of candidates
for various positions, there are none that provide the same level of insight
into how a person will actually perform if eventually appointed to the posi-
tion for which he or she is being evaluated. “Research has consistently
demonstrated that Assessment Centers successfully predict a variety of im-
portant outcomes: Job Performance, Management Potential, Training Per-
formance, Career Development.”3 This is due, in part, to the fact that, in the
assessment center method, there is an attempt to place the candidate into
situations and scenarios that are very similar to the situations and scenar-
ios that the candidate will actually confront if appointed to the position.
An assessment center attempts to capture the essential characteristics
of the position for which the person is being considered. While the candidate
understands that the exercise is merely a simulation, he or she also under-
stands that every attempt has been made to make the simulation reflect the
actual conditions of the position for which he or she is being considered.
For example, in an In-Basket Exercise, the organization of the police or fire
department used in the exercise will normally reflect or be similar to the ac-
tual organization of the police or fire department in which the candidate
works or where the position is located for which the person is applying. Sim-
ilarly, in a Community Meeting Exercise, the candidate will normally be
asked questions by the role players based upon actual conditions in the
community or neighborhood that is being represented in that exercise.
3 Michael D. Blair, “Best Practices in Assessment Centers: Reducing Group Differences to a Phrase for the
Past,” paper presented at the 27th annual IPMAAC Conference on Personnel Assessment, Baltimore, Mary-
land, June, 2003.
What is an Assessment Center? 7
Because candidates understand that the exercises which they will expe-
rience are intended to reflect reality, they are more likely to appreciate the
fact that their reactions to these situations should also reflect reality. They
must understand that they are expected to deal with each of the scenarios
presented to them in the same manner they would if, in fact, the scenario
were an actual situation. In truth, candidates rarely need to be told this at all.
Experience has shown that candidates become so involved in the emotion
of the situation that they often forget that they are role playing and do, in
fact, react exactly the way they would in a real-life situation. This becomes
quite important in the evaluation of candidates if it becomes clear to the as-
sessors that a candidate may lose confidence under pressure or react bel-
ligerently when encountering opposition or hostility.
One of the most unique characteristics of assessment centers is how
quickly and accurately assessors are able to “size up” a candidate. In a rel-
atively brief period, assessors are able to learn as much about a candidate’s
personality and behavior as someone who has worked with them for years.
I sometimes test this theory by asking assessors, after the candidates have
been scored, to give the chief executive officer of the agency a brief thumb-
nail sketch of each of the candidates. They might respond, for example by
saying that “candidate B has a lot of potential but lacks self confidence.”
They might describe another candidate as very intelligent but inflexible and
officious. Still another candidate might be described as “being able to talk a
good game but lacking in substance.” In nine cases out of ten, the chief ex-
ecutive officer of that agency will know exactly who the assessors are de-
scribing!
For me, this simply validates the process because it demonstrates that as-
sessors are able to make accurate judgments of candidates in a relatively
short period of time. It also helps to nullify the criticism we sometimes hear
that “the assessors can’t really get to know me that well in such a short time”
(see Chapter 3). The fact is, they can and they do!
Chapter 2
16
14
12
10
0
Definitely Yes Yes Somewhat Very Little No
Figure 2.1. Were the exercises in which you participated a fair test
of your ability to perform the duties of the position?
A ssessment centers are not without their critics, but most of the common
complaints about assessment centers can be easily countered. For ex-
ample, I have listed below some of the typical complaints you might hear
about assessment centers, along with my own counterargument.
Complaint number 1. The “wrong” people come out on top and the
“good guys” finish last.
explanation: Candidates are asked to step into the “role” of the position
for which they are being considered (e.g., police lieutenant, fire captain,
etc.). They are asked to perform the duties of the position just as they
would in real life. What assessors actually see in these situations is the
1 I have borrowed some ideas for this section from an article by Dr. Walter S. Booth entitled “Ten Com-
plaints About Assessment Centers” that appeared in the October, 1997 issue of Law and Order magazine,
pp. 87–93.
14
Why Some People Don’t Like Assessment Centers 15
“real” person, acting just the way they really would in “real” life if they were
to be promoted. People who complain that they are not good “role play-
ers” are really saying that they don’t have the tools to do the job for which
they are being tested.
Complaint number 3. The assessors don’t get to know the “real me.”
explanation: Regardless of how much effort is put into the process, vir-
tually every part of an assessment center is a simulation, meaning that it
16 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
explanation: Oddly enough, many people feel just the opposite. Most
people recognize that being judged by your own peers or superior offi-
cers will almost always be impacted by past allegiances, personal ani-
mosity, and biases and prejudices. Outside assessors, on the other hand,
are not allowed to know anything about the candidates and are expected
to judge them solely based upon what they say and do in the process,
18 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Complaint number 10. The role player treated me differently than mike
or sally.
In summary, assessment centers are not for everyone and will not fit per-
fectly into the testing program of every police or fire department. They are
not a panacea and, while believed by many to be superior to other kinds of
testing strategies, may not be right for all agencies. They do, however, offer
an attractive and useful alternative to most traditional testing programs.
Chapter 4
20
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 21
cise, since the technical fire-fighting skills of the candidates would be less im-
portant than their administrative, managerial, and organizational skills.
The key point to remember is that there should be a strong relationship
between the actual exercises contained in the assessment center and the
duties of the position for which the candidate is being evaluated. The re-
mainder of this chapter describes a number of different assessment center
exercises and the manner in which they can be used to evaluate candidates
for various positions in police and fire departments.
A ranking officer of the department should always review draft materials to ensure their rele-
vancy and accuracy. Photograph courtesy of Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett, Illinois.
ket. This number may vary according to the nature of the position and the
complexity of the duties performed. The items should be sufficient in num-
ber and difficulty to test the candidates’ ability to deal with a variety of issues
and to schedule and coordinate different and conflicting activities.
The optimum number of items is between 15 and 20 and between ninety
minutes and two hours should be allowed for completing the In-Basket.
There should be just enough time to place most candidates under pressure
to complete all of the items and some candidates may find themselves run-
ning out of time before finishing all items. If a candidate finds that he or she
is running out of time, he or she should have completed all of the high-pri-
ority items and as many of the medium- and low-priority items as possible.
Failing to complete a low-priority item will not count as heavily against a
candidate as will failure to complete an item of considerable importance.
For example, an item regarding a cancellation or re-scheduling of a meet-
ing the week following the candidate’s return to the office would be less im-
portant than an item from a female employee complaining of sexual
harassment and demanding to be assigned to a different shift or division.
The In-Basket may contain items that are linked together by event or per-
sons involved. It is important that the candidate look for these items so that
the action taken on one item can be interrelated with the action on the other
item. For example, one item may be a memorandum from an employee who
is suddenly announcing his plans to retire and move to a South American
country. This may be related to a different item regarding drugs missing from
the evidence locker and indicating that the employee now planning on retir-
ing in South America was the last person to sign off on the missing drugs.
These two items are probably connected and need to be handled together
rather than separately.
Some items may be given to candidates at planned intervals during the
administration of the exercise to simulate telephone calls or other interrup-
tions. For example, one item may be a telephone call received late in the ex-
ercise that informs the candidate that a ranking member of the department
has been taken to the hospital with a possible heart attack. This may re-
quire the candidate to alter some of the actions already taken if they involve
the heart attack victim.
The items contained in the In-Basket should be straightforward, practi-
cal, and relevant to the position for which candidates are being considered.
There is no purpose to be served by trying to purposely confuse the candi-
date by inserting items in the In-Basket that would not actually be found in
the in-basket of an incumbent, or by purposely inserting erroneous data or
misinformation as a means of adding to the stress placed on the candidate.
The In-Basket is a difficult exercise for most people and it is important that
they treat it as a real experience rather than as a contest of wills or a psycho-
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 25
logical game. While the standard in-basket exercise is a paper and pencil
test, electronic in-baskets are also available in which candidates receive
and prepare responses to items by keyboard rather than in written form (see
Chapter 5).
If there is a key to success in the In-Basket Exercise, it is to read or scan
everything contained in the In-Basket before taking any action. Most candi-
dates like to take a few minutes to quickly look over everything in the In-
Basket and place them in two or three piles according to their relative
importance. Then they proceed to complete the most important items first,
followed by those of lesser importance, and finally those of least importance,
if they have time. This is a logical and common sense approach that will
usually yield satisfactory results.
One common error that many first-time candidates make in the In-Basket
is that they fail to use their imagination and do only what is specifically re-
quired in the instructions. For example, there is no instruction that a candi-
date place someone in charge during his or her absence, but this is
something they would normally do if they planned on being away for several
days. Similarly, it is unlikely that anyone would be away from the job for sev-
eral days and not notify their immediate supervisor. However, since this re-
quirement is not included in their instructions, many first-time candidates
overlook this necessary action.
We live in an age of technology, and even though an executive may be
away from his or her office for several days, they are never out of touch.
Modern technology offers us instant communication by way of facsimile ma-
chines, cellular phones, pagers, e-mail, the Internet and other media. These
can and should be used by a candidate when working an In-Basket Exer-
cise, if appropriate. In addition, few executives ever leave to go on a trip
with an empty briefcase. “I’ll call you Monday from Memphis,” or “I’ll fax you
my instructions from the hotel in Philadelphia” and similar instructions might
be appropriate when completing items in an In-Basket Exercise. This may
not be possible, though, if the candidate is headed for Tasmania or a simi-
lar remote location.
committee by the fire chief or police chief. The committee has been asked
to meet to discuss how a particular issue, or series of issues, might be re-
solved. An example of this exercise is shown in Appendix D.
The topics assigned to the group should be something with which they
can be expected to be familiar. For example, it would not be appropriate to
assign a group of sergeants a problem involving the departmental budget
unless they are expected to have a working knowledge of the budget and
how it is formulated. In other words, the assignment should be one that is
relevant to the position for which they are being considered.
assigned to the group should be one with which they can be expected to be
familiar.
In some cases, candidates may be assigned specific roles to play or tasks
to perform. In the assigned role format, the group may represent, for exam-
ple, various community organizations or interest groups such as senior cit-
izens, the youth, social services, downtown merchants, schools, or neigh-
borhood alliances. Candidates may be assigned to represent one of these
groups and can be given information about the composition of that group
and its particular interests. They may be assigned to work together to solve
a particular problem of interest to the particular agencies or organizations
represented by the group. This is an excellent way to see how well candi-
dates can appreciate the views and concerns of others and how they can
apply themselves to understanding and attempting to see problems from
another person’s point of view.
In the assigned task format, candidates may be assigned the task of “sell-
ing” a particular topic or project to the other members of the group. For ex-
ample, a typical assignment might tell the candidates to assume that the
fire department has received a federal grant of $50,000 to improve the level
and quality of fire department services in their community. Each member of
the group can be assigned a different project and will be expected to try to
earn the support of the other members of the group for that project. This for-
mat often puts the candidates in a very competitive posture since they feel
that their success in the exercise depends upon getting the other members
of the group to go along with their project.
In any group exercise, assessors are looking for a candidate to demon-
strate strong leadership ability. At the same time, they are looking for a can-
didate to demonstrate his or her ability to work within the framework of a
group to solve a problem. A strong candidate is often one who participates
throughout the exercise, and who encourages others to participate as well.
A strong candidate in this exercise is one who listens to what others have
to say rather than one who is more concerned about having his or her own
way or who tries to dominate the group.
Candidates in this exercise must understand that there is a very sharp
difference between leadership and domination. Some people incorrectly be-
lieve that if they speak loud enough and long enough and if they drown out
everyone else in the group they are the winner. The truth is just the oppo-
site. Listening to what others have to say, encouraging others to participate,
and helping to bring the group to consensus are the most important charac-
teristics a candidate can exhibit in this exercise.
Candidates should be given between 15 and 30 minutes to study their in-
structions before beginning the exercise. Candidates should be told to pre-
pare independently and not to discuss the assignment with each other
28 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
before the exercise begins. This helps to preclude candidates from conspir-
ing among themselves by establishing certain ground rules, such as who
will take notes, how much time will be allotted to each person to speak, and
so on. Whatever organizational issues that need to be decided by the mem-
bers of the group should be done before the assessors, since this is part of
the evaluation process.
The room may be equipped with a flip chart, easel, and marking pens or
a dry erase board. These are placed in the room for the group to use as
tools in the discussion. A candidate who seizes the initiative to use these
tools to facilitate the group discussion will probably be evaluated favorably
by the assessors for recognizing and seizing this opportunity.
Participation is clearly an important ingredient for success in the Group
Problem-Solving Exercise. Candidates whose participation is minimal —
who say very little and who contribute almost nothing to the final product of
the group’s efforts – will surely not be rated highly by the assessors. But
the quality of a person’s participation is just as important, if not more so, as
the quantity of his or her participation. What a candidate says or does to
help the group solve the problem is just as important as how much time a
candidate spends saying or doing it.
Some persons may try to place themselves in a leadership role in this ex-
ercise by organizing the group, assigning tasks, setting dates for future
meetings, and the like. This is a good strategy, but it can backfire if the other
members of the group resist such efforts. If it is done, it must be done in a
way that will not threaten or challenge other members of the group.
In addition, some persons may volunteer to keep the minutes of the meet-
ing. This is an excellent idea, but it is one that can lead to disaster if the
note taker becomes so involved in taking notes that his or her participation
in the discussion suffers. On the other hand, some candidates have effec-
tively used the note-taking role to become the informal leader of the group
by keeping the discussion on track, by reinforcing significant ideas, and or-
ganizing the discussion.
The Group Problem-Solving Exercise can be used for just about any po-
sition, but it is probably most useful when testing candidates who are not ac-
quainted with one another. In small organizations where candidates all know
each other quite well, we sometimes find that the results of the group exer-
cise may be influenced by seniority and other organizational variables.
Younger candidates may feel compelled to defer to older candidates who
are informal leaders in their agency. In addition, organizational alliances and
interpersonal biases, rivalries or disputes may intrude into the group
process. This is not to say that a group exercise should not be used in those
agencies where the candidates are known to each other, but rather to sim-
ply point out that organizational dynamics may affect the results.
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 29
While fighting actual working fires is not something that a firefighter will do
every day, it is one of the most important things he or she is trained to do.
Firefighters spend countless hours drilling in a variety of situations designed
to improve their ability in a live fire situation. On the fire ground, there is no
time to refer to a textbook or written procedure before taking action.
A Tactical Fire Problem is a useful exercise for both a company officer or
chief officer (e.g., battalion chief or district chief) position in the fire service,
although the kinds of problems presented to candidates for these two posi-
tions would be substantially different. In the case of a company officer ex-
ercise, the fire problem should usually be fairly simple involving one, two, or
1 P. G. Jansen and B. A. M. Stoop, “Dynamics of Assessment Center Validity: Results of a 7-year study,”
Tactical fire problems endeavor to replicate reality as much as possible. Photograph cour-
tesy of Greater Brighton Fire Protection District, Greater Brighton, Colorado.
Locations selected for the Tactical Fire Exercise can be either actual lo-
cations in the jurisdiction in which the candidates are employed or they may
be fictitious structures. In some cases, it may be possible to use actual struc-
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 31
2 Some local policies provide for the first engine on scene to make a quick attack, thereby automatically
passing “command” to the second company arriving. This issue needs to be resolved in advance so that
the candidates are not confused on this point.
32 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Fire department personnel do more than fight fires. Indeed, most fire de-
partments spend far more time responding to emergency medical calls than
they do fighting fires. It is therefore appropriate that they be confronted with
an emergency medical problem as a part of the assessment center process.
The set up for the tactical emergency medical problem is very much like
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 33
that for the tactical fire problem with the obvious exception that the incident
involves a medical incident rather than a fire incident. Digital photos can be
used, for example, to show actual or simulated emergency medical inci-
dents, such as serious automobile accidents, train derailments, building ex-
plosions, and the like.
Candidates are placed into the situation as the Incident Commander and
are expected to act out the manner in which they would handle the incident,
to include making assignments, obtaining status reports, calling for addi-
tional resources, and so on. Like in the tactical fire problem, assessors are
provided with a checklist of items that candidates would be expected to deal
with or provide for during the emergency medical incident. This checklist
should be reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert to ensure that the bench-
marks used to evaluate candidates are relevant and appropriate for the po-
sition for which candidates are being evaluated and that they are consistent
34 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
One of the unique things about police work is that an officer never knows
what to expect when he or she leaves for work. No two days are alike, and
each situation the officer encounters offers different challenges. For the most
part, this is an advantage in that it helps to maintain a high level of interest
in the job and reduces boredom and monotony. Most successful police of-
ficers like the fact that they never know what to expect when they report for
duty each day.
On the other hand, this constant shift in the environment in which the po-
lice officer works, and the uncertainty behind each call to which an officer re-
sponds, can also create a level of anxiety which does not always lend itself
to job satisfaction or good job performance. Police officers and their super-
visors often work in situations where they must be able to make quick deci-
sions based on sketchy information. Some of these decisions must be made
in life or death situations and a poor decision can have disastrous conse-
quences. Working under these conditions can be quite stressful. The Tacti-
cal Police Problem is a good tool to measure how well a candidate can work
under pressure and his or her ability to make sound decisions in such situ-
ations.
In the Tactical Police Problem, candidates are usually placed in the po-
sition of a patrol supervisor and are given information concerning the day of
week and shift on which they are working, the number of officers available
to them and their assignments, and any other information that will assist
them in becoming familiar with the situation in which they are being placed.
They are then provided with information regarding some kind of tactical
problem that has just occurred in their zone of responsibility. This could be
a barricaded subject, an escaped prisoner, a lost child, a school shooting,
a major disturbance, or some other event. They are informed that they have
been requested to respond to the scene of the incident and assume com-
mand of the situation. They are also informed that, for the duration of the ex-
ercise, they will be the senior officer on the scene and will be responsible for
making all decisions regarding the incident and related incidents.
