Assessment Centre & Competency Mapping

Richa Nanda Xavier Institute of Management & Entrepreneurship

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Although a long and eventful event has come to an end, I cannot forget them throughout my life and it is a pleasure to acknowledge my sincere gratitude to all those who have rendered guidance and help to me in submitting this report. This internship has helped me a lot in understanding the Competency Mapping and Assessment Centre. I have gained several valuable insights into not only the Human Resources function, but also the general functioning of a business. I would like to express my heartfelt to Mr. Sebi Chacko, Director {HR}, South Asia, Thomson Reuters for giving me an opportunity to work with their esteemed organization. I am thankful to my guide Mrs. Anuradha Varma, Talent Head, South Asia for giving me this innovative concept of Assessment Centre and Competency Mapping for my project. I thank her for her constant support and encouragement. This gratitude extends to Nitish Tiwary, Manager HR, Thomson Reuters; Shriram Chelvaroyan, Head Fixed Income, Thomson Reuters; Raghavendra Hebbar, OD Analyst, Thomson Reuters, and all the Team Leaders for setting aside time from their busy schedule for valuable interactions which has been of immense help for the project. I also thank Professor J. Philip, President, XIME for creating an opportunity for us to have a experience of the corporate world. I am even grateful to Prof. S. D. Tyagaraj, Dean and Prof. Atish Dasgupta for their timely support and encouragement. I want to express my affection and love to Asha Lingappa, my colleague students whose charming faces and co-operative attitude was a source of inspiration for me during my period of training programme. Finally, I bow my head before my Family Members, Abhishek Prakash and the Almighty which grew me up physically and mentally and has always been a source of my strength and inspiration.

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TABLE DES mtiers

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................... 05 Thomson Reuters at a glance............................................................................................................ 06 Business Units......................................................................................................................................... 09 Talent Management at Thomson Reuters ......................................................................................... 11 Objectives....................................................................................................................................... .12 Assessment Centre Definition & Essential Features ........................................................................ 13 Assessment Centre Design...................................................................................................................... 17 Developing an Assessment Centre ......................................................................................................... 18 Process Design of Assessment Centre .................................................................................................... 19 Standards followed in an Assessment Centre........................................................................................ 20 Planning the Assessment Centre....................................................................................................... 21 Preliminary Study .................................................................................................................................... 21 Job Analysis and Freezing Competencies ............................................................................................... 22 Competency & Assessment ............................................................................................................ 23 Identifying Critical Competencies .................................................................................................. 25 Methodology for Mapping Critical Competencies ......................................................................... 25 Assessment Centre Exercise Design ............................................................................................... 29 Competency Grid............................................................................................................................ 30 Delivery Standards ......................................................................................................................... 32 Simulation Exercises ....................................................................................................................... 33

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In-Tray Exercises ............................................................................................................... 34 Individual Role Plays ......................................................................................................... 35 Report Writing Exercises................................................................................................... 36 Business Simulation Games .............................................................................................. 36 Fact Finding Exercises: Exit Analysis ................................................................................. 36 Individual Presentation..36 Leaderless Group Discussion ............................................................................................ 37 Psychometric testing Realize2 ....................................................................................... 38 Competency Based Interview ........................................................................................... 38 Integrative Report ............................................................................................................. 39 Accuracy of Assessment Centre ..................................................................................................... 39 Designing an Assessment Centre Methodology ............................................................................. 40 Performance Ratings Defined ........................................................................................... 40 Developing an Assessment Methodology Tool................................................................. 42 Designing an 360 Assessment Methodology ................................................................................. 44 Designing an Matrix for Promotion ............................................................................................... 52 Conclusion..53 References..54

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Executive Summary
Right Person for the Right Job. This proverb is a dream for every manager of the company. The head of the company always desires to have a Mr. Right for a particular job, so that he does his task in an efficient way. But is this possible? The answer is Yes. In todays competitive global business environment, complex and sensitive business processes and fast moving technology systems can compromise overall quality integrity. The solution to the problem is Competency Mapping. The rising interest in competency mapping is direct fallout of the dynamic changes that the corporate world is witnessing today. Competency involves assessment of the extent to which various skills required to perform a role are possessed by the role occupant and his/her role. Competency mapping is about identifying ideal behaviors and personal skills which distinguish exemplary and stupendous performance from the average. Objectives: The primary focus of this report is to design an Assessment Centre which in turn would be used to promote the internal employees to the team leader or front line managerial position and develop a diverse group of high caliber team leaders who demonstrate leadership potential and can make an impact in a fast-changing business world, facilitating change early on in their careers. The team leaders are expected to make a significant contribution at all stages in their career. Candidates attend a development workshop post Assessment Centre where they are guided as to how to maximize their strengths including unrealized strengths and minimize their weakness, also adapting feedback from colleagues and managers into their development structure. Basically Assessment Centre is a mechanism to identify the potential for growth. The project also includes a snapshot of the designed Assessment Methodology, 360 Feedback Assessment Methodology, Competency Grid (Dictionary) and a Matrix for promotion of the internal employees. These were initially contrived in excel format which are now being implemented in the organization and being built on an SQL server. The original designs have been retained by the Talent Department, HR, Thomson Reuters and thus cannot be shared. This is basically devised to measure and improve the employees performance, which will result in more and better productivity. In short one can say its the RIGHT MATCH of the job and the people.

