Assessment Centres

At York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust we use values based Assessment Centres as part of the recruitment process for our senior positions.

We believe Assessment Centres are a valuable recruitment tool as they allow candidates to demonstrate behavioural skills which can be difficult to capture at interview alone.

As an organisation we believe that the behaviours and attitudes of a person are just as important as their skills, experience and knowledge. We have therefore developed our assessment centres to include a range of exercises which allow candidates to demonstrate their values and behavioural skills.

What is involved in an Assessment Centre?

Our assessment centres are largely de-selective; this means candidates must pass the assessment elements to be offered a place at interview. All shortlisted candidates are invited to attend an assessment centre which shall take place usually 1 to 3 days prior to the formal interview.

Upon attending the assessment centre candidates shall participate in a range of exercises to assess their suitability for the role. Candidates may take part in one to three of the following exercises: a Group Exercise, a Written Exercise, a Scenario Exercise, a Presentation Exercise or a Discussion Exercise. These exercises will involve you working independently and as part of a group with candidates applying for the same, or a similar role.

All the exercise instructions will be provided to candidates on the day, there is nothing candidates need specifically to prepare for in advance.

Tips for candidates

If you will soon be joining us at an Assessment Centre, here are some useful tips for the day.

Prior to the day:

• Following your invitation call recruitment to confirm your attendance you must confirm attendance by the deadline provided in your invitation.
• Read all the information you have been sent about the day making sure you know where you need to be and when. If you are not familiar with the hospital it may be a good idea to arrive slightly earlier.
• Re-read the job description and related documents to refresh your memory of what the organisation is looking for.
• Read the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust Website familiarise yourself with our values and what is currently happening within the organisation.
• Prepare your documents you will be asked to bring identity documents with you to the assessment centre so we can verify your identity .

At the Assessment Centre:

Arrive on time at the start of the day you shall receive a brief which will outline exactly which exercises you shall be participating in, you shall also receive a timetable for the day.

• Get involved don’t be nervous about speaking up, we want to see what you have to offer!
• Manage your time make sure you are aware of how long you have for each exercise and manage your time appropriately. If you are participating in group work it may be a good idea to split parts of the exercise up.
• Be yourself and enjoy your assessments remember the assessment centre is an extra opportunity for you to show the organisation what you have to offer

Following the Assessment Centre:

• Reflect think about how you performed at the assessment centre, what areas did you feel you performed well in? What areas did you feel you could have improved?
• Request feedback from the recruitment team whether you pass through to interview or not requesting feedback is a really great way to improve upon and develop your performance for the future.

If you require any further information about Assessment Centres at the Trust please contact the Recruitment Team on 01904 725470.