Candidates are usually given 10 or 15 minutes to study the material that
has been provided to them and then are asked to report to the exercise
room where they may find a large map of the area in question projected
onto a chalkboard or similar surface by means of an overhead projector.
They are asked to place themselves at the scene of the incident and to tell
the assessors what they are doing upon their arrival.
As in the Tactical Fire Problem, a Resource Person is assigned to com-
municate with the candidate. The Resource Person will assume the role of
the central communications officer and controls the movement of units into
the incident. One or more of the assessors may be assigned to play the role
of officers and units involved in the situation. For example, if the candidate
is assigned four district cars, one Community Service Officer, a traffic car
and one investigator, two of the assessors may be assigned the role of those
units.
The Resource Person will also have additional information and resources
that will be available to the candidate, but only if the candidate specifically
asks for them. For example, the Resource Person may be given a list of
other units and resources as well as resources from other agencies that
may be available to assist if requested. However, these are only provided to
the candidate if he or she specifically asks for them.
The Resource Person will also read from a prepared script and will an-
nounce new events occurring at specific intervals. These events may relate
to the incident in which the candidate is involved, or may be unrelated to
the incident, but may require some action on the part of the candidate. For
example, the candidate may be informed of a bank alarm activated in his or
her sector which may require him or her to have a unit dispatched to inves-
36 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
tigate. Some incidents may be relatively minor and may be “held” by the
candidate until sufficient resources are available. Failure to take appropriate
action on significant incidents, as well as the inappropriate use of resources
on incidents of little consequence may adversely affect a candidate’s score
in this exercise.
Police officers are often called upon to engage in high-risk tactical situations. Photograph
courtesy of Bloomingdale Police Department, Bloomingdale, Illinois.
The Tactical Police Problem will usually run 15 minutes, including a few
minutes reserved at the end of the exercise for questions from the asses-
sors. Assessors should be provided with a check list of actions that the can-
didate should be expected to take, such as calling for a K-9 unit (in the case
of a lost child); calling for an area-wide radio broadcast for information on a
possible suspect; requesting assistance from neighboring zones of police
agencies to have sufficient personnel at the scene; and the like. This list
should be reviewed in advance with the Subject Matter Expert to ensure that
the actions of candidates are consistent with local policies and procedures.
The Tactical Police Problem is an excellent way to test a candidate’s abil-
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 37
ity to make sound decisions under stress, to anticipate events, and to see
the “big picture” rather than to be narrowly focused on one event at a time.
It is also one of the most difficult exercises in an assessment center, particu-
larly for someone who has not participated in one previously. Among the com-
mon errors made by the first-time candidate in this exercise are the following:
• The candidate may simply minimize the significance of the problem and
therefore not take appropriate action as soon as the situation actually
dictates. For example, what may initially appear to be “only” a missing
child may later prove to be a child abduction with extremely adverse
consequences.
• Perhaps because a candidate fails to appreciate the potential serious-
ness of a problem, he or she will often fail to utilize a sufficient number
of personnel and resources to deal with it. Underutilization of resources
is a common problem and will often impede the candidate’s ability to
successfully solve the problem. Overutilization of resources in this kind
of exercise is a sin easily forgiven.
• Candidates often fail to keep track of their units and what is happening
around them. A successful candidate will keep a running log of all in-
volved units and what they are doing. This can be done by using a writ-
ing pad or by writing the location and assignment of all units on the map
that is projected on the chalk board. This helps the candidate to keep a
record of all personnel involved and to make changes in assignments
quite easily.
ercise begins.
One of the most frequent and important tasks of any first-line supervisor
in either the police or fire service is to supervise his or her immediate sub-
ordinates, monitor their job performance, counsel them regarding poor job
performance, encourage and reward them when they excel, and recom-
mend disciplinary action when they commit serious breaches of rules and
regulations. A first-line supervisor is only as good as the subordinates he or
she supervises, and the performance of subordinates is often a direct reflec-
tion on the ability of the supervisor to get the most out of his or her employ-
ees.
The Employee Meeting Exercise is a very common exercise in just about
any assessment center for a first-line supervisor or a middle manager. In
some cases, it is also appropriate to use for an executive-level position.
There are few supervisory or management jobs that do not require a person
to deal with other employees and to work with their subordinates in resolv-
ing problems. See Appendix H for an example of this exercise.
In this exercise, candidates are given information regarding a particular
problem that requires the candidate to speak with one of his or her subor-
dinates. Candidates may be given basic information about the subordinate,
such as how long they have been employed, their family status, and their
previous job performance. Candidates may be told that they have just been
promoted to the position and have recently transferred to this particular unit,
so they have not had the opportunity to work with this employee in the past
and may only have background information on the employee.
In most cases, the “employee,” who will be a role player, will react rather
negatively or with a lack of interest or enthusiasm to the information and ad-
vice being offered by the candidate. The role player may try to place the
blame for the problem on someone else or simply suggest that the new su-
pervisor is picking on him or her and may not know enough about being a
supervisor to make an informed judgement about the problem. This places
the supervisor in the unenviable position of defending himself or herself
while trying to let the employee know who is in charge. A strong role player
may succeed in dominating the interview if the candidate does not have a
sound plan of action before the interview begins.
The role player may also try to place blame on the administration or other
staff personnel as a means of avoiding responsibility for his or her own poor
job performance. The candidate must be quick to defend the administration
as well as other supervisors and to make it clear to the employee that the
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 39
real problem is his or her own poor job performance and to accept respon-
sibility for his or her own actions.
This can be a difficult exercise for candidates who have little experience
in dealing with interpersonal problems. It may be difficult for a candidate to
accept the role player as a real person, or to place himself or herself into a
superior-subordinate relationship with the role player. It is important that the
candidate have the ability to step into the role and to accept the role player
as a real person and not simply a role player. As in all simulations, the suc-
cess of a candidate depends, in part, on his or her ability to accept the sit-
uation as given and to handle each and every scenario as if it were the real
thing.
It is important that the role player not overplay the role or refuse to allow
the candidate to solve the problem. While the role player should not make
the task too easy for the candidate, he or she should also not make it impos-
sible for the candidate to solve the problem. If a candidate has a reasonably
40 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
good approach, is able to apply sound logic in attempting to solve the prob-
lem, and is able to motivate the role player to work together in solving the
problem, the role player should allow the problem to be solved. On the other
hand, a candidate who simply insists upon forcing his or her authority on
the role player and makes no effort to appeal to the role player’s intellect or
common sense is not solving the problem in a satisfactory manner.
It is important for candidates to approach this exercise with an open mind
and to be a good listener as well as a good speaker. Some candidates make
the mistake of entering into this exercise with the perspective that they know
what the problem is and that they have the perfect solution for it. A success-
ful candidate will be able to enter into the exercise with a good plan of ac-
tion, but that plan of action should include obtaining all pertinent facts before
making a decision on a definite course of action. It is also important that the
candidate keep a positive attitude throughout the exercise, as the role player
may very well try to provoke the candidate by using certain words or ac-
tions. It is clearly inappropriate for the candidate to lose his or her temper,
regardless of the level of provocation offered by the role player.
This exercise may be considered as having three tasks. The first task is
problem identification, in which the candidate sets out to identify the prob-
lem. This is usually easy enough, since the instructions often describe why
the interview is being held, and thus has already identified the problem.
However, it is up to the candidate to obtain additional information in order to
fully understand the scope and depth of the problem.
The second task is called problem resolution, in which the candidate
attempts to devise a plan to solve the problem. It is wise to avoid having
preconceived ideas going into the exercise. The plan of action needs to be
based upon a full understanding of the true scope and nature of the prob-
lem. This requires obtaining additional information from the employee dur-
ing the interview.
The third task, and the most difficult in some cases, is closure. It is not
good enough for the candidate to merely devise a plan of action if the em-
ployee refuses to buy into the plan. The candidate must be able to “sell” the
plan to the employee by gaining the employee’s agreement and accept-
ance. This is not always easy to do and requires the candidate to employ
logic as well as persuasion in gaining the confidence and voluntary cooper-
ation of the employee. Some candidates never achieve this goal and thus
fail to receive a satisfactory score from the assessors in this exercise.
Successful closure also requires the candidate to provide for a follow-up
meeting to review progress in meeting the goal(s) set forth during the initial
interview. The employee should have a clear idea of what is expected of
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 41
While the Citizen Interview Exercise may appear more germane to po-
lice than to fire personnel, it is used extensively in assessment centers for
both services. Although handling citizen complaints may seem like a task
more appropriate for police personnel, there are many instances in which
fire company officers and chiefs have to deal with an angry or frustrated cit-
izen. The bottom line is that a way needs to be found to solve the citizen’s
problem, if that is possible.
Good human relations skills are an essential characteristic of police work. Photograph cour-
tesy of LaGrange Police Department, LaGrange, Illinois.
The Citizen Interview Exercise usually places the candidate in the posi-
tion of a patrol supervisor, company officer, or shift commander who is in-
formed that a citizen has asked to speak with “someone in charge” about a
problem. An example of this exercise is shown in Appendix I.
It is important that the role player play the assigned role consistently from
one candidate to the next and not attempt to improve each time. It is also
important that the role player allow the candidate to solve the problem, but
42 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
not without effort. In other words, the role player should place enough ob-
stacles in the path of the candidate to make it difficult to succeed, but not im-
possible. A role player will usually play the role of the citizen and will be
provided with a script describing some kind of problem in which the candi-
date is asked to seek a solution (see Appendix J). This will often involve
some complaint or allegation regarding a specific police officer or firefighter
or may be about poor service of some type. For example, the role player may
complain that an officer was rude or discourteous during a routine traffic stop,
or that the officer declined to take a report or initiate an investigation of the
theft or loss of a bicycle.
The responsibility of the candidate in this exercise is to take the required
information and formulate a plan for dealing with the problem. Candidates
frequently neglect to ask pertinent questions, or to record important informa-
tion. In addition, they sometimes are defensive when the allegation is re-
vealed to them and may say something like “Well, there are two sides to
every story,” which amounts to saying, “I am not sure I believe everything
you are telling me.” Even though there are two sides to every story, and
even though the candidate must wait to obtain all the pertinent information
before making a decision, this is not what the citizen wants to hear. A better
way of saying it might be, “Well, this is certainly a serious matter, and I will
talk to Officer Jones (or Firefighter Green) immediately to find out what he
(or she) has to say about this.”
The time allotted for this exercise is usually 15 minutes, which is not a
great deal of time, but it is enough to get the job done if the candidate has
a good plan and follows the plan. It is important to greet the citizen warmly
and show genuine interest in his or her problem. A candidate may offer the
citizen a cup of coffee, a glass of water, or a soft drink as a way of making
the citizen comfortable. It is always a good idea to let the citizen speak freely
for the first few minutes to get an idea of the nature of the problem. A can-
didate should not rush the citizen or make the citizen feel as if they are in a
hurry, or that they have something more important to do than speak with
them. Rather, the candidate should make the citizen believe that dealing
with them is the most important thing they have done all day.
If the candidate plans on taking notes (and they should), they should do
this in an unobtrusive manner. They should first ask the citizen if he or she
objects. It is important that the candidate not interrupt the citizen, but that the
candidate keep them headed in a straight direction. He or she can do this
by asking a few clarifying questions, such as “Did you get the officer’s
name?” or “What did the firefighter say then?” Candidates should employ ac-
tive listening techniques, such as nodding their head, saying “I see” or “yes,
I understand.” This lets the citizen know that his or her message is being
received and understood and gives them greater comfort in their time of
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 43
need.
Even though the candidate may not be the person in the organizational
hierarchy who will eventually be asked to resolve the problem (for example,
some complaints may be referred to Internal Affairs Investigations for reso-
lution), it is important that the citizen feel that some action is being taken to
resolve the problem for them. Candidates should avoid acting as if they are
trying to pass the buck or let someone else make the decision. “You really
need to see Lt. Green in Internal Affairs about this” is not telling the citizen
what they want to hear. “I will speak with Lt. Green in Internal Affairs about
this immediately, and one of us will get back to you in a few days” is a much
better response. Citizens like to feel that the person to whom they are speak-
ing is going to take the initiative to get the problem resolved, even though
that person may lack the authority to ultimately resolve the problem.
When the citizen leaves the interview, he or she should feel as if they
came to the right place and they should feel confident that something will be
done regarding their concern. It is usually a good technique to ask the citi-
zen, “What would you like me to do?” if that is not already obvious, or to ex-
plain to the citizen what action a candidate plans to take and ask, “Is this
satisfactory?” Candidates must be careful not to promise too much or to
build up undue expectations in the mind of the citizen. Candidates should
not promise to do something that is clearly beyond their authority or make
promises that they cannot deliver.
It is a good idea to let the citizen know what will happen in the future.
Candidates may let the citizen know that they or someone else will get back
to them in a few days, if that is satisfactory. Candidates should leave no
doubt in the citizen’s mind (and in the minds of the assessors) what action
they plan to take to resolve the problem that has been presented.
Dealing with citizens is one of the more common exercises in an assess-
ment center. It is not a terribly difficult exercise for most candidates, but it
does require good interviewing skills, a logical plan of action, and the abil-
ity to be sensitive to the problem being presented. In this and other assess-
ment center exercises, candidates should always remember that half of
communicating is listening, and that they need to be a good listener as well
as a good problem solver.
It may be desirable to link the Citizen Interview Exercise together with the
Employee Meeting Exercise. For example, after a candidate has interviewed
a citizen and obtained the necessary information about a problem the citizen
has with the way he or she was treated by a police officer or firefighter, the
candidate may then be asked to interview the officer or firefighter about
whom the allegation was made. This creates a complex but realistic scenario
in which the candidate’s fate in the second exercise may be linked to how
well he or she does in the first one. If the candidate fails to obtain essential
44 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
details about the encounter during the interview with the citizen, he or she will
have a more difficult time in explaining the problem when speaking with the
employee. Even though these two exercises may be linked together, they
should still be treated as separate exercises and should be scored sepa-
rately by the assessors. It is sometimes the case that candidates will do quite
well in one of the exercises but rather poorly in the other. Each requires a
sightly different set of skills. Assessors need to be able to separate these two
exercises in their mind so that they do not allow a candidate’s performance
in one of the exercises to cloud their evaluation of the candidate’s perform-
ance in the other.
Fire inspections are one of the more important non-emergency tasks per-
formed by members of a fire department. These may be performed by a
specialized unit of fire inspectors working within the Fire Marshal’s Office, or
by designated fire companies within the suppression division. Most fire de-
partments involve their fire companies in some aspect of fire prevention in-
spections, and thus it becomes important that the company officer be
thoroughly familiar with fire prevention principles and building codes as well
as electrical and safety codes. It is also important that the officer be capa-
ble of explaining these codes to the homeowner, business owner, and com-
pany management in order to gain voluntary compliance and to achieve an
optimum level of community safety.
In this exercise, candidates are told to assume that they have been di-
rected by a superior officer to meet with the officials of a local business to
discuss several problems that have been discovered during a recent fire in-
spection. Typically, the company in question would be a warehouse, retail
store, manufacturing plant, or some other type of occupancy in which there
could be code violations that pose a fire safety problem. A Subject Matter Ex-
pert should be asked to prepare a fictitious inspection report on the company
in question. The candidate will be given a few minutes to familiarize himself
or herself with the report. It is helpful if the building in question is an actual
location in the community and one with which the candidates would be fa-
miliar. See Appendix K for an example of this exercise.
Candidates are instructed that they are to meet with one, two or three
company representatives to discuss the violation discussed in the report.
The purpose of this meeting is to gain the company official’s voluntary and
willing compliance with the code requirements. This requires that the can-
didate be able to explain the reasons for the code requirements and the
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 45
Fire Inspections may be a necessary function of the fire company. Photograph courtesy of
Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett, Illinois.
client agency. Role players should be familiar with the location, construc-
tion, contents, and characteristics of the company so that they can play the
role assigned to them in a realistic manner. They should also be familiar
with the code sections which will be discussed in the inspection report.
Role players will be expected to pose certain obstacles in the path of the
candidates in gaining voluntary compliance with the code provisions. They
might point out, for example, the costs involved in making the necessary
changes, or the fact that the chance of ever having a fire or other incident
in the building is so slight as to negate the advantage of compliance. How-
ever, the role players should not be unmovable or totally obstinate in their
objections so that the candidate is faced with a no-win situation. While the
role players should not be a passive audience, they should allow themselves
to be convinced by the candidate of the merits of voluntary compliance if
46 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
the candidate is able to mount a logical and persuasive argument for com-
pliance.
In this exercise, candidates are asked to demonstrate their ability to deal
with citizens in a somewhat or potentially confrontational situation while
maintaining their poise and self control. They are also asked to explain code
requirements that may be somewhat technical in nature to persons who may
have no technical background in this field and to help them understand the
need for compliance. Successful performance in this exercise requires ex-
cellent interpersonal skills as well as the ability to communicate effectively.
Technical knowledge of building code requirements is also helpful.
An important objective of this exercise is to gain the voluntary coopera-
tion of company management in making the required corrections. This re-
quires tact and “salesmanship” on the part of the candidate, as well as the
ability to objectively and rationally explain the basis for the requirements. It
is also helpful if the candidate can devise ways in which the city or the fire
department can assist the building manager in gaining compliance.
One of the basic tasks of any first-line supervisor in either a police de-
partment or a fire department is to meet regularly with members of their shift,
squad, company, or unit to discuss changes in procedure or policy, to assign
work, to review work in progress, and to exchange information to ensure
coordination of activities. The shift or company meeting exercise simulates
a meeting between a first-line supervisor and his or her subordinates to re-
view and discuss assignments as well as new policies or procedures. In a
police department, this meeting would be comparable to a roll-call briefing.
In a fire department, it would be called a company meeting.
In this exercise, the candidate will usually be provided with instructions in-
forming him or her that he or she is about to have a meeting with two or
three members of their company, shift, or unit for the purpose of discussing
new policies or procedures or information that has been handed down from
the administration. In most cases, some of the items to be discussed may
meet with resistance by one or more of the “subordinates.” For example,
the information to be discussed may include a new performance evaluation
system, or changes in the city’s insurance or benefits program, or a change
in shift scheduling that may adversely affect some members of the group.