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The report opens with a short overview of Talent Management at Thomson Reuters and goes on to briefly outline the methodology undertaken in designing the Assessment Centre. The next section of the report reveals some insights into identifying the critical competencies across various business segments and defining a Competency Grid for the organization. The next section concentrates on the designing an Assessment Methodology in order to identify the top performers.

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Thomson Reuters Knowledge to act is no longer by the book

Thomson Reuters is the worlds leading source of intelligent information for busines ses and professionals.
Thomson Reuters combines industry expertise with innovative technology to deliver critical information to leading decision makers in the financial, legal, tax and accounting, healthcare, science and media markets, powered by the worlds most trusted news organization. Thomson Reuters shares are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: TRI) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: TRI).

Why Intelligent Information?

Intelligent information also contains the dynamic nature of the content. It creates metadata, it is selfdescribing and self-organizing. It is action oriented. Intelligent Information from Thomson Reuters enables their customers to make better decisions faster. It gives them the knowledge to act.

Thomson Reuters at a glance A $13.4 Billion Company

CEO Thomas H. Glocer Chairman David Thomson Approximately 53,700 employees in more than 100 countries Headquartered at 3 Times Square, New York.

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Logo:
Thomson Reuters uses one master logo to signal that they operate as one unified company around the world. It has two components: the Kinesis symbol and the Thomson Reuters word mark. Inspired by the beauty and the simplicity of nature, the Kinesis symbol reflects the idea that information is dynamic and always in motion.

Mission:
Thomson Reuters has a very exciting mission. Our business is to provide intelligent information to the worlds businesses and professionals, giving our customers competitive advantage. I believe this purpose not only defines and differentiates us, but frames a compelling and valuable strategy for us to pursue.

Values:
Customers are the heart of everything we do Business is global People make the difference Performance matters In addition to these values, Thomson Reuters are committed to upholding the Reuters Trust Principles of integrity, independence, freedom from bias and leadership in news and information.

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Business Units
Financial: Information solutions for financial professionals and corporate officers.
Thomson Reuters powers the worlds markets. They facilitate Corporate

Communications, and Business Intelligence functions, Thomson Reuters is a leading provider of products to the worlds investment banks, advisory firms, private equity firms, consulting firms and law firms. Their products help asset management professionals track investment ideas, view portfolio performance, optimize risk. Powerful tools allow quantitative investors to manage and access data for sophisticated analysis. Their products help trade instantly on multiple venues, from a single platform with real time prices in over 170 currencies, instruments and derivatives. Time-series databases, realtime data, and cross-asset analytics, provide solutions linking investment decisions to trade execution and the back-office operations.

Healthcare: Critical information for healthcare delivery and management

It is an expert in providing critical information for healthcare delivery and management. Confidently help make decisions to improve patient care using evidence-based content and real-time clinical patient data accessible at the point-of-care, healthcare professionals around the world can access evidence-based medical, drug and toxicology information to reduce medication errors and improve patient care, focus development efforts in the pharmaceutical sector and increase market share with our world-class researchers and data assets. It aims to gain insights into emerging healthcare issues.

Legal: Legal, compliance, intellectual property and government solutions

They provide renowned insight, expertise and guidance on a host of issues, including technology, strategy and discovery. Westlaw gives subscribers unique search technologies and tools that help them find, understand, and apply the law and legal concepts in the service of their clients.

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Media: Indispensable news and information for media and business professionals
Their media properties are seen by over 1 billion people every day. They provide indispensable news and information for media and business professionals. Reuters, the worlds largest international news agency, is a leading provider of real-time, high-impact, multimedia news and information services to newspapers, television and cable networks, radio stations and websites around the globe.

Science: Serving academic, government, corporate and pharma R&D professionals

Provide essential information, expert services and intuitive technology to support your life sciences discovery and development activities. They provide intellectual property solutions for trademark research and management.

Tax and Accounting: Leading provider of solutions for accounting, tax and corporate finance professionals
Their Tax and Accounting business is a leading provider of technology and integrated information for tax and corporate professionals in accounting firms, corporations, law firms and government.

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Talent Management at Thomson Reuters

Talent Management Building capability for the future Talent management is a process of managing the supply and demand of talent to achieve optimal business performance in alignment with organizational goals. Thomson Reuters ensures understanding of their current talent and provides development and deployment opportunities that meet future business needs.

Overview:

1. KNOW YOUR TALENT

2. GROW YOUR TALENT

3. FLOW YOUR TALENT

Know Your Talent Understand capability and potential of talent their aspiration, ability and
level of engagement.

Grow Your Talent Provide opportunities for development following up on development from
last year, defining new development to accelerate talent and working with talent to implement plans.

Flow Your Talent

Enable movement of talent identifying where moves are required, helping

make right moves happen.

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Objectives of the Project:

1. The primary objective of my project was to design an Assessment Centre to be used to promote the internal employees to the Team Leader or Front line Managerial positions thus helping develop a diverse group of high caliber team leaders who demonstrate leadership potential. 2. To develop a competency grid to assess the teams functioning and identify the improvement areas. 3. To conduct a focus group session in order to identify the critical competencies required for a Team Leader position across various business units. 4. To formulate an Assessment Centre Methodology in order to evaluate the scores of the participants and identify top performers. 5. To contrive a 360 Assessment methodology to evaluate the participants current performance in their job. 6. To design a Matrix for promotion of the participants to the Team Leader positions.

