The role of assessors in an assessment center is to observe candidates participating in exercises, take detailed non-evaluative notes on behaviors, classify the behaviors into dimensions being assessed, and assign ratings to candidates on each dimension. Assessors are trained to rate candidates consistently based on behaviors exhibited during exercises that relate to the job requirements. They discuss ratings with other assessors to reach consensus and provide objective feedback to candidates on their performance.

1. Name: Jayashree D. Prabhu
Topic: Role of assessor in Assessment
Centre
Roll No: C-43
Assignment
MMS II, Sem III

2. Role of assessor in Assessment Centre
Definition of Assessment Centres
Assessment Centres are often described as the variety of testing techniques that allow the
candidates to demonstrate, under standardized conditions, the skills and abilities most
essential for success in a given job.
Source: Dennis A. Joiner, ‘Assessment centre in public sector: A practical approach’, Public Personnel
Management Journal.
Definition of Assessor
‘An Assessor is an individual trained to observe, record, classify and make reliable
judgements about the behaviours of those being assessed.'
Source: Lewis Rowe, Tina; A Preparation Guide for the Assessment Center Method; (2006) Charles C
Thomas Publishers Ltd, Illinois, USA.
Who are your assessors?
They are usually people one level above the position you have applied for. They will be
ambitious and successful individuals within their own departments. These people will have a
very clear idea of the qualities they expect to see in an individual performing the new role.
Many agencies have a preferred list of assessors they like to use and the human resources
department will have key people they call upon for the assessment centre days. For senior
roles, assessors who are external to the organisation may be used to bring a broader
perspective to the assessment.
Many organisations like to include an exercise in assessment centre where they use multiple
assessors, usually a minimum of three people, and they will be at least one level above the
position you are applying for. In these exercises the panel will be made up of diverse
individuals, some may be external to the organisation or department. So it is necessary for
assessors to have different priorities and adapt to the behaviours accordingly.
There are three things you need to remember about the assessors:
1. They know nothing about you.
2. They can only give you marks for behaviours you show them during the exercises.
3. They are only concerned with how well you display the behaviours applicable to the role.

3. Role of Assessor in AC:
For success of the centres, assessors have to demonstrate the capability to observe and record
the behaviour of candidates. This is demanding as assessors have to understand the difference
between merely looking for concrete verbal and non-verbal behaviours and interpreting these
behaviours. They should be able to withhold early judgements. These days video is
frequently used to aid assessors in gathering behavioural information.
Assessors should be able to organize their behavioural observations by job-related
dimensions. This means indicating to which dimension each behaviour belongs. Another skill
involves accurate rating of candidates on dimensions. They should have the ability not to
make comparative judgements. This is critical.
The training an assessor receives, whether they are internal or external to the organisation
will equip them with the skills to observe, classify and record candidates behaviour during
the exercises. They will also have a thorough understanding of the requirements of the role
and have studied the job specification. From this knowledge a list of key behavioural areas
will be drawn up, each having a more detailed description to ensure consistency among the
assessors when scoring candidates.Assessors should demonstrate the ability to integrate
information from various exercises and be able to discuss the ratings with fellow assessors.
Finally, they have to write formal reports and give feedback.
In short, during each test, a group of assessor will rate you on a range of set indicators, using
a prescribed performance scale. Results are then cross compared against the same indicators,
which are measured in other tests. Following test completion, assessors meet to discuss the
test results and reach a group consensus about your ratings.
The process carried out by the individual assessor in assessment centre:
The steps which individual assessor takes to observe, classify and evaluate behaviours of
candidates in separate exercises carried out in assessment centre.
Assessment centre may vary in specific steps carried out by individual assessors. That is,
individual assessor may or may not assign ratings to participants on each dimension, and if
they do assign ratings, this may occur at different times in the assessment process.
1. The first duty carried out by trained assessors is to observe the assessees as they
participate in the stimulation exercises. While observing, assessor take detailed, non-
evaluative notes of behavioural aspects of assessees.
2. After the stimulation has been completed, assessors classify the behaviours listed in
their notes into the dimensions being assessed in that particular exercise.
3. Then, the assessor might prepare a summary sheet to be used to report to the assessor
group or, alternatively, the assessor may assign ratings to each dimension assessed in
the exercise.

4. 4. After all the assessees have completed all exercises, either assessor come together to
discuss and determine the final ratings, or the ratings are combined statistically.
5. Depending upon the purpose of the AC, assessor may provide assessees with oral or
written feedback on their performance.
The assessor experience
For many organisations their Human Resources department will have drawn up their own
specific scoring sheet which they will modify as appropriate for the role in question. There is
space for the assessor to write in how participant exhibited certain behaviour & then a
column for participant’s score. This scoring is usually from 1-10; 1 being poor or
unsatisfactory and 10 being totally capable and suited to role.
A key part of the assessors training will be to understand the scoring mechanism being used
for your assessment centre. The assessors themselves often perform the exercises they are
going to observe, with half of their group playing the role of candidates and the other half
actually being assessors. In this way the organisation ensures that the assessors are all
measuring and marking behaviours in the same way.

5. As well as practising the exercises and their observation skills, the assessors will follow each
exercise with a discussion. This discussion will give them all an opportunity to say what they
observed and how they've marked this behaviour and then to gain a consensus from the group
to award the candidate a final score for an exercise.
This ensures that each candidate is judged fairly and that the company or organisation has a
thorough record of how a final decision was made. This enables a candidate requesting
feedback on their performance to receive an objective overview of their performance on the
day.
Another essential part of the assessors training will be in how to use the scoring sheets or rate
cards that your assessment centre will be using. Each agency, organisation or company have
minor variations in their scoring and assessors need to be familiar with the method being used
at your centre. Examples of the scoring sheets are given in the next section.
Some organisations prefer that the assessors use a legal pad to make their notes on and these
are then used during the discussions and retained by the organisation once the assessment
centre is completed.
Bibliography and Webliography:
1. www.hrguide.com
2. Assessment Centers in Human Resource Management – Strategies for Prediction, Diagnosis,
and Development
- by George C. Thornton III, Deborah E. Rupp