An example of this exercise is shown in Appendix L.
Meeting with subordinate personnel to exchange information and to dis-
cuss changes in policy or procedure is not a terribly difficult assignment, but
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 47
it is one that can sometimes test the leadership ability of the supervisor. This
is particularly true when the information the supervisor has to disseminate
may not be well received by his or her subordinates. The subordinates may
The shift briefing is an important responsibility of the shift supervisor. Photograph courtesy
of LaGrange Police Department, LaGrange, Illinois.
attempt to test the supervisor’s leadership ability or his or her loyalty to the
organization or its administration by making disparaging comments about
the new policy or procedure or about the person (the chief or deputy chief)
who initiated the change.
The supervisor must try to explain the nature of the changes and to ex-
plain their purpose as well. In effect, the supervisor is being asked to not only
defend the changes but to gain the subordinate’s willing acceptance of them.
This is not always an easy task and requires a high level of leadership abil-
ity as well as human relations skills. The supervisor must be quick to de-
fend the actions of the administration, even though he or she may not
always agree with the instructions they receive. Subordinates may look for
an opportunity to have the supervisor reveal his or her own lack of support
for something the administration has done. This serves to strengthen the
bond between a supervisor and his or her subordinates, but it may also un-
dermine the supervisor’s ability to command or maintain the respect of his
48 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
or her subordinates.
The role of the shift or company members will usually be played by the as-
sessors, who will look for ways to test the candidate’s leadership ability. A
candidate must be able to confront things that are said or done, to challenge
his or her leadership ability or authority, and must take decisive action when
such things occur. For example, a candidate should not allow a subordinate
to refer to the supervisor or to anyone else in a demeaning or disparaging
way. If this does occur, the subordinate should be admonished and put on
notice that such conduct will not be tolerated.
Candidates sometimes do poorly in this exercise because they are unable
to gain or retain control over the subordinates in what is clearly a somewhat
chaotic situation. Candidates need to enter into the exercise with a positive
attitude and with confidence and poise. A candidate cannot allow the role
players to sidetrack him or her into meaningless arguments or to become
angry or frustrated. In some cases, it may be necessary to call a role player
aside and explain to them that their conduct is disruptive and disrespectful
and that further violations will not be tolerated. This will usually be seen by
the disruptive person as a signal to pay attention and go along with the rest
of the program.
It is important that candidates not overreact to remarks made by the role
players either. This can be just as bad as not reacting at all. Candidates
should be firmly in charge of the situation and set forth ground rules early in
the meeting. Continuous violations of those ground rules may be cause for
disciplinary action.
Staff meetings are often conducted on an informal basis. Photograph courtesy of Joplin Po-
lice Department, Joplin, Missouri.
50 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
and the like. While any one of these subjects may be quite complex, it is up
to the candidate to develop a training program that can be presented in a 15-
minute period. Thus, this training will usually be seen as refresher training
and the role players as veteran police officers rather than new recruits.
It is often a good idea to use several different topics for this exercise and
to assign them to candidates in a random fashion. The advantage of this
technique is that it keeps candidates from informing other candidates what
they should prepare for. This is particularly important if the assessment cen-
ter takes place over several days and candidates in the latter days have the
opportunity to prepare themselves on the basis of what they are told by per-
sons who have already been through the process. This requires the sub-
jects assigned to the candidates to be generally similar in terms of level of
difficulty and complexity. Otherwise, some candidates may later claim that
the topic they were assigned was more difficult than that given to someone
else.
Assessors should be given copies of the materials that will be assigned
to the candidates in advance of the exercise. This will allow them to famil-
iarize themselves with the material so that they may ask questions of the
candidates designed to test both the candidate’s knowledge of the subject
matter as well as their ability to answer questions under pressure.
In this exercise, candidates will be evaluated on their instructional abilities
and their use of instructional techniques, such as providing an overview of
the subject to be presented, providing learning objectives, involving mem-
bers of the “class” in the presentation, use of visual aids, organization of
ideas, time management, and the like. In addition, candidates may be eval-
uated on their ability to digest and explain complex and technical informa-
tion in a precise and timely manner and to think and act quickly under
pressure. Successful performance in this exercise requires a candidate to
have good organizational skills as well as the ability to communicate effec-
tively and to deal successfully with opposition and confrontation.
Members of both police and fire departments are frequently called upon
to go before community groups to give public education programs or to an-
swer questions regarding the level or quality of police or fire services. While
this is a task often reserved for the chief of the department or other ranking
members of the department, lower-level supervisors may also be called
upon to perform this function.
In the Community Presentation or Community Meeting Exercise (see Ap-
pendix N), the candidate is placed in the position of appearing before a
group of community members to either present an educational program on
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 51
behalf of the police or fire department (e.g., crime prevention, fire safety ed-
ucation, etc.) or to meet with the community members to discuss problems
and concerns they have regarding the police or fire department. Role play-
ers may be used as community members or this function may be performed
by the assessors themselves, although it is difficult for the assessors to take
good notes when they are actively playing a role. In some cases, commu-
nity representatives may be asked to play themselves in this exercise. This
technique works extremely well, since no one else can speak better for the
community than people who reside there.
In most cases, the candidate will be given a topic on which to speak to
the group, and will be given a short time (15 minutes or so) to prepare a
brief address to the group. It is usually a good idea to allow the candidate
to set the stage for the meeting and to deliver the presentation he or she has
prepared, unless it appears that the candidate does not intend to allow time
for questions from the audience. Responding to questions from those in at-
52 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
tities (“I’m Sam Brown and I own the hardware store on North Main Street”)
to inject a greater sense of realism into the exercise. It serves little purpose
for the role players to ask questions of candidates that are not relevant to the
community.
This may be a difficult exercise for candidates who are not comfortable
appearing before groups or who are not good public speakers. The ability
to communicate effectively, to think under pressure, and to deal sensitively
and effectively with the problems of others are important qualities for a suc-
cessful performance in this exercise. Candidates who have difficulty in this
type of exercise should be encouraged to take courses in public speaking
or to seek opportunities to speak before groups both inside the department
and in the community.
Fire departments take their responsibility to inform and educate the pub-
lic about fire prevention methods and safety procedures during fires and
other emergencies very seriously. Typically, public education is a responsi-
bility of the Fire Marshal’s Office if the department is large enough to have
one, but in smaller departments company officers and chief officers from
suppression units may often be called upon to make presentations to the
public on a variety of topics relating to fire prevention and public safety. The
audience for these presentations can be as varied as the topics from which
54 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
the speaker may wish to choose and include senior citizens, elementary
school children, business owners and managers, homeowners, and other
stakeholders in the community.
In the Public Education Exercise, candidates are assigned to make an
impromptu presentation to a target audience and will usually be given 15
minutes or so to prepare for the presentation. Candidates may also be pro-
vided with information pamphlets, reference materials, flip charts and mark-
ing pens, and other resources that may prove useful in preparing for and
delivering the presentation.
Assessors usually play the role of the target audience and will behave
and ask questions typical of that audience. If the audience is a third grade
elementary school class, assessors will need to adjust their questions to
those typical of children of this age (i.e., where is your dog?). If the audience
is a group of local business people and the topic is fire prevention in the
work place, questions from the assessors would obviously be more directly
related to the topic.
Every interest group in the community has a different set of concerns that
may need to be addressed in an exercise such as this and it is important that
assessors, acting as role players, reflect the actual concerns that exist in
that community and that might be voiced by that particular interest group.
Homeowners and senior citizens, for example, will usually be concerned
about rising taxes while local merchants will be concerned about regula-
tions which may impact their profit margin.
A successful candidate in this exercise will be one who can respond sym-
pathetically and with understanding to the needs and concerns of the target
audience while at the same time deliver a clear and cogent message about
the importance of fire prevention in the community. Moreover, candidates in
this exercise need to conduct themselves in a professional manner that will
reflect positively on the image and reputation of the fire department.
This is an excellent exercise in which to test the public speaking skills of
candidates as well as their ability to think quickly and to respond effectively
to questions while under pressure.
In this exercise, candidates are usually informed that they have recently
been appointed to the position for which they are being considered and that
they are about to have their first formal staff meeting with members of their
immediate staff. In a police department, this could be a lieutenant or com-
mander in charge of patrol having a meeting with two or three shift supervi-
sors. In a fire department, this could be a chief officer meeting with two or
three company officers. See Appendix O for an example of this exercise.
The purpose of the meeting may be for the newly-appointed commander or
chief officer to discuss his or her management philosophy with his or her
immediate subordinates, or to discuss other matters relating to the admin-
istration of the particular unit or division.
Assessors or role players may play the role of the subordinate officers
and will usually be expected to react in different ways to the information
being discussed. For example, one of the role players may respond to the
information being presented with indifference while another may be alto-
gether hostile in his or her attitude. Another role player may be either non-
committal or passive, or may attempt to win the favor of the commander by
feigning praise, admiration or support for the information being discussed.
Chief officers need to know how to get the most out of their staff. Photograph courtesy of
Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett, Illinois.
56 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
In some cases, the role players may demonstrate their dislike for or distrust
of each other by making rude or inappropriate comments or engaging in
other forms of unacceptable behavior. When this occurs, the candidate must
be quick to intercede and take action to ensure that this kind of behavior is
not allowed to continue.
The objective of this exercise is to allow the candidates to demonstrate
their ability to develop an effective working relationship with subordinate per-
sonnel. This requires that they be sensitive to the interests of others, be an
effective listener and communicator, and be a good problem-solver as well.
Candidates in this exercise should be aware that their leadership ability
will probably be tested by the role players and they should be alert for any
attempts to challenge their authority. Such attempts should be dealt with
firmly but not in a confrontational manner. On the other hand, they should
not overanticipate what may happen during the meeting, nor should they
enter into the exercise in a confrontational manner. They should have a pos-
itive attitude going into the exercise and should remain positive and open
throughout the meeting. Even if sanctions may be required against members
of the group, they should be done in such a way as to not alienate the other
members of the meeting.
For example, it is a good idea for the candidate to take a particularly un-
ruly subordinate aside and speak to that person in private to appeal to his
or her sense of fairness. In this way, the candidate may agree to work with
the subordinate once the meeting has ended. This is an effective way of
handling a disruptive person and will usually allow the candidate to regain
control of the meeting and bring it to a successful conclusion.
The Staff Meeting Exercise can be a difficult one for someone who has
problems dealing with a challenge to his or her authority. The best prepara-
tion for this kind of exercise is to develop techniques that will enable candi-
dates to deal effectively with a disruptive participant in a way that will help
them maintain control over the meeting while at the same time recognize
that even the most disruptive participant may have a valid point to raise and
should be recognized.
Most news reports can be a valuable ally to the police and fire service.
3Most news media representatives are responsible and professional journalists. The criticism made here
applies to those few who create a “bad rap” for the entire industry.
58 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
should be.
Candidates may be given the option of submitting a typewritten or com-
puter-produced paper or one that is handwritten. It is recommended that
candidates not be rated heavily on which option they choose, unless all can-
didates have access to computer terminals and printers and are expected
to be computer literate on the job, in which case a computer-generated
paper should be expected.
The nature of the topic to be assigned to the candidates should be rele-
vant to the position for which they are being evaluated and should be a sub-
ject with which all candidates are familiar. It would not be appropriate, for
example, to ask candidates to submit a budget proposal for upgrading the
department’s canine program, or DARE program, if only one or two candi-
dates are familiar with those programs. There are many topics that might be
assigned to candidates in this kind of exercise, including such things as:
Candidates are usually instructed to limit their papers to five or six pages
which should be double-spaced if typewritten or computer-generated. As-
sessors are given a brief time to review the papers and then candidates are
scheduled to appear before the assessors to make an oral presentation to
them regarding their paper. They are instructed not to simply read the paper,
since the assessors have already read it, but rather to summarize the high
points of the paper. They are also instructed to leave ample time for ques-
tions from the assessors. Questions from the assessors are intended to clar-
ify or reinforce the points made by the candidate. In some cases, the
question and answer period will reveal that the candidate had not completely
thought out his or her proposal. In other instances, follow-up questions from
assessors may even reveal that the candidate’s paper was actually the work
of someone else.
In this exercise, candidates are usually rated on both written and oral
communication skills as well as their program analysis and organization and
planning skills. Relatively equal weight should be given to the effort that
went into preparing the paper as well as the candidate’s ability to orally pres-
ent and defend the ideas presented in the paper.
Automation is an important tool of the modern police officer. Photograph courtesy of La-
Grange Police Department, LaGrange, Illinois.
“witness” is given a script that contains the information regarding the crime
scene that this witness can provide to the candidate, but the information is
provided only if the candidate asks for it specifically. In other words, the wit-
ness will not volunteer any information, but will only respond to the inquiries
made by the candidate. This requires candidates to ask the right questions
in order to get the correct information. They must also draw the correct con-
clusions from the information they receive.
Candidates are usually given 15 minutes or so to review the “crime report”
and then are given another 30 minutes or so to interview the three wit-
nesses. The candidate may spend as little or as much time as he or she
wishes with each witness, so long as the maximum allotted time is not ex-
ceeded. One or more assessors will be assigned to observe and evaluate
the witness interview by the candidate. Following the last interview, the can-
didate will be given 30 minutes to prepare a written supplemental report de-
tailing the results of the follow-up investigation; recommendations as to
additional investigation to be conducted as well as evidence to be obtained
and processed; and conclusions regarding the probable identification of the
person(s) responsible. The assessor assigned to observe the interviews will
also be assigned to review the follow-up report and will evaluate the candi-
date on the skill demonstrated in the interviews themselves as well as the
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 63
Most assessment center exercises place the candidate in the position for
which he or she is being considered so as to evaluate how the candidate
might react when confronted with situations that are common to that posi-
tion. In this way, candidates may be evaluated on their ability to do a job,
rather than on their past performance in a particular position. The Career In-
terview Exercise differs from most other assessment center exercises since
the candidate is simply being asked to tell the assessors about himself or
herself and to describe in their own words why they believe they are quali-
fied for the position for which they are being evaluated. In effect, the Career
Interview Exercise is similar to a structured oral interview in which candi-
dates are asked a series of questions designed to test their job knowledge
and decision-making ability. In the Career Interview Exercise, however, the
emphasis is placed on allowing the candidate to speak in his or her words
about why he or she is qualified for the position.
In this exercise, candidates should be given 15 to 30 minutes to prepare
a 15-minute presentation to the assessors focusing on their qualifications to
be promoted. They may be given flip charts to aid them in making their pres-
entation. Candidates should not be given the topic of the presentation until
they are to begin preparing for it. Otherwise, some candidates will have a
greater advantage over others by having more time to prepare their presen-
tation. In addition, candidates should not be allowed to bring prepared re-
sumes, college transcripts, copies of papers they have written, awards,
certificates, or other materials with them to give to the assessors. The only
thing they should be allowed to present to their assessors is the material
they prepare during the preparation period immediately before the exercise.
Candidates should be admonished to allow time for questions from the
assessors, and their failure to do so should go against them in the asses-
sors’ evaluation of them. Assessors should be allowed to ask questions lim-
ited to the information contained in their presentation and should not be
allowed to ask questions of an unrelated nature. However, one or two “stock”
questions may be asked, such as “Describe your strengths and your weak-
nesses” or “What have you done to prepare yourself for promotion?” as long
as these same questions are asked of all candidates.
There are three distinct advantages to this exercise. One is that candi-
dates sometimes feel that the assessors did not really get to know them. “I
would like to have been able to tell them something about myself” is a com-
mon complaint. In addition, assessors are often curious, after seeing a can-
didate in several role-playing exercises, about a candidate’s background,
experience, education, or training. This exercise sometimes helps to give the
assessors a more rounded and complete picture of the candidate. Finally,
this exercise may be an advantage to the candidate who has truly prepared
himself or herself for promotion through study and various job experiences.
The candidate who is simply going through the process and who has not re-
ally made an effort to prepare himself or herself for promotion will find them-
selves at a disadvantage in this exercise.
In this exercise, candidates should keep the following points in mind. First,
they should never hesitate to talk about their strengths, but they should also
not try to hide their weaknesses. The candidate who says, “I can’t really
think of any weakness” is not being honest with the assessors, and they will
know this. Second, since time is limited, candidates should not try to list
every specific accomplishment of their career, but rather hit only the high-
lights. Third, they should keep in mind that they are being considered for
Typical Assessment Center Exercises 65
Police supervisors as well as fire company officers are often called upon
to investigate accidents involving their subordinates and to make recom-
mendations to higher authority concerning corrective action as well as dis-
cipline. In the Accident Review Board Exercise, candidates are placed in
the position of investigating an accident involving one of their subordinates
and making both a written and an oral report to an Accident Review Board
(the assessors). This exercise is somewhat time-consuming and compli-
cated to administer since it involves several role players as well as time for
the candidates to write their report.
66 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
1. The scope, nature and method of the job analysis that will be needed
to support the design of the exercises.
67
68 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
These are but some of the issues that must be considered well in ad-
vance of the design of the assessment center process. Failure to adequately
take these issues into consideration will almost surely result in problems ei-
ther while the process is being administered or subsequent to the process.1
eXerCise desiGn
1 See Cam Caldwell, George C. Thompson and Melissa L. Gruys, “Ten Classical Assessment Center Er-
rors: Challenges to Selection Validity,” Public Personnel Management (Spring, 2003), Vol. 32, No. 1., pp.
73–88.
Assessment Center Design and Administration 69
2 Ibid, p. 75.
70 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
As a general rule, no less than three exercises, and no more than five,
should be included in the assessment center. More than five exercises may
be desired in some cases for executive-level positions such as Fire Chief,
Police Chief, or City Manager. Four exercises are about the optimum num-
ber of exercises to use in most promotional processes.