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Assessment Centre:
Definition: - The Assessment Center is an approach to selection whereby a battery of tests and exercises are administered to a person or a group of people across a number of days (usually within 2days). "An Assessment Center consists of a standardized evaluation of behavior based on multiple inputs. Multipletrained observers and techniques are used. Judgments about behavior are made, in major part, from specifically developed assessment simulations."These judgments are pooled by the assessors in a meeting among the assessors or by a statistical integration process. In an integration discussion, comprehensive accounts of behavior and often ratings of it are pooled. The discussions result in evaluations of the performance of the assesses on the dimensions or other variables which the assessment center is designed to measure.

Essential Features:
Job analysis of relevant behaviors To understand job challenges and the competencies required for successful execution of the job Predefined Competencies Modeling the competencies which will be tested during the process. Multiple measurement techniques used, including simulation exercises These include a number of exercises to test the assesses of their potentials. Each competency is tested through atleast two exercises for gathering adequate evidence for the presence of particular competence. Assessors behavioral observations classified into meaningful and relevant categories (dimensions). Multiple observations made for each dimension Accurate and unbiased observation is the most critical aspect of an Assessment Centre Multiple assessors used for each candidate Multiple assessors ar required in order to eliminate any kind of biasness from the entire process. Systematic methods of recording behavior A systematic procedure must be used by the assessors. Assessors prepare behavior reports in preparation for integration Assessors are required to make a detailed report of his observation before discussing the final scores. Integration of behaviors through: Pooling of information from assessors and techniques; consensus discussion.

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Origin:
The assessment center was originated by AT&T, who included the following nine components: 1. Business game 2. Leaderless group discussion 3. In-tray exercise 4. Two-hour interview 5. Projective test 6. Personality test 7. q sort 8. intelligence tests 9. Autobiographical essay and questionnaire

Assessment Centres usually:

Have a pass/fail criterion Geared towards filling a job vacancy Address an immediate organizational need Have fewer assessors and more participants Involve line managers and assessors Less emphasis placed on self assessment Focus on what the candidates can do now Have very little pre-centre briefing To be used for promotion of internal candidates

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Common Use of Assessment Centre:

Selection

Development

Diagnosis

Selection and Promotion Helps the organization in selecting the right people for Team Leaders and Managerial positions Development Skill enhancement through simulations. Assessment centre provides ample opportunity to its participants to reflect on ones capabilities and to improve by observing others performance in the Assessment Centre.

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Potential Appraisal Identification of a global pool of talented managers Diagnosis

Identification of HIPO's

Identification of training needs Allocation of challenging assignments

Succession Planning

Diagnosis: Appraisal It helps organizations identify if the person can handle the challenges offered in the next higher position. Identification of HIPOs It creates a pool of managerial talents and multifunctional managers that would be available across the business segments. Succession Planning Identifying the right individuals for critical positions for the success of the organization. Allocation of challenging assignments Provides the organization with the strengths and weakness of every participant. This helps in deciding the candidates who would have the necessary competencies to undertake the proposed challenging assignments. Identification of training needs Provides candidates with his improvement areas which can be utilized for training. Identification of global pool of managers Adjusting oneself in a global scenario is a critical requirement which can be identified through Assessment Centre.

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Assessment Centre Design Easier said than done

Selecting the right people

Assessment Centres are used by organizations to ensure that potential employees have demonstrable skills and attitude that fit their culture. Ensuring that the individual fits the organization can eliminate mistakes that often prove costly. One of the strengths of Assessment Centres is that they allow a broader range of selection methods to be used in the recruitment process. Essentially an Assessment Centre consists of a number of phases:While designing the Assessment Centre I have taken into consideration a number of parameters like the ethos of the organization, the actual skills required to carry out the job, the HR strategy. It is very critical to ensure that the Assessment Centre reflects the reality of the job and the organization. The tasks included in the Assessment Centre links with the job description and person specification. It is a must that it should appear fair as a selection process in the time taken, the number of tasks set and the opportunities for the candidates to show different aspects of their abilities. Assessment centres assist the whole process by giving candidates experience of a microcosm of the job while testing them on work-related activities as individuals and in groups. Interviewers can assess existing performance and predict future job performance. The design criteria include: The duration of the entire process The location Number of candidates brought together Candidate background and comparability of past experience Number, mix and experience of assessors.

