Assessment Center
An assessment center is an additional selection tool to help choose the best candidate, by having him or her participate in job-related exercises. The basic way an assessment center work is that candidates are given simulated exercises that that they must perform as if they were in a real organization. The types of exercises can vary from individual presentations, role-playing, and case analyses to business games and team-based assignments. Merrill Lynch, for example, has used sales simulation exercises in its selection of account executives. At on brokerage house, candidates were asked to sell a particular stock to a prospect, who is really a psychologist hired by the firm. The prospect greets the telephone caller saying how busy he is at the moment. In this simulation, the employer is assessing the candidate's persistence, an important attribute in this type of sales position. The wide spread use of this tool has been limited due to its high cost.