Every effort should be made to design exercises around the actual or-
ganization and the community in which the position is being performed. It is
important candidates feel that they are dealing with things, persons and sit-
uations that are pertinent to their own organization. Candidates for the po-
sition of Captain in a Sheriff’s department, for example, should not be given
an In-Basket Exercise in which their immediate superior is shown as the
Chief of Police or City Manager, since these positions would not be pertinent
to a Sheriff’s department.
If a candidate is being asked to have a shift or company meeting with
subordinate personnel, he or she should be given information and directives
that are relevant to the actual police or fire department, as opposed to top-
ics that are merely generic in nature. This reinforces the value of the job
analysis as a means of ensuring that the process is as realistic and job-re-
lated as possible. It also reinforces the need to have all exercise materials
reviewed by a Subject Matter Expert before they are used.
If the candidate is assigned to go over an unsatisfactory performance
evaluation report with a subordinate, a staff person should be asked to pre-
pare an actual performance evaluation report on a fictitious employee. The
performance evaluation report would be identical to that actually used by
the organization. On the other hand, if the Department does not use a stan-
dardized performance evaluation report, the candidate may simply be given
a narrative description of an unsatisfactory employee and told to speak with
the employee about his or her poor job performance. Candidates need to
feel that the process was a true and accurate reflection of the requirements
of the job for which they were being evaluated. Good planning and thorough
preparation can help to make sure this happens.
CAndidATe orienTATion
every candidate the opportunity to do his or her best in the process. One
way to do this is to have an orientation session for the candidates before the
process begins.
The orientation session helps candidates get ready for what lies ahead.
During the orientation session, it is a good idea to have a copy of the ex-
ercise schedule available and review it with the candidates so that they will
know exactly what will be expected of them, where they need to be, for how
long, and at what time. It is also a good idea to review each of the exercises
with the candidates in order to let them know something about the exercise
itself so that they will have a better understanding of what is expected of
them before they arrive. If possible, candidates should also be provided with
information on the criteria upon which they will be evaluated so that they
will have a good understanding of what dimensions of their performance will
be evaluated by the assessors.
Copies of recent articles about the assessment center process may also
be provided to the candidates. As a general rule, the more information about
the process that can be given to the candidates during the orientation ses-
sion, the greater degree of acceptance and satisfaction with the results of
the process can be expected from the candidates. However, it should be
pointed out to the candidates that it is just as bad to overprepare for an as-
sessment center as it is to fail to prepare at all. Candidates who enter into
an assessment center process thinking they know all the answers and an-
ticipating the likely outcome of an exercise may often fail to listen to or read
instructions carefully. As a result, they may fare very poorly. Thus, while
Assessment Center Design and Administration 73
ence centers, may provide the necessary space. In still other cases, the de-
sired space may need to be procured for a reasonable fee from local restau-
rants, hotels, or banquet halls.
It is important that the assessment center administrator determine the de-
sired number and type of rooms needed for the assessment center well in
advance so that the necessary arrangements can be made without a prob-
lem. If possible, it is always a good idea for the assessment center admin-
istrator to personally inspect the proposed facilities in advance so that there
will be no unpleasant last minute surprises.
The kinds of facilities needed to successfully conduct an assessment cen-
ter will vary with the number of candidates involved and the number and
type of exercises to be included in the process. In general, however, the fol-
lowing would be considered the minimum necessary requirements:
• The Exercise Room is where all or most of the exercises are con-
ducted. As such, it should be ample in size and configuration to accom-
modate a variety of purposes. A large conference room or small
classroom measuring approximately 20 by 40 feet in dimension would
normally be suitable for this purpose. If more than one exercise is tak-
ing place at the same time, such as under the “dual panel” approach
described elsewhere in this chapter, two rooms of the same size would
be required for this purpose. This room should be furnished with a suit-
able number of chairs and tables for the assessors and the candidates,
as well as with other needed equipment, such as a podium, a dry erase
board, an overhead projector, and the like. There should also be a
workplace for the assessment center administrator and a chair for the
video camera operator, if someone other than the assessment center
administrator is assigned to operate the video camera. Appendix Q con-
tains recommended room configurations for several of the exercises
contained in this book.
• The Preparation Room is a room where two or more candidates may
be seated during the time they are preparing for their next exercise. A
medium-sized conference room would usually be suitable for this pur-
pose. This room should be equipped with individual tables and chairs
or desks and chairs for two or three candidates. Flip charts, marking
pens, and other materials that may be needed by the candidates in
preparing for the next exercise should also be provided.
• The Break Room is a place where candidates may gather while they
are not actually engaged in or preparing for an exercise. This room
should normally be comfortably furnished to allow candidates to relax
as much as possible before they are needed to begin preparing for their
next exercise. Coffee, soft drinks, rolls and other refreshments may be
provided in the Break Room.
Assessment Center Design and Administration 75
sChedUlinG meThods
cluded in an assessment center, the greater the cost will be. There are, how-
ever, ways to increase the number of candidates to be evaluated without
substantially increasing the total costs.
A typical assessment center will usually involve three or four different ex-
ercises and can normally accommodate five or six candidates in a single
day. Between 15 and 20 minutes should be allocated for each candidate in
any individual exercise. An additional 10 to 15 minutes need to be allowed
for candidate evaluation and scoring by the assessors. As a result, one in-
dividual exercise involving six candidates would require between two and
one-half and three hours to complete. In this way, three or four individual
exercises, or three individual and one group exercise, could be accommo-
dated in a single day (realizing that a full day for the assessors is usually
more than eight hours). Appendix R provides an example of a typical one-
day assessment center for five candidates involved in four exercises.
only creating problems for themselves if they discuss the exercises with
other candidates during the process. It is also not a good idea to change ex-
ercises from one group to the next. It is therefore to everyone’s advantage
if the candidates do not reveal details of the exercises to other candidates
until the process has been completed. In some agencies, candidates may
be issued a direct order by the Chief of the Department not to discuss the
exercises with any candidate who has not completed the process. It may
also be a good idea to have each candidate sign a statement agreeing not
to discuss the results of the process with anyone else until after the last can-
didate has been evaluated. Violation of this agreement may result in charges
being filed against someone and could lead to that candidate being elimi-
nated from consideration for promotion. This is a rather forceful way of try-
ing to get candidates to do something that is for their own good.
When large numbers of candidates are being tested over two or three
days, it may be possible to change certain aspects of the exercise so that
one group of candidates will not have more time to prepare than another. For
example, in the case of a Company or Shift Training Exercise, different top-
ics may be randomly assigned to candidates so that they will have no way
of knowing what topic they may be assigned. It is important, though, that all
topics are equally difficult.
sTAff sUPPorT
Role players are often used to inject realism into the exercises.
fire simulators
screen. Both fire and smoke can be either animated or static images. In the
former case, they can be made to grow larger or diminish, based upon the
candidate’s tactical decisions. Audible features, such as radio traffic, sirens,
cries for help, or power saws, can also be employed. The computerized sim-
ulation offers an advantage over other forms of tactical problems inasmuch
as the condition of the fire can be changed to fit the candidate’s actions.
to use during the In-Basket Exercise. In addition, an IT staff person will usu-
ally be networked with the candidates’ work stations so that during the ex-
ercise the IT staff person can send additional e-mail messages to the
candidates and can receive and store email messages received from the
candidates so that they can later be retrieved and evaluated by the asses-
sors.
The obvious advantage of the electronic in-basket is that it allows the can-
didates to work in an environment that is more like the way they actually do
business. With the traditional pencil and paper in-basket, candidates often
complain that they spend too much time writing out lengthy memoranda
which is “not really like the way we work.” An added advantage of the elec-
tronic in-basket is that, since most or all of the messages prepared by the
candidates are typewritten, they are much easier to read and assessors
spend relatively little time trying to figure out what a candidate wrote or what
they meant. Candidates also report that they are able to work quicker with
the electronic in-basket, thus helping to ensure that they complete the ex-
ercise in the allotted time.
In-car cameras have become a valuable tool for the police officer today. Photograph courtesy
of LaGrange Police Department, LaGrange, Illinois.
encounter.
For this technology to be used successfully, it is necessary to first of all
prepare a script that will outline the role, actions, and statements of the of-
fending officer as well as the actions and statements of the citizen making
the complaint. It is then necessary to find persons who will be willing to play
the role of the offending officer as well as the citizen during the recording
session. These same two role players must also be available during the ac-
tual assessment center because they will be expected to role play with the
candidates during the assessment center.
The host agency will be asked to provide a police uniform to be worn by
the person playing the role of the offending police officer. In addition, the
host agency must be willing to provide a marked patrol car equipped with an
in-car recording device as well as a ranking officer to assist with the video-
taping process. One typical scenario is for the person playing the role of the
citizen to be stopped by the officer while driving his car in an apparently
legal and proper manner. Once the emergency lights and equipment of the
police car are activated, the audio and video recording device is activated
and the entire encounter between the “officer” and the ”citizen” will be
recorded.
During the encounter, the person playing the role of the officer will en-
gage in certain behavior that is clearly inconsistent with the policies and pro-
cedures of the police agency (e.g., making an illegal search of the car, using
84 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
unnecessary force against the citizen, being rude and using derogatory lan-
guage toward the citizen, etc). It may take several “takes” to get the desired
effect and to ensure that the actions that will be complained of later by the
citizen role player are clearly documented in the audio and video recoding.
The candidate will first be expected to interview the “citizen,” who will al-
lude to the candidate some, but not all, of the things the officer did during the
encounter that upset the citizen to the point that he or she decided to make
an official complaint against the officer. After interviewing the citizen, the
candidate will be allowed to view the video and audio recording of the event
and to make notes on what he or she sees and hears while watching the
recording. Finally, the candidate will be expected to interview the person
playing the role of the officer and will be expected to use the information
provided by the citizen as well as the information provided by the video and
audio recording to critique the officer’s performance and to formulate a plan
for correcting the officer’s behavior.
ConClUsion
Assessor seleCTion
Typically, assessors are persons who have relevant experience and train-
ing in the field in which the candidates are employed. In most cases, an as-
sessment center for a Police Sergeant or Police Lieutenant examination will
employ persons who have served in those positions. It is usually desirable
that assessors have experience in a position one step higher than the rank
for which candidates are being considered. In a fire department, for exam-
ple, an assessment center for a Fire Captain or Fire Lieutenant would usu-
ally employ assessors who are currently serving, or who have previously
served, as Battalion, Division, or District Chief Officers.
Whenever possible, assessors should come from outside the agency in
which the assessment center is conducted, unless the agency is so large—
such as a state police agency or a police or fire department having more
than 1,000 commissioned personnel—that assessors do not personally
85
86 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
know the candidates or have any direct working relationship with them. Po-
lice and fire departments that have used internal command personnel to
serve as assessors for their own promotional processes have experienced
the age-old problem of claims of bias and favoritism that tend to erode con-
fidence in the process. This should be avoided at all costs.
Assessor TrAininG
The length and type of training needed by assessors will depend upon
their experience in the field as well as whether they have served previously
as assessors and the number and type of exercises that will be involved in
the assessment process. Some exercises, due to their technical nature, will
require more assessor training than others. For example, a tactical police or
1 Michael D. Blair, “Best Practices in Assessment Centers: Reducing Group Differences to a Phrase for the
Past,” paper presented at the 27th annual IPMAAC Conference on Personnel Assessment, Baltimore, Mary-
land, June, 2003.
88 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
The Assessor Manual serves as the reference guide for the assessment center.
Selection and Training of Assessors 89
One author has offered the following as a model for assessor training:3
If role players are to be used in the exercises, they should attend the train-
ing session to rehearse their roles in exercises in which they will be in-
2 It may be helpful to show assessors a videotape of a previous candidate feedback session so that they
CAndidATe eVAlUATion,
sCorinG, And feedbACk
T here are several methods that can be used to score candidates in an as-
sessment center. The method of choice depends upon the experience
and preference of the assessment center administrator as well as the needs
of the client organization. For example, some local jurisdictions may have
civil service or local personnel rules that specify that candidates are ranked
on an eligibility list for promotion, while others simply employ a “pass-fail”
method whereby all candidates who receive a passing score are placed on
an unranked list and are eligible for promotion based upon the preference of
the appointing authority. In still other cases, the assessment center score
may be a weighted part of the total examination score and thus may be only
one component of the overall promotional process. Regardless of the end
product of the evaluation process, it is important that assessors use some
standardized and logical method of evaluating, scoring or ranking the can-
didates. To this end, candidates must be evaluated on some objective crite-
ria which can be linked to the basic dimensions of the job for which they are
being evaluated. There must also be a standardized rating scale to use in
scoring candidates.
Assessor noTe-TAkinG
92
Candidate Evaluation, Scoring, and Feedback 93
sist them in their note taking. The evaluation criteria that will be used in scor-
ing the candidates should be available to the assessors so that they will have
a clear understanding of what is expected of the candidates in each exercise.
mAinTAininG ConsisTenCY
ing the candidates, it is the role of the exercise coordinator to ensure that
they are evaluating the candidates in a fair and consistent manner and in the
manner required by the established rating scale. In this way, the assess-
ment center administrator functions as a quality control manager, ensuring
that the standards that have been established for the process are met.
The criteria by which candidates are being evaluated should relate to the
skills, abilities and characteristics that have been determined to be neces-
sary for successful performance in the position for which the candidates are
being considered. In most cases, these criteria will be determined through
a job analysis of the position. If no formal job analysis is conducted, essen-
tial skills and abilities can usually be determined by reviewing the job de-
scription for the position, or by interviewing position incumbents or their
supervisors. Still another way is to identify the most important tasks per-
formed by position incumbents and determine the skills and abilities needed
to perform those tasks. For example, a first-line supervisor in a police depart-
ment or a fire department is often expected to counsel subordinate person-
nel regarding their job performance and to attempt to obtain their voluntary
compliance in improving their job performance. Skills in problem-solving,
human relations, and interpersonal communication would seem to be nec-
essary for a person to be able to successfully perform this task. There must
be a logical, if not documented, relationship between the criteria upon which
candidates will be evaluated and the tasks performed by persons in the po-
sition. In addition, criteria must be clear and unambiguous and must be de-
fined in such a way as to leave no misunderstanding by the assessors of
what is meant by them. In addition, there must be a way to differentiate be-
tween superior, average, and unacceptable performance.
In some cases, it may be desirable to design evaluation criteria, perform-
ance benchmarks and rating forms specifically based upon particular tasks.
In this way, the evaluation criteria and performance benchmarks can be cus-
tomized to meet specific local conditions and operating policies. An exam-
ple of this is in the design of evaluation guidelines for the In-Basket Exercise
(see Appendix C), discussed in Chapter 4. Here, a Subject Matter Expert
(a ranking member of the agency) has been asked to review each item of
the In-Basket and to prepare recommended actions and priorities for them.
These recommended actions and priorities are used as guides by the asses-
sors when evaluating the completed In-Baskets.
Another example of how these evaluation criteria and performance
benchmarks can be customized is in the Tactical Fire Problem. In this case,
96 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
This list is obviously not all-inclusive but it does serve to reflect the
tremendous versatility of the assessment center process.
1 Patrick T. Maher and Richard S. Michelson, Preparing for Fire Service Assessment Centers (Bellflower,
leadership: Skill in motivating others toward the accomplishment of goals and in ex-
erting a positive influence on their behavior.
2 Michael D. Blair, “Best Practices in Assessment Centers: Reducing Group Differences to a Phrase for the
Past,” paper presented at the 27th annual IPMAAC Conference on Personnel Assessment, Baltimore, Mary-
land, June, 2003.
Candidate Evaluation, Scoring, and Feedback 99
Problem Analysis: The ability to correctly recognize and identify a problem and to de-
velop reasonable and effective ways of solving the problem.
Perhaps the simplest scale to use, the numerical scale simply assigns
numerical values to evaluation criteria ranging from “Not Qualified” to “Out-
standing” or “Superior.” A simple four-point scale, such as the one shown
below, serves this purpose quite well.
Using this scale, assessors should be free to assign scores within each
of the categories according to their judgements concerning the level of skill
or ability demonstrated by the candidate. For example, assessors may as-
sign a score of 4.1 to a candidate who is clearly better than well qualified,
but who has not achieved the top of the superior range. Assessors should
also be free to rate a candidate somewhere between 0.0 and 0.9 if they be-
lieve that his or her performance is clearly less than acceptable. They must
use their own judgment in deciding just where, in that range, to score the
candidate.
Candidate Evaluation, Scoring, and Feedback 101
The rating scale must be designed in such a way that assessors are of-
fered clear choices in rating the performance of the candidates.
Another way to score the assessment center is to use the raw scores
achieved by a candidate in any one exercise divided by the maximum raw
score for that exercise expressed as a percentage score. For example, let’s
say that there are four dimensions in a single exercise and that there are five
102 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Assessor CommenTArY
minimally qualified: This person has • Performed at an acceptable level for this
demonstrated an average to above aver- position.
age level of skill or ability for this position. • Performance was minimally acceptable
The level of skill or ability exhibited indi- for someone in this position.
cates that the person should be able to • The candidate performed at a level that
perform in this position in an acceptable, was only average for someone in this
but not highly proficient, manner. position.
Well qualified: This person has demon- • The candidate performed at a level well
strated an above average to very good above the minimum standard for this
level of skill or ability for this position. This position.
person should be able to perform the du- • The candidate’s performance was well
ties of this position in a proficient manner. above average in this area.
• The candidate did a very good job of
dealing with the issues.
superior: This person has displayed an • The candidate did an exceptional job of
excellent level of skill or ability in this area. dealing with the issues.
The person’s performance revealed very • The candidate displayed a rare ability in
few flaws in this behavioral dimension. handling the problem.
The candidate should be expected to per- • The candidate performed at a level
form the duties of the position in an ex- much higher than the standard for this
ceptional manner. position.
priate for the situation. Therefore, understanding the scenario and the ex-
pected outcome is much more important than trying to second guess the
assessors.1
1 See Patrick T. Maher and Richard S. Michelson, Preparing for Fire Service Assessment Centers (Bell-
flower, CA: Fire Publications, Inc., 1992), pp., 28–29.
