Assessment and Development Centres

Iain Ballantyne is an independent business psychologist, until recently Principal Consultant with Nigel Povah at Assessment & Development Consultants Ltd. For more than 25 years he has assessed people at work, initially as a Personnel Manager for 'blue chip' companies like Grandmet and Unisys and since the mid-1980s as a management consultant. Nigel Povah is the Managing Director of Assessment & Development Consultants Limited, a practice specialising in assessment methods and developing human potential at work. He was a training manager at ICL prior to founding Assessment & Development Consultants Ltd in 1988.

• Contents: What is an assessment centre?; Getting started; Defining the job needs; Designing the assessment centre content; Planning for the assessment centre; Assessor training; Running the assessment centre; Life after an assessment centre; Validating the assessment centre; Development centres; Current issues and future trends; Appendix: Design, implementation and evaluation of assessment and development centres - Best practice guidelines; Bibliography; Index.

'The flow of the book works exceptionally well ... The success or failure of an assessment centre depends so much on the work that precedes it (and indeed follows it), and this is reflected in the structure and content of the book ... It can easily be read from cover-to-cover for those who are seeking a thorough grounding in the issues and practicalities of Assessment and Development Centres. It works equally well for those who want to dip in and refresh their knowledge of a particular topic, or who need to muster support for investing in pre- or post-centre activities. Although designed for HR managers, there is learning in here for a much wider audience, including line manager assessors, consultants, and students. It also includes a comprehensive reference list, ideal for those who want to delve deeper into this subject. ' Annie Gray, Managing Director, The Gray Partnership (Business Psychologists) Ltd 'An authoritative text which provides an excellent blend of theoretical underpinning to the practice of Assessment and Development Centres. An essential purchase for practitioners involved in the effective design and delivery of these Centres.' Alan Gilbert, Principal Lecturer and Chartered Occupational Psychologist, University of Portsmouth Business School 'This publication is informative, well researched and practical providing professionals and non-professionals with a good grounding in the realities of implementing Assessment and Development Centres. It will become a well thumbed publication who ever owns it.' Training Zone, September 2005 'This is a comprehensive, informative handbook covering most aspects of running an assessment or development centre. It would serve as a valuable reference guide to anyone running their first centre.' Personnel Today , March 2006