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Developing an Assessment Centre:

Developing an Assessment Centre is a very complicated and time consuming process. Starting with the identification of the critical competencies reliable and pragmatic exercises have been developed. 1. Defining the Competencies 2. Pre-assessment Exercises 3. Executing the Assessment Centre 4. Producing the Assessment Report

Pre Assessment Centre 1. Defining the objective 2. Conducting Job Analysis

During Assessment Centre 1. Briefing the participants 2. Briefing the instructions to the participants before every exercises 3. Conducting all the exercises

Post Assessment Centre 1. Compiling reports and evaluate the candidates 2. Making improvements in the design according to the recommendations 3. Evaluating the validity of the Assessment Centre results after a period of time

3. Defining the competencies required 4. Identifying the observers

5. Designing the exercises 6. Designing the rating methodology 7. Scheduling the Assessment Centre

4. Making a report of the strengths and improvement areas of all the participants 5. Giving feedback to the participants 6. Collecting feedback from participants and observers about the conduction of AC

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Process Design of Assessment Centre:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Preliminary Study Planning the Project Job Analysis Freezing Dimensions Identifying Critical Competencies Exercise Design Validation of Exercise Designing an Assessment Methodology Designing an 360 Assessment Methodology Designing a matrix for promotion

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Standards that the Assessment Centre Follows: 1. Each competency would be marked relatively similarly across exercises. 2. To ensure that a competency is measured in a reliable fashion across the centre it is usual to duplicate measurement of each competency (through different exercises). 3. Assessors/observers shall complete their evaluations independently, including any report before the integration (or wash-up) session. 4. There would be a full integration session involving assessors / observers to summarize and evaluate the behavioral evidence obtained. 5. After every exercise feedback would be offered to the candidates during the debriefing session to support development. 6. There would be a clear written statement of the intent of the centre, how data will be stored and by whom. 7. The decision to promote (or train) will be based on a pooling of the information from the assessors and the techniques. 8. Assessment techniques include sufficient job related simulations in order to allow multiple opportunities to observe each candidates behavior related to each competency.

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Planning the Assessment Centre:

1. Preliminary Study and Planning the Assessment Centre: To learn about Thomson Reuters the company, its various business segments, its mission and values, the culture of the company. I essayed to understand the actual talent management process at Thomson Reuters to get a better understanding of the competencies required from the organizational and individual perspective. I put in my earnest efforts to become a part of the company in order to understand and contribute more towards my project and achieve the set objectives.

The next step was to understand the objective of the project and the intricacies of an Assessment Centre. Planning the assessment centre consisted of four phases: Review, assess, design and Plan in order to develop an Assessment Centre that links competencies of the job requirements with the assessment of candidates knowledge, skills and abilities gained through the simulation exercises.

Going further I personally met the Head of various business segments in order to understand their process and requirements in a Team Leader. The major objective was to understand the expectations from a Team Leader and their roles and responsibilities as well. This included meeting Heads across multiple business units like Finance (Fixed Income, Estimates, Sales and Trading, Investment and Advisory), HR (Organizational Development, Talent Management, HRBPs for various teams), Quality Assurance, etc.

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2. Job Analysis and Freezing Competencies: The most critical aspect was to understand the Job Description of the Team Leaders which gave me a clear picture of what their roles included. The documented Job Descriptions is used for recruitment, promoting, development of the Team Leaders. After understanding the Job Descriptions the next step was to link the competencies defined by the organization with the collected Job Description.

Job Description: Essential day to day responsibilities of a Team Leader - Setting objectives for Team members - Evaluating the performance of team members based on the objectives set - Giving feedback to team members - Motivating & developing skills of team members - Managing Workflow - Coordinating training activities - Preparing MIS / reports - Reviewing the process and making improvements to enhance efficiency and effectiveness - Managing the quality and timeliness of data - Ensuring adherence to ISO requirements & ensuring continual Process improvement - Liaising with off shore teams

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Competencies and Assessment: Globalization and modernization are creating an increasingly diverse and interconnected world. They are compelling several organizations to march to a new tune. To make sense of and function well in this world, individuals need for example to master changing technologies and to make sense of large amounts of available information. In these contexts, the competencies that individuals need to meet their goals have become more complex, requiring more than the mastery of certain narrowly defined skills. Competencies are becoming a frequently used and written about vehicle for organizational applications. Competency can be defined as an underlying characteristic required to perform a given task, activity or role. Three factors that are important for identifying competency in a person are Knowledge, Skills and Attitude. Competencies are generally identified by Experts, HR specialists, Job Analysts, Psychologists etc. Competency differs from industry to industry. In organizational context, competency required for a particular job depends on many factors. The factors include social culture, nature of business, business environment, organizational culture, work environment, organizational structure, duties and responsibilities, nature of processes and assigned activities, attitude of colleagues, superior and subordinates. Ingression of changes into the environment calls for an alteration in the competency mapping, which again demands the evaluation of the existing skills to locate the existence of the competence in the entity. In contrast to job descriptions, competencies typically lists the task or functions and responsibilities for a particular role, a set of competencies lists the abilities needed to conduct those tasks or functions. Too often job descriptions are not worded in a manner that enables an employees performance to be effectively measured. Competencies on the other hand are described in terms such that they can be observed, measured and rated against criteria that are standardized and required to do the job effectively. Competency and assessment is a very important development function of HR function. With the help of competency mapping and assessment tool the role of HR has changed from support function to core function and thus is focused towards delivering strategic business objectives.