Preparing for an Assessment Center 111
sition and the characteristics of the organization. As a result, the exact na-
ture of an assessment center will vary from one place to another and will de-
pend largely upon the experience, training, and bias of the person or
persons responsible for its design and administration.
Accordingly, someone who wants to learn more about an assessment
center will be heavily influenced in his or her beliefs about what constitutes
successful performance in an assessment center by the person imparting
the information, whether it is from an article in a professional journal, book,
videotape, or classroom presentation. This information, instead of helping
the candidate prepare for the process, may cause him or her to develop cer-
tain biases or misconceptions which may eventually prove fatal to his or her
performance.
For example, a “Leaderless Group Discussion” is a common part of many
assessment centers. In this exercise, candidates are gathered into small
groups for the purpose of discussing a topic or issue and trying to come up
with an acceptable solution. There are many ways to “play” this exercise.
Some candidates may try to jump out in front early on and establish a strong
leadership position and channel the discussion toward a specific goal. An-
other person may be much more cautious and wait to see how the discus-
sion is going before making a move. In the end, the more successful
candidate is the one who has the most to do with how the group eventually
solves the problem. It is not usually the person who dominates the group or
who talks the loudest or the longest. In this exercise, what a candidate does
is often more important than what (or how much) they say.
People often do poorly in an assessment center because they enter into
an exercise with a preconceived notion about what is expected of them. Pre-
conceived ideas about what is expected, or what kind of behavior is desired,
or how the problem can best be solved, often run contrary to the beliefs and
philosophy of those responsible for designing and managing the process.
Ultimately, such false beliefs may lead to a negative or poor evaluation by
the assessors. For example, a candidate who comes into an Employee
Counseling Session with a copy of the department’s Employee Assistance
Program (EAP) is well-prepared, since this program may be exactly what is
necessary to get the employee back on track. However, when the problem
turns out to be something quite different, such as being disappointed over
the last promotional process, the candidate must be prepared to put aside
the Employee Assistance Program and think of other ways to get the em-
ployee motivated.
This being the case, then, what, if anything, can a candidate do to pre-
pare to participate in an assessment center in a manner that will ensure his
or her best performance? Is it impossible to prepare for an assessment cen-
ter? Is there nothing a hopeful candidate can do to ensure that he or she
112 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
does the best they can do? Actually, there are several things that someone
can do to improve his or her performance in an assessment center.
First, candidates should learn as much about the idea behind assess-
ment centers as possible. Read up on how they were first developed, how
they were used, and the reasons they are used. There are many useful ar-
ticles on assessment centers in professional journals and these can be very
helpful in learning more about the process and becoming more familiar with
the various methods that are used in assessment centers. At the same time,
they should stay away from attempting to learn the “ins” and “outs” of as-
sessment centers, since these often depend upon who designs and admin-
isters the assessment center.
Second, candidates must carefully study the criteria which are frequently
used in assessing performance in an assessment center. They will proba-
bly find that they tend to include such things as leadership, communication
skills (both written and oral), organization and planning, human relations,
judgment and reasoning, problem analysis, decision-making, and similar di-
mensions that have been found through a job analysis to determine or in-
fluence successful performance in a position. These traits will not be the
same for all positions but there is a great deal of crossover among posi-
Preparing for an Assessment Center 113
tions.
Once a candidate has studied those criteria commonly used in an as-
sessment center, they should evaluate themselves on each of these crite-
ria. They should honestly and completely assess their own strengths and
weaknesses. Are they a good public speaker? (Nearly all assessment cen-
ters feature some form of public speaking). Do they have strong leadership
ability or are they easily manipulated by peers or subordinates? (The “Prob-
lem Employee Exercise” or “Employee Counseling Exercise” is a common
scenario in many assessment centers and will be used to test their leader-
ship ability). Do they organize their time and work well, and can they use
available resources effectively? (The In-Basket Exercise is an excellent
method of evaluating how well one can solve problems with limited time and
resources.)
Third, candidates should learn as much as possible about the position for
which they are competing. In the case of internal promotions, they may
think they know all they need to know about the position, but they may be
wrong. What does someone in this position do? What distinguishes between
superior or only average performance in this position? What skills are
needed to perform in this position? What are the characteristics of people
who do well in this position? These are all important questions that candi-
dates should be able to answer if they are to be a viable candidate for the
position. Knowing the answers to these questions will enhance their per-
formance in an assessment center.
Fourth, candidates should maintain a positive attitude and be self-confi-
dent (not cocky or overbearing) as they enter into each of the exercises.
Candidates should not have a chip on their shoulder or dare someone to
knock it off. It is said in life that attitude is everything, and this is nowhere
more important than when participating in an assessment center. Candi-
dates should not condemn or criticize the process or blame someone else
or the process for their failure. If they err, they should accept responsibility
for their error and not try to cover up their mistakes. Assessors will spot this
immediately and will recognize it as a sign of weakness on the candidate’s
part. The ability to recognize and accept responsibility for their own errors
and failures, on the other hand, is a sign of strength to most assessors.
Fifth, candidates should keep an open mind going into the process. They
should not “over prepare” or anticipate what may lie in store for them. They
should eliminate any preconceived notions or biases that they may have
picked up in their research about what will or will not happen to them or
about what the assessors are looking for as they evaluate their perform-
ance. Instead, they should pay close attention to the instructions that are
given to them, approach each and every exercise as if it were their one
chance to show that they have what it takes to do the job, and handle each
114 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
besT PrACTiCes in
AssessmenT CenTer eXerCises
in-bAskeT eXerCise
In the real world, some things are more important than others. In an In-
Basket Exercise, those items which, by their nature, may somehow bring
discredit to the agency or to the municipality if not handled at once, deserve
top priority and must be handled immediately. Other, less important matters,
such as those with deadlines that must be met, should be completed next
while other items, routine in nature, may be left to be completed last, if time
permits. Routine items are those things in which delayed action will not ad-
versely impact their outcome.
Best Practices in Assessment Center Exercises 117
Bosses don‘t like surprises so it’s important to keep them informed about
what you are doing. If, in the In-Basket Exercise, you are informed that you
are going to be leaving town for a week to attend to a family emergency,
make sure to let your immediate superior (e.g., police chief, fire chief, mayor
or city manager) know where you are going, how long you will be gone and
how you can be reached during your absence. You should also appoint
someone to take your place while you are gone, even if this is done auto-
matically in your absence. Everyone needs to know who is in charge while
you are away.
In addition, if you receive a memorandum or email from your boss telling
you to do something during your absence, you must do two things: (1) find
someone else to do what you have been instructed to do (e.g., delegate)
and (2) let your boss know that someone else will be doing what you were
instructed to do. The rule of thumb is to keep everyone who needs to know
informed of what you are doing before you leave and let them know when
you expect to return.
delegate appropriately.
Due to the fact that the fire simulation usually runs no more than ten min-
utes or so, it is important that you act promptly and decisively. It is also im-
portant that you have sufficient personnel and apparatus on the scene to
handle the incident effectively. Candidates will almost never be criticized for
having too many people and too much equipment on the scene (you can al-
ways turn them around and send them back), but you will frequently be crit-
icized for trying to accomplish too much with too few resources. Once you
make your initial size-up, determine what level of response will be necessary
to handle the problem at hand and ask for additional resources if necessary
and within reason.
Best Practices in Assessment Center Exercises 119
The Incident Commander will be in charge of the emergency fire or EMS situation. Photo-
graph courtesy of Bartlett Fire Protection District, Bartlett, Illinois.
You need to remember that the assessors can only give you credit for
what you say and do in this exercise. They cannot give you credit for what
you think or what you meant to do. Even if something ordinarily happens
“automatically” in real life (e.g., command page, notification of Public Infor-
mation Officer, designation of Rapid Intervention Team, etc.), you must make
sure that these things get done if you expect the assessors to give you credit
for them. Remember that if you did not say it, you did not do it, and if you
did not do it, the assessors cannot give you credit for it. Nothing happens au-
tomatically in this exercise.
You can be sure that assessors will be thoroughly briefed on your depart-
ment’s Incident Command Procedures and will probably have read them
over so you should expect them to know what actions are required by those
procedures and you should act accordingly. These procedures are an impor-
tant part of your department’s operating policy and you will be expected to
demonstrate your understanding of and compliance with those procedures.
120 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
remember to do a 360.
In this exercise you must be continually focused on the future and must
be able to anticipate what might lie ahead. Your actions should be designed
to deal with the immediate situation in such a way that it does not escalate
or that, if it does escalate (often it will, regardless of what you do), you have
taken all reasonable and necessary actions to mitigate the impact of further
escalation. Candidates should be continually probing, asking questions,
checking on the progress and status of companies, and planning ahead for
future actions that may be required. A good candidate in this exercise will
stay ahead of the action, not behind it.
Best Practices in Assessment Center Exercises 121
You must remember that this is a group exercise and you will be evalu-
ated by the assessors on how well you work with other members of the
group. Your entire focus in this exercise should be to find ways to contribute
to the success of the group rather than to bring credit to yourself. Team-
work, cohesiveness, and consensus-building are important objectives in this
exercise.
Each action you take in this exercise should be calculated to bring the
group to consensus. This sometimes requires compromise and a bit of give
122 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
and take. Even though the final outcome of the discussion may not be ex-
actly as you would like to have it, the important thing is that the group has
arrived at a decision that all members of the group agree with and can sup-
port. This may mean that you will need to subordinate your own views and
expectations so that group consensus can be reached.
Some groups seem to stray from the objectives of the discussion and get
bogged down in meaningless trivia that contributes nothing toward the so-
lution of the problem under discussion. One of the things the assessors will
be looking for is someone who will keep the group heading in the right di-
rection. This can be done by volunteering to serve as the note-taker (an as-
signment than may become overwhelming at times) or as the group
moderator or time-keeper. Others do this by tactfully reminding the group of
the purpose and objectives of the assignment and offering suggestions that
will help the group remain focused on its central mission. Anything you can
do to contribute to keeping the group on track and focused on its principal
assignment will bring credit to you in the eyes of the assessors.
Some candidates are so anxious to impress others with their vast knowl-
edge of a particular subject that they cannot wait their turn to speak. Instead,
they continually cut off others just to get their own point across. This is not
a trait that assessors appreciate and it is something to be avoided. More
important, however, is the need to listen intently to what others have to say.
Candidates who spend more time speaking than they do listening usually
Best Practices in Assessment Center Exercises 123
have very little to say and spend too much time saying it. You can demon-
strate much more leadership by engaging in active listening skills than by
speaking a lot and saying very little.
In this exercise, you will be confronted by a role player whose job per-
formance, behavior, or conduct is creating a problem of such magnitude that
you have decided to meet with the employee to discuss the situation. One
of your responsibilities will be to factually and completely explain the nature
of the problem being discussed and to make your expectations clear to the
employee. Vague or poorly-defined statements such as “some improve-
ment” or “just a little better” accomplish nothing and may leave the employee
uncertain about what you expect in the future. You should leave nothing to
the imagination of the employee in this exercise.
124 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
do not negotiate.
It’s a good idea for a candidate to let residents know that he or she will get
back to them with answers to their questions. A candidate may wish to give
residents his or her business card, telephone number, or e-mail address so
that they may contact the candidate in the future for further assistance. A
candidate may wish to simulate bringing someone along as a note-taker
and promising to send everyone in attendance copies of the minutes of the
meeting. One way or another, it is important that candidates let the audi-
ence know that they will make a concerted effort to solve their problems to
the best of their ability.
their respective agencies. Sometimes mistakes are made despite our best
efforts to deliver quality services in a prompt and efficient manner. Some-
times members of our agencies don’t always do what we expect them to
and the reputation of the department may be brought into question. If a can-
didate is confronted with a situation in which something was not done that
should have been done or that was not done the way it should have been,
the best course of action is to admit the error and promise to do better in the
future. The worst thing a candidate can do is to try to justify the actions or
to make feeble excuses that only make the candidate or the department
look worse.
Dealing with citizen complaints about the level or quality of police or fire
services is a basic responsibility of any police or fire supervisor. The basic
mission of a police or fire department is public service and first-line super-
visors have an important role to play in seeing to it that citizens are well-
served by their agencies. This is an exercise in which candidates are
evaluated on their ability to be sensitive to the needs of others, to obtain es-
sential information, to identify and analyze a problem, and to reach logical
and appropriate solutions to problems.
The following suggestions are offered to assist a candidate in competing
effectively in this exercise:
Greet the citizen warmly and make him or her feel welcome
There is nothing worse than telling someone you will do something and
then not keeping your promise. While it is important that citizens feel that a
police or fire supervisor or chief officer is truly concerned about their prob-
lem, candidates should never make promises that they can’t keep because
that is the same thing as lying to the public. Let the citizen know what you
can and will do for them, but be careful not to promise more than you can
deliver. False promises raise false expectations which will eventually come
back to harm the cooperation and support police and fire departments need
from their constituencies.
sented to the company or shift (the assessors) and will be expected to pres-
ent information on the topic in a training format. Role players will often en-
gage in behavior designed to either get the candidate sidetracked or to test
his or her patience and composure. There are several things a candidate
should remember when participating in this exercise.
Effective police work requires a strong partnership between the police and the community.
Photograph courtesy of Joplin Police Department, Joplin, Missouri.
A good way to counter the interruptions and distractions of the role play-
ers is to get them involved in the class. Ask them questions on the subject
matter, have them come to the front of the room and write something on the
board or use them to demonstrate a technique (e.g., proper pat down and
handcuffing procedures). Getting them involved in the class takes them out
of their role playing persona and makes them easier to deal with. It also
helps to increase their interest in the subject matter.
130
Some of the Greatest Blunders 131
fact that these two individuals made a decision that something else was
more important to them than finding out what they could about the assess-
ment center process, both of these individuals scored lower than all other
candidates and failed the process! Did the orientation session make a dif-
ference? Draw your own conclusions!
The In-Basket Exercise is particularly difficult for the first timer, and this
is especially true if a candidate is not accustomed to handling a lot of paper-
work, setting priorities and working under time constraints. First timers rarely
do well in this exercise, and some experienced administrators sometimes
have problems due to the time constraints.
Example One: In one case, a relatively bright individual fared poorly in
the In-Basket Exercise primarily because he failed to complete half the
items. When he was asked why he had been able to complete so few of the
items, he said that he had read a book on assessment centers in which the
author advised that the first thing to do in an In-Basket Exercise was to pre-
pare a detailed outline of the contents before proceeding. “I spent so much
time working on the outline that I did not have time to complete all the items!”
I suppose preparing an outline before beginning the In-Basket Exercise
is a good idea if time constraints allow. But in this case, the candidate had
only 90 minutes to complete 18 items. This averages out to five minutes for
each item. Preparing an outline probably took him 20 or 30 minutes, which
reduced his available time by one-third. He would have been better off sim-
ply doing a preliminary sort to determine priorities and then to begin work-
ing on the highest priorities and working his way down to the lowest ones.
Example Two: There was another case in which a person got through
most of the items in the In-Basket but failed to complete some of the most
important items. When asked about his strategy in doing the In-Basket, he
said that he decided to start with all the “easy” items (e.g., those having the
least importance) to get them out of the way and then go on to complete
the more difficult items. It was explained to him that the easiest items are
also the least important and should therefore be left to do after the most dif-
ficult items (e.g., the most important) have been completed. Failing to com-
plete the most important items cost this person dearly in this exercise.
not mean that it is an easy exercise, because experience has proven that it
is not. There are many ways to do poorly in this exercise. Some of these are
described below.
Example one: I recall one case in which a candidate for Police Sergeant
was told that he was about to conduct an interview with an officer who was
performing poorly. This officer was coming in late for work, failing to get his
reports done on time, leaving critical information out of those reports, and
doing very little in the way of self-initiated activity. The candidate, who was
to assume the role of a new shift sergeant, was asked to speak with the of-
ficer, find out why these problems were occurring, and attempt to bring about
an improvement in the officer’s performance. As the candidate was brought
into the exercise room, the role player was standing near the desk and was
greeted by the candidate saying, “Sit down and be quiet. I have something
to say to you.” The candidate went on to tell the officer, as if he were a three-
year-old child, what was expected of him. There was no dialogue, no prob-
ing for facts, no attempt to discover if there were reasons for the officer’s
behavior. Instead, the candidate chose to adopt a dictatorial posture when
dealing with the officer, which merely resulted in hostility by the officer and
the creation of even more serious problems in the future.
Candidates sometime seem to anticipate that they will be given a rough
time by role players and therefore want to try to gain the upper hand early
by letting the role player know who is in charge. This is a tactical error since
it suggests that the candidate already knows the problem before beginning
the interview and has chosen a solution before knowing all the facts. It is
much better to keep an open mind until the candidate knows the entire sit-
uation and then choose a course of action appropriate for the facts they
have uncovered.
Example Two: In another case, a candidate for Fire Lieutenant was in-
structed to speak with a firefighter on his crew who had a bad attitude about
women. The firefighter was supposedly known to have a poor regard for
women in the fire service and to make a number of derogatory remarks
about the ability of women to do the job. The candidate was instructed to
Some of the Greatest Blunders 135
speak with the firefighter to let him know that this attitude has no place in the
fire station and that future acts of this kind might lead to disciplinary action.
The candidate began to explain the purpose of the interview to the role
player, but within two or three minutes the role player had completely taken
over the exercise. The candidate listened quietly as the role player man-
aged to steer the conversation away from what the candidate was supposed
to be discussing. By the time the exercise ended, the role player had totally
dominated the conversation and the original purpose of the meeting had
been lost somewhere along the way.
Strong role players can be very skilled in gaining control of this exercise
and getting the conversation to go in a different direction from that intended.
Candidates need to be alert to this possibility and to find a way to gain con-
trol of the exercise early on and to retain control so that the purpose of the
meeting is eventually satisfied. At the same time, it is important to allow the
role player the opportunity to say what is on his or her mind and to partici-
pate in the conversation. Being in control of the exercise is not the same
thing as dominating it. Candidates must be able to recognize the difference.
the assessors how he planned to deal with the problem. “That was your
chance,” I said as the color drained from his face and he realized his error.
