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Assessment Centers: Current Practices in the United States

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Abstract

Purpose

The goals of this investigation were to review current AC practices in the United States by evaluating whether they follow the Guidelines and Ethical Considerations for Assessment Center Operations (International Task Force on Assessment Centers, 2000). We both expanded upon and compared our results to a prior benchmarking study (Spychalski et al. in Personnel Psychol, 50:71–90, 1997), and investigated practices regarding job analysis, AC development, dimensions (i.e., job requirements), exercises, assessor characteristics and training, behavior recording, data integration, organizational policy, assessee rights, AC evaluation and AC technology. Data were collected via an online survey completed by individuals from human resource departments of organizations (N = 54) across the U.S; organizations to whom the survey was sent were selected by sampling Fortune 500 organizations based on economic sector.

Findings

Results indicate that 93% of organizations reported considering the Guidelines for AC development and use. More specifically, the investigation reports specific findings regarding job analysis, AC development, AC dimensions, AC exercises, assessor characteristics, assessor training, behavior recording, data integration, organizational policy, assessee rights, AC evaluation, and AC technology.

Implications

We provide two types of conclusions. First, based on two concerns, we provide two recommendations for improving current practice. Second, we present two commendations (i.e., positive trends that should continue). Finally, to continue to advance AC practice, we discuss our results in the context of observations on recent developments in AC practices by Lievens and Thornton (Assessment centers: Recent developments in practice and research. Blackwell, Malden, pp 243–264, 2005).

Originality/Value

Despite the importance of assessment centers (ACs) for personnel selection and development, no recent benchmarking studies exist.

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Notes

  1. Even though Spychalski et al.’s (1997) investigation was published <20 years ago, data for their study were collected in 1990.

  2. For current trends in development and selection of AC use, see Krause and Thornton III (2007).

  3. Sub-category ‘similarity’ across both studies allowed for statistical comparison of compliance (i.e., chi-square tests). While the majority of our sub-criteria overlapped, some were collapsed to allow comparisons with Spychalski et al. (1997).

  4. Multiple responses possible.

  5. The questionnaire respondents received did not define data integration procedures (e.g., judgmental, statistical), as we were assuming that the respondents knew what each method entailed.

  6. We thank an anonymous reviewer for this insightful comment.

  7. We thank an anonymous reviewer for this idea.

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Acknowledgments

We thank two anonymous reviewers for their comments. We also thank the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Institution) for their financial support during Diana’s visiting research stay at Colorado State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CH2M HILL, Englewood, CO, 80112, USA

    Tasha L. Eurich

  2. Management and Organizational Studies, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5C2, Canada

    Diana E. Krause

  3. Institute of Psychology, Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL, 60616-3793, USA

    Konstantin Cigularov

  4. Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523, USA

    George C. Thornton III

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  1. Tasha L. Eurich
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  2. Diana E. Krause
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  3. Konstantin Cigularov
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  4. George C. Thornton III
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Correspondence to Tasha L. Eurich.

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Received and reviewed by former editor, George Neuman.

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Eurich, T.L., Krause, D.E., Cigularov, K. et al. Assessment Centers: Current Practices in the United States. J Bus Psychol 24, 387–407 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-009-9123-3

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