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Competency assessment involves the measurement of an individuals competencies. Measures include cognitive ability tests, bio-data instruments, structured interviews, job knowledge tests, diagnostic and promotion tests, measures of customer service and social skills. An Assessment Center can be defined as "a variety of testing techniques designed to allow candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities that are most essential for success in a given job". The term "assessment center" is really a catch-all term that can consist of some or all of a variety of exercises. The assessment of the existing competencies within the organization helps to bridge the gap between the current skills and the expected skills by imparting training and other developmental facilities to the employees. Analyzing the existing employees skills also help in the identification of the future requirements of competencies required. It is competency mapping that chalks out the basis for the assessment of the utilization of the various assets in the organization. The basic skills defined through competency mapping lay the basis for the evaluation of the asset utilization. It is the assessment done on basis of which the foundation for the training and development programs are laid. Succession Planning, Promotional policies, career planning, manpower planning, successful performance of customer requirements, all have their foundation on the assessment done on the basis of competency mapping. Thus the two processes are interlinked and are vital for the future planning of any business.

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3. Identifying the Critical Competencies

After understanding the ten competencies defined by Thomson Reuters for the Team Leaders, I decided to classify the competencies as per criticality to their process. Thus the competencies were classified as most critical, supporting and sustainable from the Team Leaders and Managers perspective.

In order to classify the competencies, I conducted a focus group sessions with few Team Leaders, Team Members and Managers as well. The result of the focus group session was a perspective of their critical competencies as per the key behaviors defined. I then consolidated the findings of the focus group session and classified the competencies into Critical, Support and Sustain based on the response of the survey.

The findings were mainly on the overall business segment perspective of the Team Leaders. The focus group session had few Team Members discuss out the critical competencies according to their process and finally come to a consensus according to the organizational perspective. It was carried out for approximately two hours and saw the emergence of very critical points in relation to the competencies linked with their daily tasks. The critical findings were retained back with the Talent Head in order to improvise the competencies defined for the Team Leaders.

Next task was to develop a methodology in excel format to map the critical competencies across various segments.

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Methodology for Mapping Critical Competencies across Various Business Segments

The below table is a sample representation of mapping critical competencies across various segments for different positions in the organization.

Competencies / Criticality
Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries Developing Talent Building Relationship Acting with Integrity

No of Respondents
15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 15

Critical
14 10 4 5 15 4 3 5 5 5

%age of Total Respondents

93.3% 66.7% 26.7% 33.3% 100.0% 26.7% 20.0% 33.3% 33.3% 33.3%

Support
1 4 10 4 0 10 8 4 8 4

%age of Total Respondents

6.7% 26.7% 66.7% 26.7% 0.0% 66.7% 53.3% 26.7% 53.3% 26.7%

Sustain
0 1 1 6 0 1 4 6 2 6

%age of Total Respondents

0.0% 6.7% 6.7% 40.0% 0.0% 6.7% 26.7% 40.0% 13.3% 40.0%

The Cells highlighted the maximum in color bars represents the Critical, Support and Sustain competencies. This is just a sample representation of the findings but not the actual one which is retained by the Talent Head, HR.

Graphical pie charts demonstrate the %age of each competency and are easier to identify the critical, support and sustain competencies. The charts are based on the total number of respondents to the survey and the focus group session discussion.

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A sample representation of the charts demonstrating the criticality of the competencies

Critical Competencies...
33.3% 33.3% 20.0%
66.7% 26.7% 100.0%

33.3%
93.3%

Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction

Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation Driving for Results Leading Change 26.7%
33.3%

Managing Across Boundaries

Developing Talent

Support Competencies
26.7% 6.7% 26.7% Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction

53.3%
26.7%

66.7%

Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation

53.3% 66.7% 26.7% 0.0%

Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries

Developing Talent

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Sustain Competencies
0.0% 6.7% 6.7% 40.0% Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction

40.0%
13.3% 40.0% 26.7%

Leveraging Business Acumen

Driving Innovation

0.0% 6.7%

Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries

Developing Talent
Building Relationship

A snapshot of the excel design

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4. Assessment Centre Exercise Design

After spending many hours with the Team Leaders and Managers trying to get an accurate picture of what the job will entail, the critical competencies associated with the job, I designed a Competency Grid in order to understand various levels of each competency. This helped me identify the ideal level of each competency a Team Leader should have. The techniques followed to design a Competency Grid depended upon two things: a sure grasp of the job's requirements and the contexts in which they occur and discussions with the Teams.

Each competency was divided into 5 levels on basis of the complexities involved in the Team Leaders roles. Each Level was identified with the behavioral indicators and their descriptions framed. Each Level had a proficiency associated with it which was segmented into 5 levels.

The proficiency associated with each level is as follows:

1. Novice / Beginner Between 0 2 on a scale of 10 2. Assimilator Between 2.1 4 on a scale of 10 3. Competent Between 4.1 6 on a scale of 10 4. Expert Between 6.1 8 on a scale of 10 5. A One / Ace Between 8.1 10 on a scale of 10.

The Competency Grid also included a column for identifying the most negative and positive indicators while assessing a Team Leader and another column named Development Plan for the areas which needed improvement.

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Competency Grid with the Levels

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Note Each Level has a behavioral Indicator along with its description. The above is just a snapshot of the descriptions which has been retained back by the Talent Head.