In my mind, fighting a real fire, where you have the advantage of sight,
sound, touch, smell, and dealing with real, live, tangible objects, is easier in
some ways than trying to fight a fire under the artificially controlled conditions
imposed within the framework of an assessment center exercise.
Experienced firefighters at the scene of a real fire know instinctively what
to do and what to expect from other crews at the scene. Unfortunately, things
don’t often work that way in a simulated fire problem.
One of the ways to do very poorly in this exercise is to fail to get enough
help on the scene as quickly as possible. Because the scenario moves so
quickly, many candidates don’t realize until it is too late that they simply don’t
have enough personnel and equipment to do the job expected of them. Few
candidates have ever been criticized for having too many personnel and
pieces of apparatus at a fire scene, but many have been criticized for not
having enough. As they often say, “You can always turn them around!”
Example One: In one case, a candidate was assigned to handle a fire in
a first-floor apartment unit in a three-floor, twelve-unit apartment complex.
The first alarm to this location provided him with two engines, one truck and
one squad. No ambulance was assigned on the initial alarm. The time of
the fire was 6:00 a.m. on a weekday, which meant that there was a strong
possibility of life safety as an issue.
Most strategies would call for one engine to make a quick attack and a
second to provide a backup line while the truck crew conducts primary
search and rescue. This leaves one squad to either begin ventilation once
the seat of the fire has been discovered, or to begin a primary search on the
second and third floor or to be assigned as a Rapid Intervention Team (RIT).
In short, all companies are committed almost immediately upon their arrival
at the fire scene.
In this particular case, the candidate waited more than seven minutes to
call for a second alarm, which would have brought in three additional en-
138 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
gines, one truck, and one ambulance. An even smarter move would have
been to call for an ambulance due to the potential number of casualties.
This candidate did neither and was faced with an escalating fire problem,
causing him to split his companies, assign them multiple tasks, and wear
them out in a hurry.
The Community Meeting Exercise can be difficult for those persons who
are unaccustomed to speaking before groups or who have a hard time think-
ing on their feet. While formal training in public speaking is not required, it
would be helpful to anyone who is expected to participate in this kind of ex-
ercise.
Some of the Greatest Blunders 139
One of the keys to this exercise is being able to listen to what others have
to say and to answer questions asked by members of the audience. In most
cases, the questions will be developed in advance of the exercise and will
be geared to actual issues in the community. For example, role players act-
ing as community members may be prompted to ask questions about gang
problems in the area, speeding cars, or juveniles creating a disturbance in
the parks and playgrounds. Candidates would be expected to respond with
answers which are appropriate for the issues presented to them.
It is important that candidates keep an open mind when participating in
this kind of exercise and that they do not attempt to impose their own
agenda or ideas upon those in the audience. Otherwise, they may very well
lose the interest of the audience and find that what they have to say has
fallen on deaf ears.
Example One: In one situation, a candidate for Police Lieutenant was
asked to meet with a group of community residents to discuss a number of
issues that they had previously complained about. The candidate was ex-
pected to listen to what the residents had to say and attempt to formulate a
plan of action that would address the problems and concerns of the resi-
dents. In this particular case, a candidate “over prepared” for the exercise by
preparing a detailed presentation covering all the major points that he thought
needed to be addressed during the meeting. The problem was that he was
so intent on telling the residents what he had come to talk about that he failed
to listen to their questions. In fact, he refused to allow them to ask any ques-
tions, telling them instead that he would address their questions when he
was finished giving his presentation. Even when the role players persisted
and threatened to walk out of the meeting, the candidate would not capitu-
late and insisted upon completing his presentation. By the time he had fin-
ished, the audience had left and he was speaking to a row of empty chairs.
submitted a very well-done paper, but during the oral presentation, the can-
didate had to continually refer to his paper and it became clear that he was
not familiar with the material. When asked by the assessors, the candidate
eventually admitted that he had not written the paper but that he had asked
his secretary to copy the paper from material that he had found on the topic.
His excuse was that the assignment was too difficult and that it was not re-
alistic to expect a completed work product in the time available. In view of
the fact that the other five candidates were given the same assignment and
were able to prepare their own papers, the assessors were not particularly
sympathetic to this candidate’s rationale. He failed the exercise.
The lesson that can be learned from this example is that you
should always do your own work. You may be pleasantly
surprised with the results, and you always enjoy the results
of your own efforts more than if someone else did the work
for you.
In nearly all assessment centers, there will almost certainly be one exer-
cise designed to test a candidate’s self-control as well as his or her ability
to deal effectively with thorny interpersonal problems. The Staff Meeting Ex-
ercise is one that often contains these elements. Typically, the candidate is
meeting with two or three staff personnel to talk about current issues or prob-
lems and one of the staff personnel engages in certain behavior designed
to provoke the candidate. How the candidate handles such a situation will
often reveal much about his or her character or style of leadership.
Some of the Greatest Blunders 143
Example One: In one situation, a candidate for Chief of Police was meet-
ing with his senior management people during his first week on the job. One
of the senior commanders was also the president of the police union. Dur-
ing the meeting, the union president made it a point to let the new chief know
that the union was a force to be reckoned with in the department and he ex-
pected to have a voice in major policy matters. After about five minutes of
hearing more than he wanted to from the union president, the chief ejected
him from the meeting with a stern warning not to attempt to threaten or in-
timidate him again!
While the behavior of the union president was clearly out of line and
needed to be handled firmly by the Chief, there were many other ways that
this situation could have been handled. Instead, this candidate chose to
alienate the union president (and thus, a large majority of the department)
during his first week on the job. It would not take many more meetings like
this for the Chief to alienate just about every other member of the depart-
ment!
ConClUsion
145
146 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
CAndidATe orienTATion
Although assessment centers are more common today than they were
ten years ago, many people find themselves participating in an assessment
center for the first time. This can be a very traumatic experience, particularly
when compared with other, more traditional, promotional examination meth-
ods. Chances are, a candidate has read about assessment centers or has
talked with a friend who has participated in an assessment center. The in-
formation received by these means may only increase a candidate’s fear of
the process. This fear can be lessened, but not altogether eliminated, by
conducting a brief orientation session prior to the assessment center. Gen-
erally, this session should take place no more than one week before the ac-
tual assessment center.
One of the complaints most often made by fire or police personnel about
promotional testing is that it “wasn’t practical” or that it “had nothing to do
with my job.” This often occurs when agencies attempt to purchase generic
assessment center scenarios as a way of saving money or when they hire
a consultant to design a process who does not take the time to carefully
study the agency. When this occurs, it is often discovered that exercises
have little relevance to the agency or to the position for which a candidate
is being evaluated. For example, in one actual case, candidates for Sheriff’s
Captain were given an in-basket designed for a police chief who reported to
a city manager, mayor, and city council. As another example, it would not be
appropriate to assign candidates to present a speech to a local “community
group” on fire prevention or crime prevention if persons in that position are
not regularly expected to make such presentations.
A thorough job analysis should always precede the development of any
assessment center. This job analysis will help to ensure that the exercises
selected for the process are both agency-specific and position-relevant. The
job analysis should also provide sufficient information concerning the skills
and abilities needed for successful job performance which can be evalu-
ated during the assessment center exercises. Without a thorough job analy-
sis, the validity of any assessment center may be questionable.
Those interested in implementing the assessment center as a part of their
promotional process are urged to avoid the “cheap and easy” approach in
which “canned” exercises are used. Customized exercises which bring re-
alism and relevance to the process will cost more in the long run but are
148 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
worth every penny spent on them in terms of good results and satisfied can-
didates. On the other hand, nothing can be more frustrating and disappoint-
ing to a candidate than the realization that the process that will determine
their future in the department was done with an eye toward saving money
rather than finding the most qualified candidate for the position.
Candidates appreciate the fact that the exercises in which they partici-
pate are realistic, practical and related to the position for which they are
being evaluated. They do not appreciate a process in which they feel that
they have been taken advantage of by the assessors or in which they feel
that the odds are stacked against them. Unnecessarily adversarial role play-
ing, unrealistic time limits, and uncaring or obnoxious assessors all con-
tribute to an “I can’t win” feeling by a candidate. Realistic and relevant
exercises, on the other hand, help ensure a greater degree of comfort by
candidates and stimulates their interest in and satisfaction with the process
and the end results of that process.
Conducting a thorough job analysis, carefully studying job descriptions
and other pertinent data, observing position incumbents as they preform
their duties, and interviewing subject matter experts and other department
staff are the best ways to ensure that the exercises selected for the process
are relevant and appropriate. Although this requires an investment of time
and effort, the additional expense is well worth the effort. A satisfied candi-
date who believes that the process was practical and relevant, who is
treated fairly and believes that it was an open and competitive process is
one of the best ways to sell the program to others who may have not yet
made up their mind about the process.
Police and fire personnel feel—rightly so—that their jobs are unique and
different and that only those who have walked in their shoes can properly un-
derstand what they do and how the job should be done. Although the prin-
ciples of supervision and management may not differ a great deal between
public and private sector organizations, it is difficult to convince an appli-
cant for Police Sergeant or Fire Lieutenant that someone who has not held
that position can properly evaluate someone who is being considered for
the position.
As a general rule, it is important that assessors be experienced in the po-
Ensuring Candidate Satisfaction with Assessment Center Methods 149
sition for which the candidates are being considered. It is usually preferred
that assessors, if currently employed in a police or fire agency, hold a posi-
tion or rank superior to that for which the candidates are being evaluated.
Whether active or retired, assessors should have no direct link with the
agency in which the candidates are employed or with any member of the
agency who may have a direct interest in the results of the process. The
credibility of the process can be seriously undermined if it is later discovered
that one of the assessors knew one of the candidates or might have been
unduly influenced by a previous relationship with someone in the depart-
ment.
It is also useful, but not essential, that assessors have previous experi-
ence with the assessment center method. If an inexperienced assessor is
to be used, it would certainly be a good idea to team that person up with an
experienced assessor—particularly one who is familiar with the methods to
be employed in evaluating candidates in that particular process. As dis-
cussed in Chapter 6, at least one state has mandated minimum training and
experience standards for assessors and it is very likely that this may be the
beginning of a trend in other states.
how they have been rated by the assessors, they usually have a good idea
of how they fared. Candidates should not be asked to sign the question-
naire and their responses should remain anonymous, but it is often useful
to ask them something about themselves (e.g., length of service, level of
education, how many other assessment centers they have participated in,
etc.). An example of a candidate feedback questionnaire appears in Appen-
dix S.
The purpose of the questionnaire should be made clear to the candidates.
They should also be advised that their responses, whether positive or neg-
ative, will be summarized and reported back to the client organization. In
this way, if they want to express a concern or feel that they have a legitimate
complaint about the way the process was conducted, they will know that
local officials are made aware of their concerns.
Candidates should not be required to complete the questionnaire, but rather
encouraged to do so. It is a good idea to let them know that their responses
are reviewed and evaluated by the assessment center administrator and that
changes in the process are often the result of these responses. On the other
hand, positive responses from the candidates, which should be the rule rather
than the exception, help to validate the fairness and objectivity of the process
and to reinforce the value of the process to the organization.
CAndidATe debriefinG
1Local civil service rules might dictate that this information be withheld altogether or until final scores are
posted.
Ensuring Candidate Satisfaction with Assessment Center Methods 153
processes.
If it is neither possible nor desirable to provide videotaped or electronically
recorded feedback, written feedback can also be provided. This can be done
either by requiring assessors to provide narrative accounts of their observa-
tions of the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses, which may prove to be
a very laborious task and which will also depend on the ability of the individ-
ual assessor to provide such narrative, or by using standardized forms such
as shown in Appendix T, which can be produced relatively easily and with
satisfactory results.
ConClUsion
Like other testing methods, there are no guarantees that persons who
score well in an assessment center will perform exactly as predicted once
promoted to a new position. However, the predictability of this method is
high, and it is for this reason that assessment centers have enjoyed a long
history of success in police and fire testing. Contrary to what some may
have believed a decade ago, assessment centers are not a thing of the past,
but rather have been established as a legitimate and reliable method of as-
sessing future job performance.
Despite their reliability and success, however, experience has shown that
one poor experience with an assessment center may ruin any chance that
might have existed to incorporate this method into promotional procedures.
The simple and practical steps outlined above can help to ensure that candi-
dates accept the validity of the process as well as the results produced by it.
Chapter 12
ConClUsion
154
Conclusion 155
International Task Force on Assessment Center Guidelines, “Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for As-
sessment Center Operations,” International Journal of Selection and Assessment, Vol 17, No 3 (Septem-
ber, 2009).
1 Endorsed by the 34th International Congress on Assessment Center Methods, 24 September 2008, Wash-
159
160 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
1. Purpose
2. history of Guidelines
The growth in the use of the assessment center method over the last several
decades has resulted in a proliferation of applications in a variety of organizations.
Assessment centers currently are being used in industrial, educational, military,
government, law enforcement, and other organizational settings. From the begin-
ning, practitioners began to raise concerns that reflected a need for standards or
guidelines for users of the method. The 3rd International Congress on the Assess-
ment Center Method, which met in Quebec (May 1975), endorsed the first set of
guidelines. These were based on the observations and experience of a group of
professionals representing many of the largest users of the method.
Developments in the period 1975–1979 concerning federal guidelines related
to testing, as well as professional experience with the original guidelines, suggested
that the guidelines should be evaluated and revised. Therefore, the 1979 guidelines
included essential items from the original guidelines, but also addressed the rec-
ognized need for: (1) further definitions, (2) clarification of impact on organizations
and participants, (3) expanded guidelines on training, and (4) additional informa-
tion on validation. Since 1979, the use of assessment centers has spread to many
different organizations that are assessing individuals representing diverse types of
jobs. During this period, pressures to modify the assessment center method came
from three different sources. First, there had been attempts to streamline the pro-
cedures to make them less time consuming and expensive. Second, new theoret-
ical arguments and evidence from empirical research had been interpreted to mean
that the assessment center method does not work exactly as its proponents origi-
nally had believed, suggesting that the method should be modified. Third, many
procedures purporting to be assessment centers had not complied with previous
guidelines, because the guidelines may have been too ambiguous. Revisions in the
1989 third edition were designed to incorporate needed changes and to respond
to some of the concerns raised since 1979. The 1989 revision of these guidelines
was begun at the 15th International Congress on the Assessment Center Method
in Boston (April 1987) when Dr. Douglas Bray held discussions with many atten-
dees. Subsequently, Dr. Bray and Dr. George Thornton solicited additional com-
Appendix A 161
ments from a group of assessment center practitioners. The 1989 Task Force pro-
vided comments on drafts of a revision prepared by Bray and Thornton. A later
draft was circulated and discussed at the 16th International Congress held in May
1988 in Tampa.
The 1989 guidelines were written in response to comments obtained at the 1988
Congress and from members of the Task Force. The 1989 guidelines were en-
dorsed by a majority of the Task Force and by participants at the 17th International
Congress held in May 1989 in Pittsburgh.
Changes in the 1989 guidelines from prior editions included: (1) specification of
the role of job analysis; (2) clarification of the types of attributes/dimensions to be
assessed and whether or not attributes/dimensions must be used; (3) delineation
of the processes of observing, recording, evaluating, and aggregating information;
and (4) further specification of assessor training. The 2000 revision of these guide-
lines was initiated at the 27th International Congress on Assessment Center Meth-
ods in Orlando (June 1999) when Dr. David R. MacDonald conducted discussions
with a number of assessment center experts in attendance and also solicited input
at a general session regarding aspects of the guidelines that needed to be (re)ad-
dressed. A primary factor driving the revision was the passage of a full decade
since the 1989 edition. Other factors included a desire to integrate technology into
assessment center methods and recognition of the need for more specific defini-
tions of several concepts and terms. Input from members of the Task Force for the
2000 edition was synthesized into a final draft that was presented and endorsed at
the 28th International Congress held in May 2000 in San Francisco, attended by
150 participants representing Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Ger-
many, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Sin-
gapore, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Arab Emirates, the United
Kingdom, and the United States of America.
The current revision of these guidelines was initiated at the 32nd International
Congress on Assessment Center Methods, which was held in Las Vegas in Octo-
ber 2004. A roundtable discussion addressed contemporary assessment center is-
sues on which there had been little previous guidance. Subsequently, this
Congress decided that additions and revisions were needed in two areas: (1) Be-
cause of the proliferation of multinational organizations using assessment centers
across geographic regions, more guidance was needed on global assessment cen-
ter practices. The 32nd Congress established a separate task force to examine
the issue. A report from this task force served as the foundation for a new section
of the guidelines. (2) Given recent research on the effectiveness of various asses-
sor training components, the Congress suggested an expansion of guidelines in
this area as well. A second round of discussions on these issues was held in 2006
at the 33rd International Congress in London. These discussions suggested addi-
tional guidance in two areas: (1) the use of technology in assessment center prac-
tices, and (2) recognition of methodological differences among assessment centers
used for different purposes.
This revision, co-chaired by Deborah Rupp and Doug Reynolds, was unani-
mously endorsed by the 34th International Congress (2008, Washington, DC),
162 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
that includes distinct job-related segments (e.g., large, complex simulations or vir-
tual assessment centers with several definable components and with multiple op-
portunities for observation in different situations) is not precluded by this restriction.
4. Using only a test battery composed of a number of paper-and-pencil meas-
ures, regardless of whether the judgments are made by a statistical or judgmental
pooling of scores.
5. Single-assessor evaluation (i.e., measurement by one individual using a va-
riety of techniques, such as paper-and-pencil tests, interviews, personality meas-
ures, or simulations).
6. The use of several simulations with more than one assessor but with no pool-
ing of data (i.e., each assessor prepares a report on performance in an exercise,
and then the individual, un-integrated reports are used as the final product of the
center).
