Remote Assessment – Top Tips

by | Assessment Centre, Covid19 Business Continuity, Emotional Intelligence, Home working, Leadership, Nurse leadership, Personality Profile, Remote assessment, Resilience, Selection and Assessment, values assessment

Remote interview

Running remote assessments – our top tips

Are you thinking about your next recruitment process?  Are you considering how best to carry out a robust assessment process, whilst protecting the health and safety of all?

For an assessment centre to be successful, it needs to provide key information about the suitability of each candidate for the role.  The process needs to run smoothly and professionally.  For many, doing this remotely maybe a new experience.

We have been reflecting on what we have learnt when using on-line and video technology to provide assessment for recruitment and development.

Assessing candidates remotely is not a new idea, but more recently, we have provided a full range of assessment exercises using virtual platforms, including discussion groups, verification interviews and written assessments.

Top tips for a successful remote assessment

We have pulled together a list of key learning points  which we would like to share with you:

  • Clear process – we have found that ensuring the process, aims, assessment methodology, written information, feedback sheets etc are all clear and prepared in advance is essential.
  • Preparation in advance– this is essential for a successful assessment. Provide everyone involved with full information on the process you will be using, in both verbal and written format.
  • Choice of platform – we choose an IT modality that everyone involved is familiar and comfortable with using. (For example Zoom or MS teams are very popular at the moment.)  Ensure tRemote interviewhe platform you choose is secure and private, with the ability to restrict “entry” to the individual you want.
  • Hand-holding – allowing additional time to hold a “practice link up” and check out with every individual that they are comfortable with the IT platform, the process and that their internet works effectively gives participants confidence.
  • Timing – allow more time than you normally would for every part of the process. It can be surprising how much longer a conversation can take via a virtual platform.  All participants will also need regular breaks.
  • Backup plans – we always have a “plan B” prepared. For instance we ask those involved to have a smart phone nearby as an emergency back up.

 

Feedback

We hope these are helpful reflections.  Our clients and candidates have provided feedback that indicates that they found the virtual assessments to be a positive and enjoyable experience.  They felt it makes better use of everyone’s time and yet still identifies the key attributes that they were looking for.  It seems that this is a process that they would like to use more in the future.

 

Do you have any experience to add to this?  Please do share any of your own tips that you have experienced.

 

You may find our recent blog post about a case study of a socially distanced assessment to be of interest.

We would be pleased to provide you with more detail about how our remote assessment works. Please contact me, without obligation on: viv.walton@deardenassessment.co.uk or 07860 361 252.