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Assessment Centre Exercise The next major step in planning the assessment center is to create exercises that will stimulate candidates to demonstrate their command of the necessary skills. After deciding the techniques to be used I create the necessary documentation for the candidates and assessors. Using the job analysis, critical competencies outcomes, Competency grid and further investigation appropriate exercises that target key elements of the target job was devised. The format, schedule and logistics were prepared as well. Delivery Standards: The group for each Assessment Centre consists of not less than 6 participants and not more than 10 participants. Each exercise in the Assessment Centre design shall measure the competencies for interactive exercises, non-interactive or written exercises and for Behavioral Event Interviews. Each exercise used in the Assessment Centre design was validated for manifestation of the required behaviors in the competencies to be tested, on a sample of population generally corresponding to the population to be tested. There will be a minimum of three iterations of each competency for the purpose of integration of ratings. In the ratings scale for use in the Assessment Centre, the median or the moderate of the scale shall represent the acceptable level in the competency being measured. The assessors: participant ratio in an Assessment Centre shall be maintained as follows: Senior Assessors Associate Assessors Up to 1 : 3 Up to 1 : 2

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The results of the Assessment Centre shall be presented in the following forms: In cases where decisions of any type are envisaged to be made on the results of the Assessment Centre, the results will be presented in a numerical rating format with a clear explanation of what the ratings represent.

In all cases where developmental activity is intended as a consequence of the Assessment Centre, a written report containing a description of the behavior exhibited by the participant in each competency measured by the Assessment Centre followed by appropriate developmental advice. The report shall be worded in language, which the participant can easily understand.

Types of Simulation Exercises: The testing shall be conducted as a mix of exercises, simulations and psychometric instruments.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

In-Basket Activity / In Tray Exercises Individual Role Plays Report Writing Exercises / Strategic B- Plan / Case studies Fact Finding Exercises Business Games / Team Building Games Quantitative Aptitude Leaderless Group discussions Individual Presentations Psychometric Tests

10. One on One Competency Based Personal Interviews

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1. In- Tray Exercises

The In-Tray simulation puts teams and individuals into a "real-world" scenario where they are forced to sift through a complex mountain of information and make difficult decisions under pressure. The object is to quickly identify people who are able to work under pressure, prioritise information and make informed decisions in a complex environment. Participants are tested on the ability to think strategically, anticipate future trends, events, problems or opportunities and develop strategies for addressing them. The assessors can find out how the candidate behaves when the heat is on and whether he / she can assimilate facts and figures, prioritize information and make good decisions under pressure. The task given to the candidates was to prioritize the items and draft replies or decide appropriate action on the contents presented in tray. Ten items have been designed for the candidates keeping in mind the day to day scenarios the Team Leader faces. It involves a lot of complexities for which the candidate will be given a time of 20 minutes. Contents:The in-tray could contain any of the following together with information about the structure of the organization and your role within it.
Memos. Letters. Letters of complaint. Telephone messages. Emails. Personnel information. Organization charts. Policy documents. Reports. A calendar

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2. Individual Role Play:The role play exercise is based on a one to one meeting where the candidate is asked to manage a situation that may arise as part of the Team Leader job. The candidate will be provided with background information and the key objectives they would need to achieve from the meeting. The candidate will then be given some preparation time to think about how they will approach the situation. Once the preparation time is over, their meeting will begin. Assessors will be assessing how they approach the situation, the solutions they deliver and the communication style linked with the competencies.

Abstract Clear - the - air Meeting 1. Role player brief (Team Member, to be played by the Assessor):-

Task: - Not being vague in responding to your Team Leaders questions and let him know your concerns. Rules: - You seek to protect your own interest. Time: - 10 minutes

3. Report Writing Exercises:Task:- Prepare a two pages (not more than 300 words) strategic plan on the following topic Time:- 15 minutes Rules:- You may not make use of any sort of computer during writing the plan. Background Information:The activity is based on the funny one liner often attributed to comedian Stephen Wright. The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese. The need to leverage intelligence and business analysis in organizations effectively isnt a new phenomenon, but a fundamental requirement for running a successful, growing and profitable business. The phrases business analysis and business intelligence at their root they will usually refer to the provision of commercially-focused research and analysis of clients, competitors, markets and new

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prospects. They can also include the analysis and interpretation of internal management information to support management decision making.

4. Business Simulation Games

These form a part of the group exercises. The exercises help us understand how the candidates interact in a group and whether they will be able to work effectively in a team. Although it may seem obvious, they do need to contribute to group discussions for the assessors to assess their capability. The group exercises are based on a topic or a business challenge and some team building games.

5. Fact Finding Exercise: - Exit Analysis

Task: - Devise a strategy to control the growing attrition rate. Time: - 25 minutes Rules: - The strategy has to be presented in form of a paper presentation of not more than 2 pages. Background Information:You are heading a team of 40 members and during the past six months the attrition rate of your team has moved up and is well above the industry average of 12%. This is a matter of concern. Please find the exit analysis report for your reference, identify the areas which needs improvement and take appropriate actions to bring it down. This report summarizes information from exit surveys gathered from staff leaving your team during March2010 to May2010. An exit interview was conducted and a sample questionnaire was sent to the departing staff.

6. Individual Presentation
The candidates will be asked to prepare and deliver a presentation on the assessment day itself. The quality of the presentation content will be important but the assessors will also be assessing their communication skills and presenting style and the competencies associated. Candidate brief:-

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Task:- Prepare a 5 minute presentation on the following topic Time:- 20 minutes (10minutes for preparation, 5 minute presentation followed by a 5minute Q&A session) Rules:- You may not make use of any sort of computer during your presentation.