7. A physical location labeled as an “assessment center” that does not conform
to the methodological requirements noted above.
and controls for research and program evaluation purposes, feedback procedures
to management and employees, and the length of time data will be maintained in
files should all be specified. Particularly for a selection application, it is recom-
mended that the data be used within 2 years of the date of administration because
of the likelihood of change in the participant or the organization.
5. Qualifications of consultant(s) or assessment center developer(s)–The inter-
nal or external consultant( s) responsible for the development of the center or of the
exercises/simulations for the center should be identified and his or her professional
qualifications and related training specified.
6. Validation–The statement should specify the validation model being used. If
a content-oriented validation strategy is used, the documentation of the relationship
of the job/job family content to the dimensions and exercises should be presented
along with evidence of the reliability of the observations and rating of behavior. If
evidence is being taken from prior validation research, which may have been sum-
marized in meta-analyses, the organization must document that the current job/job
family and assessment center are comparable and generalized to the jobs and as-
sessment centers studied elsewhere. If local criterion-related validation has been
carried out, full documentation of the study should be provided. If validation stud-
ies are under way, there should be a schedule indicating when a validation report
will be available. Finally, the validation technique employed should be appropriate
given the purpose/objective of the assessment center program (e.g., selection vs
development).
7. Legal context – Laws existing both in an organization’s/ agency’s home state,
province, or nation – as well as in the state, province, or nation where the assess-
ment center program is being carried out – may have implications for program de-
sign, validation, implementation, and documentation. Most nations have dis-
advantaged and protected groups (such as native/ aboriginal people, recent immi-
grants, racial groups, religious groups, and groups defined by age, political opin-
ion, sexual orientation, etc.) with accompanying regulations for legal protections
for their members. The policy statement should articulate the particular laws and
policies that are relevant for the assessment center program and state how legal
compliance will be ensured.
6. Assessor Training
Depending on the purpose of the assessment center, the training might include
additional components such as professionalism, knowledge of the organization,
knowledge of the target job, the ability to give accurate oral or written feedback, and
consistency in role playing.
The following minimum training goals are required:
a. Knowledge of the organization and job/job family or normative group being as-
sessed to provide an effective context for assessor judgments where appropri-
ate.
b. Thorough knowledge and understanding of the assessment dimensions, their
definitions, their relationship to job performance, and examples of effective and
ineffective performance.
c. Thorough knowledge and understanding of the assessment techniques, exer-
cise content, relevant dimensions to be observed in each portion of the assess-
ment center, expected or typical behavior, examples or samples of actual
behaviors, etc.
d. Demonstrated ability to observe, record, and classify behavior in dimensions, in-
cluding knowledge of the protocol for documenting behavior.
e. Thorough knowledge and understanding of evaluation and rating procedures, in-
cluding how data are integrated.
f. Thorough knowledge and understanding of assessment policies and practices
of the organization, including restrictions on how assessment data are to be
used, when this is a requirement of assessors.
g. Thorough knowledge and understanding of feedback procedures and strate-
gies, where appropriate, to maximize assessees’ acceptance of feedback and
behavior change.
h. Demonstrated ability to give accurate oral and written feedback, when feedback
is given by the assessors.
i. Demonstrated knowledge and ability to play objectively and consistently the role
called for in interactive exercises (e.g., one-on-one simulations or factfinding
exercises) when role playing is required of assessors. Non-assessor role play-
ers also may be used if their training results in their ability to play the role ob-
jectively and consistently.
2. Training length–The length of assessor training may vary due to a variety of
considerations that can be categorized into three major areas:
a. Trainer and instructional design considerations:
Appendix A 169
b. Assessor considerations:
It should be noted that length and quality of training are not synonymous. Pre-
cise guidelines for the minimum number of hours or days required for assessor
training are difficult to specify. One day of training may be sufficient for a well-struc-
tured assessment center using a small number of exercises, a qualified trainer,
and carefully selected assessors. However, extensive experience has shown that,
for the initial training of assessors who have no experience in an assessment cen-
ter that conforms to the guidelines in this document, more training may be needed
(e.g., 2 days of assessor training for each day of assessment center exercises). As-
sessors who have experience with similar assessment techniques in other pro-
grams may require less training. More complex assessment centers with varied
formats of simulation exercises may require additional training; simple assessment
centers may require less. In any event, assessor training is an essential aspect of
an assessment program. The true test of training quality should be assessor com-
petence as described below.
Some measurement is needed to indicate that the individual being trained is ca-
pable of functioning as an assessor. This measurement may vary and could in-
clude data in terms of (1) accuracy and reliability of rating performance (defined
with regard to either an ‘expert’ standard or convergence with other assessors),
(2) critiques of assessor reports, and (3) observation or shadowing of assessors in
training by the assessment center staff. It is important that, before carrying out their
actual duties, assessors’ performance is evaluated to ensure that they are suffi-
ciently trained to function as assessors and that such performance is periodically
monitored to ensure that the skills learned in training are applied.
Each organization must be able to demonstrate that its assessors can meet min-
imum performance standards. This may require the development of additional train-
ing or other prescribed actions for assessors not meeting these performance
guidelines. The trainer of assessors should be competent to enable individuals to
develop the assessor skills stated above and to evaluate the acquisition of these
skills.
4. Currency of training and experience – The time between assessor training and
initial service as an assessor should be short (e.g., not to exceed 6 months). If
a longer period has elapsed, prospective assessors should attend a refresher
course or receive special coaching from a trained assessment center adminis-
trator.
Assessors who do not have recent experience as an assessor (i.e., fewer
than two assessment centers over 2 consecutive years) should attend a re-
fresher course before they serve again or receive special coaching from a
trained assessment center administrator.
7. informed Participation
8. Validation issues
Assessment centers are generally used for three major purposes: (1) to predict
future behavior for decision making, (2) to diagnose development needs, and (3)
to develop candidates on dimensions of interest. However, additional purposes for
the assessment center method currently exist and will continue to evolve with fur-
ther use. The design and operation of an assessment center may vary, depend-
ing on its intended purpose. For example, with assessments designed purely to
support a personnel decision (e.g., promotion), the emphasis may be on a reliable
and valid overall assessment rating. There may be little reason to generate individ-
ual dimension scores in this context. Alternatively, diagnostic assessment centers
may require the generation of reliable and valid dimension scores only.
Developmental assessment centers (DACs) seek to both assess and develop di-
mensions that may be learned (i.e., skills and competencies that can be improved
upon in a reasonable amount of time). DACs involve multiple points of feedback
and repeated practice, and may repeat exercises of the same type(s) as a way to
track improvement on the dimensions over time. As a result, such programs may
be longer than assessment centers for prediction and diagnosis. Feedback is an
essential component of a DAC program, and in order to foster learning, this feed-
back needs to be immediate. Often, the role of assessors in DACs is not only to ob-
serve and evaluate behavior, but also to facilitate learning and development by
delivering feedback and facilitating development planning during the assessment
process. If the focus is purely on learning, DACs may be less standardized than
assessment centers used for personnel decision making, and they may be cus-
tomized to meet participants’ developmental needs. When validating or otherwise
evaluating DACs, the appropriate criterion is change in participants’ understanding,
Appendix A 173
It is common for single assessment center programs to cross both cultural and
national boundaries. In some situations it may be necessary to adapt many as-
sessment center practices to the local culture in which an assessment center is
deployed. In other situations it may be decided that an assessment center program
should be standardized across all regions to which it is being deployed. Practi-
tioners using assessment center methods beyond the boundaries of the country/re-
174 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
gion from which the assessment center program originated should determine the
extent to which cultural accommodations may be necessary. The analysis should
include evidence that the validity and applicability of the assessment center have
not been compromised at either the design or implementation phase.
A range of contextual factors should be considered during such a process, includ-
ing:
When assessment center programs are designed to be culturally specific, the fol-
lowing aspects should be considered for modification based on each culture in
which the assessment center is used:
references
1975 Edition
Albert Alon Miracle Food Mart (Canada)
Douglas W. Bray, PhD AT&T
William C. Byham, PhD Development Dimensions International, Inc.
Lois A. Crooks Educational Testing Service
176 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
1979 Edition
Albert Alon Miracle Food Mart (Canada)
Dale Baker US Civil Service Commission
Douglas W. Bray, PhD AT&T
William C. Byham, PhD Development Dimensions International, Inc.
Steven L. Cohen, PhD Assessment Designs Inc.
Lois A. Crooks Educational Testing Service
Donald L. Grant, PhD University of Georgia
Milton D. Hakel, PhD Ohio State University
Lowell W. Hellervik, PhD University of Minnesota
James R. Huck, PhD Human Resources International
Cabot L. Jaffee, PhD Assessment Designs Inc.
Frank M. McIntyre, PhD Consulting Associates
Joseph L. Moses, PhD (Chair) AT&T
Nicky B. Schnarr International Business Machines
Leonard W. Slivinski, PhD Public Service Commission (Canada)
Thomas E. Standing, PhD Standard Oil of Ohio
Edwin Yager Consulting Associates
1989 Edition
Virginia R. Boehm, PhD Assessment & Development Associates
Douglas W. Bray, PhD (Co-Chair) Development Dimensions International, Inc.
William C. Byham, PhD Development Dimensions International, Inc.
Anne Marie Carlisi, PhD BellSouth
John J. Clancy Clancy & Associates
Reginald Ellis Canadian National Railway
Joep Esser Mars B.V. (the Netherlands)
Fred Frank, PhD Electronic Selection Systems Corporation
Ann C. Gowdey Connecticut Mutual
Dennis A. Joiner Joiner & Associates
Rhonda Miller New York Power Authority
Marilyn Quaintance-Gowing, PhD US Office of Personnel Management
Robert F. Silzer, PhD Personnel Decisions Inc.
George C. Thornton III, PhD (Co-Chair) Colorado State University
Appendix A 177
2000 Edition
William C. Byham, PhD Development Dimensions International Inc.
Richard Flanary National Association of Secondary School
Principals
Marilyn K. Gowing, PhD US Office of Personnel Management
James R. Huck, PhD Human Resources International
Jeffrey D. Kudisch, PhD University of Southern Mississippi
David R. MacDonald, PhD (Chair) Steelcase, Inc.
Patrick T. Maher, DCrim Personnel & Organization Development Con-
sultants, Inc.
Jeroen J. J. L. Seegers Assessment & Development Consult (the
Netherlands)
George C. Thornton III, PhD Colorado State University
2008 Edition
William C. Byham, PhD Development Dimensions International, Inc.
Anuradha Chawla, PhD RHR International
Alyssa Mitchell Gibbons, PhD Colorado State University
Sebastien Houde, MSc University of Guelph & Royal Military College
of Canada
Dennis Joiner, MS Dennis A. Joiner & Associates
Myungjoon Kim, PhD Korean Psychological Testing Institute
Diana Krause, PhD DHV Speyer
Jeffrey D. Kudisch, PhD University of Maryland
Cara Lundquist, MA Southern California Edison
David R. MacDonald, PhD Steelcase, Inc.
Patrick T. Maher, DCrim Personnel & Organization Development Con-
sultants, Inc.
Doug Reynolds, PhD (Co-Chair) Development Dimensions International Inc.
Deborah E. Rupp, PhD (Co-Chair) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Deidra J. Schleicher, PhD Purdue University
Jeroen J. J. L. Seegers, PhD Right Management Benelux (the Nether-
lands)
George C. Thornton III, PhD Colorado State University
Glossary
Telephone message
Message:
Mrs. Reed is very upset because one of your officers was rude to her and acted in
a very callous and unprofessional manner when trying to get information from her
regarding the whereabouts of her son, Emanuel, who is wanted by this agency for
armed robbery. She does not feel she should be treated this way and she wants to
speak with you personally about this matter or she will file charges of harassment
with the District Attorney's office.
179
180 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
e-mail message
Subject: Grievance:
Please be advised that I wish to file a grievance over the score I received in the
oral examination for Fire Captain last month. Despite the fact that I have more
than 15 years of service and a good work record with no discipline, I was rated
as “fails to meet standards” by the assessors. I believe this is due to the fact that
one of the assessors, Deputy Chief Mel Brooks of the Fair Oaks Fire Depart-
ment, is a good friend of my ex husband, who recently retired from the Fair
Oaks Fire Department. Deputy Chief Brooks and my husband have been close
for years and I know that Brooks would do anything to help my husband if asked.
I also know that my husband was overheard telling someone else that he would
be sure that I never get promoted if he has anything to do with it.
item
“bad for your career” if she told anyone about what she saw. She does not want to
make a formal complaint because she does not want to jeopardize her career, but
she is afraid to go on the road with him when he is drinking. She asks you for as-
sistance in this matter.
introduction:
The following guidelines are intended to assist you in scoring the In-Basket Exercise.
While there are rarely any “perfect” or absolutely correct ways of handling any of the
items in the In-Basket, some ways of handling them are obviously preferred over others.
recommended recommended
item explanation
Action Priority
A: Telephone This is an important item, Refer to patrol com-
message since improper conduct mander to speak with
from Mary by an officer is alleged. Mrs. Reed and the offi-
Reed regard- cer(s) involved and pre- Important
ing rude con- pare a report for his/her
duct. review within one
182
Appendix C 183
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume that you are a Sergeant in the East Valley Po-
lice Department. The Chief of Police has assigned you to a committee consisting
of other Sergeants in the Department. Your committee has been asked to discuss
the problem described below and make a recommendation to the Chief concern-
ing how it may be solved.
Your group will have one hour to discuss the problem and to reach an agreement
concerning what recommendation to make to the Chief of Police. Each person in
the group may have a different view concerning the issue discussed, and it is im-
portant that all views be thoroughly discussed before a decision is reached. You will
be evaluated in this exercise on how well you work within the group to reach a de-
cision, your communication skills, and your ability to actively influence the group in
reaching a decision.
statement of Problem:
The Chief of Police has asked your committee to identify ways in which police serv-
ices in East Valley can be more appropriately tailored to the needs and expectations
of the community. In essence, what the chief is interested in is how to improve the
East Valley version of the community-oriented/problem-oriented style of policing
that has been adopted by a number of other communities in the United States. The
Chief would like your committee to discuss various ways in which police services
184
Appendix D 185
can be more readily adapted to the unique needs of local residents. In particular,
the Chief is interested in ways in which to:
4. Bring about a closer working relationship between citizens and individual po-
lice officers.
The Chief would like your committee to study these issues and report back to him
with specific recommendations, not just general or vague suggestions. He wants
recommendations that, if approved, can be put into action with a minimum of delay
and difficulty. Your committee will have one hour to discuss these issues and for-
mulate recommendations to the Chief.
Appendix e
CiTY of freePorT
Tactical exercise
instructions:
Note: This same situation is being presented to all candidates in this assessment
center. Therefore, it is important that you refrain from discussing the exercise with
your colleagues until after all candidates have completed the exercise. Otherwise,
it is possible that candidates later in the process may be able to use information ob-
tained from other candidates to their advantage. You alone will be responsible for
ensuring that this does not happen!
In this exercise, you will play the role of a Captain in the Freeport Fire Department.
You are going to be presented with a tactical situation at a fictitious structure that
has been inserted into an actual location in the city. The location of the fire and con-
ditions surrounding the fire will be shown to you using simulation software devel-
oped for this purpose. This simulation is meant to be interactive so that the intensity
of the incident will be dictated by the quality of your decision-making process. In
other words, if you make the proper tactical decisions in a timely manner, the fire
scene can be effectively controlled and the simulator will display that fact accord-
ingly. Conversely, if you do not take the appropriate actions in a timely manner, the
fire scene will gain intensity and the simulator will reveal that circumstance.
You will also be provided with a map of the surrounding area. For the purpose of
this exercise, you will serve as the Incident Commander and will retain that role
throughout the exercise.
186
Appendix E 187
When you enter the exercise room, you will also find a projection of the map on a
wall board which should help you orient yourself to the location. You are urged to
use the marking pens that will be provided to illustrate your tactical decisions, such
as placement of apparatus, command post, location of hose lines, etc. This will
help you keep track of what you are doing and will make it easier for the assessors
to understand the tactical decisions you are making.
You will communicate during the exercise with the Resource Person, who will play
the role of incoming companies as well as communications. All communications
with the Resource Person should be in the form of standard radio transmission
protocol. The Resource Person, acting as the on-site companies, may relay addi-
tional information to you which may be valuable to you in your role as Incident
Commander.
After familiarizing yourself with the fire situation, begin at once to explain to the as-
sessors your strategy of fighting the fire upon your arrival at the scene. You will be
asked to demonstrate your deployment of personnel and apparatus at the scene
by writing on the wall board with one of the markers that will be provided. This will
provide the assessors with a visual understanding of your overall strategy at the fire
scene.
The simulation will last approximately 10 minutes during which time you will ex-
plain your strategy to the assessors and deal with any new contingencies as they
may arise. This will be followed by a period of approximately five minutes during
which time the assessors will be allowed to ask you questions concerning your tac-
tical decisions.
You will be given 10 minutes to study the background information on the chosen
tactical location so that you will be prepared to handle the situation presented to
you.
NOTE: This same assignment will be given to other candidates in this process.
You are encouraged not to discuss this assignment with anyone who has not yet
completed the exercise.
188 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Alarm response
1. Ten minutes before the exercise begins the candidate is provided written exer-
cise instructions, a description of the building, occupancy, type of construction,
weather conditions, responding units, and a diagram showing the building
schematic and street location.
2. When the candidate is brought into the room, he/she will see a blank screen for
the LCD projector; the LCD projector will be covered. He/she will also see a white
board with an overhead projector showing the building schematic and street dia-
gram.
3. The Resource Person will be seated facing the candidate, the screen, and the
white board. The Resource Person will be introduced as the dispatcher and all in-
coming units, other than the unit on which the candidate is responding.
4. The simulator operator will be seated facing the screen and the white board and
will control the fire situation.
5. One or two assessors will be seated together in a position to observe and hear
the candidate.
