Starting situation: Development of a new selection assessment center for Level 3
Allianz Deutschland examines the suitability of its junior managers for promotion to Level 3 – i.e. for assuming initial line management responsibilities – by means of several days of testing in an assessment center. However, the procedure that has been used for this purpose for many years focused solely on role-play simulations of management situations. The client now wished to zone in on a wider spectrum of competencies and required the selection process to be adapted accordingly.
Approach: 3-day group assessment center
Together with Allianz management, the requirements of Level 3 managers were defined and a competency model developed, which, in addition to management skills, included aspects such as entrepreneurial and strategic thinking. Based on this needs analysis, exercises were developed with a view to mapping these specific requirements. In this way, additional task elements such as case studies and interviews with key customers were developed alongside the existing management simulations.
In spite of the broad spectrum of tasks, it was possible to reduce the assessment center period from five to three days by means of a more efficient procedure (immediate evaluation following the exercises, goal-oriented moderation). In these three days, the twelve participants complete eight different exercises/tasks and, at the end of the third day, receive feedback on the decision and on the strengths and development fields shown.
Outcome: High acceptance through greater task diversity and efficient activity management
In a shorter assessment period, it was possible to simulate a wider spectrum of requirements, thereby gaining a comprehensive overview of the competencies of the junior managers in question. At the same time, the systematic use of moderators simplifies the role of the observers as well as ensuring a standardized evaluation benchmark.