7. Leaderless Group Discussion:Task: - The group must come to a consensus as to who is the most effective leader among the list given. Time: - 20 minutes (including first 10 minutes to perform a search using the system followed by a 10 minute discussion. Rules: - Candidates can make use of the system but within the first 5 minutes. Sample The list of leaders and a brief introduction on their leadership styles: The world has played witness to the rise and demise of many Companies. One of the major forces that determine the growth a company charters is its Leader. They reflect a diversity of focus, guaranteeing a balance in approach. They not only look at the micro niche also at the big picture that is the macro level. 1. Indra Nooyi: Keeping Cool In Hot Water

The lady with a fizz, has long been known for two things: a prescient business sense and an irrelevant personal style. Is the 4th most powerful women in the world today. As staunch believer of faith, Nooyi states that success rests on three important factors, family, friends and faith. 2. Steve Jobs: The Apple Way

Steve Jobs, the co-founder and CEO of Apple and Pixar has one thing to say Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. Steve Jobs regularly makes most rosters of the rich and powerful. It is surprising for a guy who takes home an annual salary of U.S. $1. He was a genius in devising marketing strategies. He believed that the ads are for people who don't care what the computer does, but care about what they can do with the computer. The premise is that people who use Apple computers are different, and that we make computers for those creative people who believe that one person can change the world.

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8. Psychometric Testing:Task: -Take the Psychometric Test Time: - 30 minutes Psychometric Test is an online strength assessment and development tool.

9. Competency Based Interviews

The assessor will be looking for specific examples of when the candidates have demonstrated certain competencies. The basis of competency based interviewing would be known as STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result). The interview is a semi structured interview. Sample 1. Describe an instance when you were particularly effective at achieving end results. What steps

did you take to achieve these results? 2. 3. Why do you think some teams are successful and some arent? Think of an example when you consistently exceeded internal or external expectations. How did

you do this and what approach did you use? 4. Provide an example of a project or a team you managed in which there were many obstacles to

overcome. What did you do to address these obstacles? 5. Tell me about an example of what you have done to obtain information to better understand a

customer. What did you do? How did this information improve your customer service? 6. It is not always easy to achieve required work goals or objectives. Describe a stretch goal or

objective that you were able to achieve? Why do you think this a stretch goal and what was the result? Consider a local bakery that operates a small caf business. The cafe is open from 10am to 9pm, Monday to Sunday. Competition from nearby fast food outlets is preventing the caf business from growing. What action should the caf take to increase sales? 7. Why are you applying for the Team Leader position? Why should we promote you to that

position?

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Integrative Report At the end of the Assessment Centre Exercises the candidates must write an integrative report on their learnings and experiences from the exercises. The candidates can even incorporate any recommendations to improvise the Assessment Centre Exercises.

5. ACCURACY OF ASSESSMENT CENTRES

Assessment Centres are more accurate than super visionary judgment in predicting the potentiality because the exercise used provides a niche for observing the behavior needed at higher levels before a person is put on the job. The selection of a sales manager is a good example to prove the superiority of the assessment centre's method. A supervisor, asked to nominate a sales person for supervision, can judge his people only by their sales performance. Usually, the best sales person is nominated, however, because many other skills are needed in management, and if the person so nominated fails, the company loses both a manager and an excellent salesperson. If an assessment centre was used, the unique abilities needed for management would-have been determined, and their presence or absence observed through simulation before an individual is promoted. .

Assessment Centres are more accurate than personal tastes in predicting potential because they sample actual behaviors, not what the applicant says he would do or he has done. For years, managers have observed that the applicants could often tell a story better than they could perform. The assessment centre checks the actual performance.

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6. Designing an Assessment Centre Methodology

Before designing an assessment centre methodology it was critical to define the performance ratings to be used in assessing the candidates.

Scoring the candidates

Performance Ratings - Defined 1 = Key Strength: Consistently exceed expectations Performance consistently exceeds the position requirements in all key areas evaluated and is characterized by major, outstanding achievements in excess of objectives. Behaviors demonstrated exceed those expected of the employee's level and role in the organization. Overall contribution is clearly exceptional relative to job requirements. 2 = Likely Strength: Consistently meets and often exceeds expectations Performance exceeds most and meets all the position requirements in the key areas evaluated and is characterized by significant achievements above objectives. Behaviors demonstrated often exceed those expected of the employee's level and role in the organization. Overall contribution clearly exceeds that of job requirements. 3 = Moderate: Consistently meets expectations Performance consistently meets the position requirements in the key areas evaluated and is characterized by broadly or fully achieving objectives. Behaviors demonstrated are consistent with the employee's level and role in the organization. Overall contribution is as expected for job requirements.

4 = Concern: Does not often consistently meet expectations and needs improvement Performance meets some of the position requirements in the key areas evaluated and is characterized by partial achievement of objectives. Behaviors demonstrated are not all consistent with the employee's level and role within the organization. Overall contribution is not fully as expected for job requirements.

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5 = Needs Significant Improvement: Does not consistently meet expectations Performance rarely meets some of the position requirements in the key areas evaluated and is characterized by minor achievement of objectives. Behaviors demonstrated are rarely consistent with the employee's level and role within the organization. Overall contribution is much below as expected for job requirements. 6 = Dysfunctional: Does not meet expectations Performance does not meet the position requirements in the key areas evaluated. Behaviors demonstrated are not consistent with the employee's level and role within the organization. Overall contribution fails to meet that expected of the job requirements. It is imperative that a candidate is given a rating for ALL competencies relevant to that scenario. As candidates have been informed in advance of the competencies we will be scoring them against, an inability to display competencies during assessments may be held to be a negative on their score.