6. The Exercise Coordinator will introduce the participants and their roles.
189
190 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
8. The simulator operator will remove the cover from the LCD projector and the fire
building will be visible with fire and smoke showing.
9. Upon beginning the exercise, the Resource Person will inform the candidate that
he or she will arrive on the scene as the third-due engine on Engine 25. The cap-
tain will have the initial attack line and the lieutenant on Truck 22 is conducting
search operations on the second floor of the building.
10. Upon arriving on-scene with Engine 25, the candidate will be expected to give
a size-up and assume command.
11. Within two minutes after Engine 25 arrives on scene the Resource Person will
announce that one mutual aid engine company from West Shore FD with three
personnel is on the scene.
12. Within three minutes after Engine 25 arrives on scene the Resource Person will
announce that a private ambulance from A.M.R. will arrive on the scene.
13. At brief intervals, the Resource Person will announce the arrival of volunteers
who will arrive with their personal gear in their personal vehicles.
14. If the candidate asks for a 360 or assigns a company to the rear, he/she will
be shown the rear view of the structure.
15. The candidate will begin to assign responding units to tasks such as laying a
line, conducting an initial search, ventilation, etc.
16. As these assignments are made, the Resource Person will acknowledge their
receipt.
17. At five minutes into the exercise, the interior crew will inform the candidate that
they have a firefighter who has been injured by falling debris and who requires
medical attention. This should prompt the candidate to call for a PAR and to send
the RIT crew in to remove the injured firefighter.
18. From time to time the candidate may ask the Resource Person for status or
progress reports from the assigned units.
20. At brief intervals, the Resource Person will acknowledge the response of ad-
ditional units or personnel.
21. As additional units or personnel arrive, the candidate should assign them to
specific tasks or to staging.
22. Depending upon what the candidate does in terms of tactical priorities and as-
signments, the computer simulation will change the fire condition.
23. The Lead Assessor, using the Tactical Exercise Rating Form, will record all
actions taken or assignments made by the candidate.
24. The Exercise Coordinator will be responsible for keeping the time.
25. At eight minutes into the exercise, the Resource Person will announce that he
has a report from a neighbor that there may be an elderly victim trapped on the sec-
ond floor of the building. This should prompt the candidate to call for a secondary
search of the second floor.
26. At approximately ten minutes into the exercise the Resource Person, as the
Deputy Chief, will announce that he is on the scene and request a face to face with
the candidate.
27. Following the candidate’s report to the Deputy Chief time will be called and as-
sessors will be allowed three minutes to ask questions of the candidate.
29. Assessors will have ten minutes to complete their consensus scoring of the
candidate.
Appendix G
Instructions to Subject Matter Expert: Please indicate, by placing a check in the ap-
propriate column, whether each of these tasks, in your opinion, is (3) Essential; (2)
Very Important; (1) Somewhat Important; or (0) Not Important in evaluating candi-
dates in the tactical exercise. Please list any other considerations that you believe
are important in the spaces provided.
192
Appendix G 193
Tactical Consideration 3 2 1 0
1. Establish Incident Command?
4. Do an adequate size-up?
7. Do a walk-around?
VillAGe of riVerVieW
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume that you are a Sergeant in the Riverview Police
Department. You are currently assigned to the patrol division as a field supervisor.
You have been contacted by Officer John Doe, who wishes to see you about his
performance evaluation report that he received earlier today (see attached). This
is a report that you prepared for him based upon his job performance for the last
12 months.
Your assignment is to meet with Officer Doe and go over the report with him and to
answer any questions he has about the manner in which you rated his perform-
ance.
You will have 15 minutes to complete this assignment. Use the remaining time to
prepare for your meeting.
194
Appendix i
instructions:
In this exercise you are to assume that you are a Sergeant in the Grand View Po-
lice Department. You are serving as a field supervisor in the patrol division. It is
6:30 PM on a Friday and you are serving as the shift supervisor in the absence of
Lt. John Mullins who is home with a cold.
You have been called to the station by communications to meet with a woman who
is very upset and insists upon seeing the “Officer in Charge.”
You will have 15 minutes to conduct your interview with the woman. During the in-
terview, you should determine the nature of the women’s problem and attempt to
identify a course of action that will solve the problem for her.
195
Appendix J
In this exercise you are to play the role of a resident of Blue Ridge. You will be ex-
pected to assume a fictitious identify and use an actual address in the City. You will
be meeting with a candidate who will be playing the role of a Captain in the Blue
Ridge Fire Department.
When you meet with the Captain, you will tell him that you were informed by your
next-door neighbor that earlier today, around 3:00 PM, a unit from the Blue Ridge
Fire Department had been on an emergency medical call across the street from
your house. While leaving that call, the fire truck backed into your elderly mother’s
car that was parked on the street in front of your house. You will explain that your
mother is in intensive care at the hospital and you are taking care of her car while
she is in the hospital. You were visiting her at the hospital when the accident oc-
curred.
When you arrived back home, your neighbor, Mrs. Cynthia Snoop, told you about
the accident. Mrs. Snoop keeps a careful eye on everything that goes on in your
neighborhood. She also informed you that after the accident, one of the men on the
fire truck got off the truck, inspected the damage to the complainant’s car, said
something to the driver, and then the truck left the scene.
196
Appendix J 197
You will tell the Captain that you have reported the damage to your insurance com-
pany and were advised that there would have to be a police report taken. The dam-
age is estimated to be in excess of $1,000.
The candidate will be expected to try to deal effectively with you by obtaining all
necessary information and taking whatever action would be appropriate in a case
such as this. You will need to be very upset about the damage and demand that the
city pay for it. If something is not done, you may go see the Mayor and ask him to
look into it.
Appendix k
instructions:
In this exercise you are to assume that you are a Lieutenant in the North Ridge
Fire Department. You are about to attend a meeting with the owners and operators
of Pile High Paper Company, located in North Ridge. The purpose of this meeting
is to discuss several potential fire prevention problems with the management of the
firm.
Pile High Paper Company is a 150,000 square foot warehouse building. The build-
ing is exterior masonry block with a built up roof. The building is classified 5b con-
struction and is fully sprinklered. The business is a Chapter 54 occupancy. The Pile
High Paper Company is a shipping and receiving warehouse which handles house-
hold office and paper supplies.
Recent fire prevention inspections have revealed several potentially serious viola-
tions which pose a threat to personal safety as well as to the structure and its con-
tents. Specifically, the following violations have been detected:
1. A new warehouse office was built (approximately 10’ X 10’) on the lower level
that is not sprinklered. This area must be sprinklered or removed.
2. The sprinkler riser must be kept accessible for inspection and fire department
access. A clearance of 3 feet must be maintained around sprinkler riser and
3 foot access aisle.
198
Appendix K 199
3. The plastic curtain wall must be removed between the loading dock and ware-
house area.
5. Rack storage is 20 feet high. Please resubmit data from sprinkler contractor
showing system will handle this volume of product.
6. Extension cords used to power packaging machines may not be used in place
of permanent wiring.
The Fire Chief has asked you to meet with the management of the company to
outline the Department’s concerns and to explain why corrections need to be made.
CiTY of JohnsToWn
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume that you are a Sergeant in the Johnstown Po-
lice Department. You are currently assigned as the afternoon shift commander in
the patrol division. Your immediate supervisor is Lieutenant Henry Houser, the pa-
trol division commander.
You have just come from a supervisor’s meeting in which several important issues
were discussed. You have been instructed by Lieutenant Howser to review these
issues with officers on your shift at the next shift briefing.
The issues he has asked you to discuss with the members of your shift are as fol-
lows:
2. Lieutenant Howser has pointed out that officers on some shifts have a ten-
dency to question dispatchers on calls and to try to dictate to the dispatchers call
assignments and priorities. Officers are to be reminded that the dispatchers are
following the guidelines set for them and any questions on calls should be di-
rected to your own supervisor.
200
Appendix L 201
3. The Principal of South Middle School called and is requesting additional pa-
trol in the parking lot between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM. He reports that a late-
model Toyota, blue in color, unknown license, has been seen driving through
the lot with no apparent reason several times this past week. He has no further
information on the driver or the vehicle.
4. The Department is seeking volunteers to serve as instructors for the new Cit-
izen’s Police Academy that the Chief will be implementing next year. In order to
minimize costs and enable us to continue this program, officers are asked to
volunteer their time to serve as instructors for this worthwhile program. The total
time involved will amount to only a few hours every three or four months. While
there is no compensation provided for this effort, this is an important program
and the Chief is hoping for an enthusiastic response.
5. The Chief is concerned at seeing more than one car at a time parked at local
convenience stores and mini-marts. This presents a bad image to the public and
suggests that the officers are “goofing off.” Please remind your officers that only
one car should be out at such locations at one time.
6. Nominations for the Officer of the Year Award will be open several more days.
There have been very few nominations this year and the Chief is concerned that
more officers are not taking this program seriously. The Lieutenant would like to
have at least one nomination from each shift by the end of the week.
7. The Chief announced that he has been informed by the City Manager’s Office
that it appears that the pay increases scheduled for next month will now be de-
layed indefinitely due to a budget shortfall. It is not known whether the pay in-
crease, when it does come, will be retroactive to the original date it was to
become effective.
You will be given 15 minutes to discuss these issues with your shift. Please use the
remaining time to prepare for this assignment.
Appendix m
CiTY of freedom
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume that you are a Lieutenant in the Freedom Fire
Department. You have recently been promoted and are currently serving as the
Company Officer on Engine 4, third shift. You are about to conduct a15-minute drill
for members of your company. You will have 15 minutes to prepare a 15-minute
training drill for members of your company. This drill will involve some items of
equipment used in firefighting.
The subject of your training will be the following chapter from the IFSTA Manual, Es-
sentials of Firefighting, 5th edition:
A copy of this manual has been provided to you to assist you in preparing for your
class. However, you will not be allowed to take the manual with you into the train-
ing room.
You have been provided with a flip chart and marking pens to use in the event you
wish to use visual aids during your presentation.
There will be two members of your shift in this training session. They are:
202
Appendix M 203
Both of these individuals are seasoned firefighters and should already be familiar
with the material that you will be covering during the drill.
You will have 15 minutes to complete this assignment. Use the remaining time to
prepare for your training session.
Appendix n
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume the role of a Sergeant in the Cool Harbor Po-
lice Department. You are currently assigned as the shift supervisor on the after-
noon shift. Your immediate supervisor is Captain David Johnson, the Patrol Division
Commander.
You are about to attend a meeting of neighborhood residents who reside in the
Newport Village area. You have been asked to meet with them by Captain Johnson
because of a number of complaints he has received from the residents of the area
regarding juveniles loitering in the streets after dark, cars driving at high speeds on
residential streets, abandoned automobiles left in yards and alleys, boarded up
homes being used as hangouts for gangs and drug dealers, and a general lack of
police visibility in the area.
Captain Johnson had intended to come with you to the meeting but was called
away to go with the Chief to a meeting in the Village Manager’s Office at the last
minute. As a result, he has asked you to attend the meeting and attempt to help the
residents of the area resolve their problems.
Your assignment is to meet with the community residents and outline any specific
police programs and activities the Department may have that will address their
problems as well as to answer any questions they may have and generally assure
them that the police department is interested in working with them.
204
Appendix N 205
You will have 15 minutes to complete this assignment. Use the remaining time to
prepare for your meeting.
Appendix o
CiTY of bellVUe
instructions:
For this exercise, you are to assume that you have recently been appointed to the
position of Chief of Police in the City of Bellvue following a grueling competition in
which you narrowly edged out two other very good candidates. This is your first full
week on the job since accepting the position and you are about to have your first
staff meeting with your two key Commanders: Deputy Chief Harvey Kidwell, who is
in charge of Community Initiatives, and Deputy Chief Sharon Glass, who is in
charge of Business and Finance.
The purpose of this meeting is for you to lay out your management philosophy to
your two Deputy Chiefs and to give them a sense of your goals, objectives, and
priorities for the Department for the immediate future. In addition, you are inter-
ested in obtaining their views about what they see as the strengths and weaknesses
of the Department and particular problems that need to be dealt with in the weeks
and months ahead.
Unfortunately, you have just received a telephone call from the City Manager’s Of-
fice and have been told to report there in 15 minutes. As a result, you will need to
cut this meeting short.
You will have 15 minutes to complete this assignment. You may use the remaining
time to silently prepare for your meeting.
206
Appendix P
instructions:
In this exercise, you are to assume that you are a Lieutenant in the Purple Sage Po-
lice Department. You have been temporarily assigned to the Administrative Divi-
sion as a Special Projects Coordinator. In this position, your primary duties are to
serve as staff support to the Chief of Police and the command staff for the purpose
of researching and developing special projects which may be designed and imple-
mented to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness. While you are able to
use your own discretion in researching and developing concepts and ideas, most
of the projects you are working on are at the direction of the Chief of Police and the
command staff.
You have been asked by the staff to develop a preliminary proposal for considera-
tion by the staff that will have the ultimate goal of enhancing the level and quality
of police services in the City of Purple Sage. Your preliminary proposal should ad-
dress the following topics:
207
208 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
4. Developing methods by which to enlist and enhance public support and co-
operation in the implementation and maintenance of specific crime reduction
programs.
You are scheduled to meet with the Program Review Committee, consisting of the
two Assistant Chiefs, tomorrow. The purpose of this meeting is to give them your
preliminary ideas concerning your assigned topics.
For the purpose of this exercise you are required to provide two copies of your re-
port at 8:00 AM tomorrow. This report must be no more than five double-spaced
pages, either typewritten or handwritten. Your written report need not be typewrit-
ten, but it must be legible and presented in a neat and orderly fashion. Your paper
will not be scored by the assessors on written communication skills (e.g., grammar,
punctuation, spelling, etc.) but may be evaluated in terms of its content, clarity of
expression, organization, and logic.
OR
AS
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OR
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ASSESSOR
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210 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
OVERHEAD PROJECTOR
VIDEO CAMERA
ASSESSORS
CANDIDATE
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SE
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CHALKBOARD
FLIP CHART
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ASSESSORS
exercise schedule
1 Candidates should report 10 minutes early to each exercise to receive their instructions.
212
Appendix R 213
1 Candidates should report 10 minutes early to each exercise to receive their instructions.
Appendix s
We are always seeking ways in which we can improve the services we provide. As
a result, we are interested in any comments you may have about the assessment
center in which you participated. Your responses will help us to evaluate our own
work and to improve the quality of our work in the future.
Please take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire and return it to the Exer-
cise Coordinator. Your responses will remain confidential.
1. Was the orientation session helpful in preparing you for the exercises? (circle
one)
5 4 3 2 1
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
214
Appendix S 215
2. Overall, were the exercises in which you participated appropriate and relevant
for the position for which you were being evaluated? (circle one)
5 4 3 2 1
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
3. Was this assessment center a fair test of your ability to perform the duties of
the position for which you were being evaluated? ( circle one)
5 4 3 2 1
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
4. Compared with other promotional examinations you have taken, how would
you rate the assessment center?
5 4 3 2 1
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
216 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
5. Of all the exercises in which you participated, which was the most difficult for
you personally? (check one)
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
6. Of all the exercises in which you participated, which was the least difficult for
you personally?
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
7. Overall, what did you like most about the assessment center?
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
8. Overall, what did you like least about the assessment center?
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Appendix S 217
9. How many other assessment centers have you participated in during the last 5
years? (check one)
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Thank you for taking the time to answer these questions. Your comments and
suggestions mean a great deal to us.
Appendix T
218
Appendix T 219
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
220 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Comments: ______________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
A orientation, 88
outside verses inside, 17
Accident Review Board Exercise, 65-66 qualification of, 86, 148–149
oral presentation in, 66 rules of conduct for, 91
oral report in, 65 selection, 68, 85–87, 148–149
written report in, 65 training, 5, 68, 167–170
Accurate judgement of candidates by assessors, 7 Assigned roles in Group Problem-Solving
Active listening Exercise, 27
in the Citizen Interview Exercise, 42
Administration of assessment centers, 67 b
Advantages of the assessment center, 8
Assessment centers Benchmarks, 96–99
accurate judgement of candidates by, 7 Best practices in assessment center exercise,
advantages of, 8 115
as a learning environment, 4 Blunders - see some of the greatest blunders,
as a test of ability, 9 Break Room, 74
defined, 162
design and administration, 67 C
different purposes for, 172–173
differences from traditional testing methods, 4 Calculating weighted scores, 102
expense of, 17 Cameras, in-car, 82–84
flexibility of, 8 Candidate
high degree of acceptance by candidates, 9 evaluation, 95
how viewed by candidates, 10 feedback, 10, 11, 68, 95, 105–107, 151–153
policy statements, 166 orientation, 12, 71–73, 131-132, 146–147
predictive power of, 6 preparation, 68
preparing for, 107 satisfaction with assessment centers, 145
rights of participants, scoring, 100
scheduling, App T, 218 Care and nurturing of assessors, 90
subjectivity of, 16 Career Interview Exercise, 63–65
use of, 3, 4, 8, 10 points to consider in, 64
validation issues, 171–172 Certification of assessors, 86
Assessor Manual, 88 Citizen Interview Exercise, 41–44
Assessors best practices in, 26–127
care and nurturing of, 90 don’t make promises you cannot keep, 127
certification of, 86 greet the citizen warmly, 126
commentary, 104 remember to sell yourself and your depart-
compensation, 87 ment, 127
impartiality of, 18 example of, App I, 195
note-taking by, 92–93 greatest blunders in, 141–142
221
222 The Assessment Center Handbook for Police and Fire Personnel
Weighted scores
calculation of, 102
Well qualified, 100
typical assessor comments, 105
Witness statements
in Criminal Investigation Exercise, 61
Written communication skills
benchmarks, 99
in Criminal Investigation Exercise, 96
in Employee Meeting Exercise, 96
in In-Basket Exercise, 96
in Program Development Exercise, 59
Written examinations, 8
Written report
in Accident Review Board Exercise, 65
in Criminal Investigation Exercise, 62
in Program Development Exercise, 60