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Developing Assessment Methodology Tool:Snapshot of the Weightage sheet The critical, supporting and sustain competencies have been given Weightage according to their criticality in the process. This varies for different business segments.
Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries Developing Talent Building Relationship Acting with Integrity

Competencies / Criteria Team Game 1 Team Game 2 Individual Role Play Group Exercise In Tray Exercise Psychometric Test Quantitative Test Fact - Finding Test Strategic B-Plan Individual Presetation Competency based Interview

Total 7.0% 3.0% 10.0% 10.0% 15.0% 10.0% 10.0% 5.0% 10.0% 20.0% 100.0%

Total

15.0%

15.0%

10.0%

9.0%

15.0%

6.0%

7.0%

5.0%

12.0%

6.0%

The assessors need to fill in the level displayed by each candidate while assessing a particular competency as per the Competency Grid. The Final Scores will be computed automatically and gives the final rating of the candidate.

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Snapshot of the Candidate final scoring sheet

Competencies Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries Developing Talent Building Relationship Acting with Integrity Final Scores

Ideal Rating 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 3 42

Candidate Rating 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Score 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gap 5 4 4 4 5 4 4 4 5 3 42

Grades

Ratings,.. Dysfunctional Needs Significant Improvement Concern - Needs Improvement Moderate Likely Strength Key Strength

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7. Designing an 360 Assessment Centre Methodology

In order to design a tool to assess the 360 Feedback, I interacted with several Team Leaders and Managers including direct reports. I even conducted a 360 Survey for few team leaders and mailed them their individual report which gives them a fare idea as to how do they rank in terms of competencies. Snapshot of the 360 Assessment Tool:

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This includes the Self ratings, Managers, and direct reports and computes an average weighted score for the candidate.

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Analysis of Critical Competencies

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Competency Summary Details of each competency

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Competency with item details included in the Survey

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Top and Bottom Items

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Top and Bottom Competencies

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Snapshot of the Individuals competencies

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8. Designing an Matrix for Promotion

Ideally while promoting a candidate to a Team Leader Position, along with the Assessment Centre Ratings the 360 Feedback ratings, Performance in current job and the background information needs to be included. Snapshot of the Matrix
Competencies Thinking Like a Customer Creating Strategic Direction Leveraging Business Acumen Driving Innovation Driving for Results Leading Change Managing Across Boundaries Developing Talent Building Relationship Acting with Integrity Final Scores Grades Assessment Centre Ratings 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Dysfunctional 360 Feedback Ratings Performance in Current Background Information Job

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Conclusion:
Assessment is essential for the forward momentum of a given field of endeavor. The competency assessment system would help in identifying the strengths and developmental needs of employees to facilitate performance improvement. The behaviors pertaining to each competency in the grid truly reflects the companys culture, business and unique market dynamics. The Competency Model and Assessment Centre have been kept very simple for better understanding. It is only a means to an end: the goal is to build a high performance, resilient organization. Assessment Centre concepts can be applied to any situation in which people need to be evaluated, including promotion, performance appraisal, selection. Its not a new thing; its merely a systematic way of obtaining data and making decisions about individuals. In present scenario a lot of Indian companies are using the 360 Assessment Tool, Assessment Centre and Competency Mapping as a standalone tool to measure the potential of an individual. But we cannot conclude that past performance is a predictor of future potential as assessed by Assessment Centre. Hence, caution should be taken while using the data for promotional exercises. One concern is that feedback from assessors influences many participants self ratings (Halman and Fletcher, 2000). Those who perform better in Assessment Centre often have more positive attitudes towards it than others. Those who did not perform well may feel that their careers had been given the kiss of death and leave the corporation. Bray et al (1974) demonstrated that individuals receiving less favorable evaluations after an assessment centre reported less career salience and less upward mobility motivation than people receiving favorable evaluations. Being perceived to have performed poorly may affect not only whether a person gains access to specific opportunities, but also his/her attitudes, mental health, and willingness to engage in subsequent developmental activities (lles, 1992; Robertson et.al., 1991; Smith, 1997). From a career planning standpoint, promotions are one of the most widely used and readily accessible indicators of career success (Huck, 1973; Thorndike, 1963). Low scores on Assessment Centre may diminish the morale of employees, affect their productivity outcomes, and lead to higher attrition rates of skilled employees (Thorndike, 1963). Subsequently employees may stand to lose skilled employees. Assessment Centre may provide a means of identifying individual strengths and weaknesses, but their overall usefulness depends considerably on the context in which they are administered. In a competitive world with global perspectives it is imperative that organizations understand the importance of managing individualized career aspirations of high potential employees and provide them with enhanced opportunities. Assessors should thereby not rely solely on any one tool to accomplish their objectives of promoting high potential employees.

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References:
www.thomsonreuters.com www.workitect.com Workitect Competency Dictionary (2007) Cooper, Kenneth (2000). Effective Competency Modeling and Reporting. New York: AMA Publications

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