Assessment Centre: How to Handle a Challenging Interview
In today’s dynamic business world, companies are increasingly aware that their most valuable asset is their people. With a growing focus on continuous improvement and acquiring new skills, the concept of a Development Centre for employees is gaining popularity. These programs provide a space where employees can learn more about themselves, their skills, develop those skills, and contribute to the long-term success of the company. In this article, we’ll explore the importance and benefits of such programs for both employees and employers. What is a Development Centre? A Development Centre is an internally driven program designed to provide employees with opportunities to improve their professional, personal, and even private skills. These programs may be delivered in-person or online, depending on the company’s needs and the scope of the program. During the program, employees are observed by a team of experts who monitor their behaviour and reactions in predefined tasks. These tasks are often directly related to the employee’s current position, their team, or to a candidate applying for a specific role. This process allows the employee to receive feedback on how they approach and solve tasks and challenges—whether highlighting strengths or pointing out areas for improvement. Developing Professional Skills As part of the development process, employees can also gain new knowledge and skills in related areas. Based on observations, employees may be recommended for training programs that include studying new technologies, processes, or methods relevant to their roles. For example, they may learn new programming languages, software tools, project management strategies, and other key professional skills that enhance performance, efficiency, or creativity. The Importance of Interpersonal Relationships In addition to technical skills, the program focuses on improving interpersonal relationships between employees. Communication is key to collaboration, understanding challenges, and creating space for compromise and innovation. These observations and follow-up courses can help employees integrate more effectively into teams, manage people, or even discover leadership potential within themselves. Supporting Career Growth A Development Centre can provide clear pathways for career advancement. The company may offer mentoring programs, career planning, and performance evaluations to help employees feel supported in their professional growth. Motivated and ambitious employees will have the opportunity to progress and contribute to the company’s success. Room for Creativity and Innovation A Development Centre can also serve as a hub for innovation and creativity. Employees are “encouraged” by tasks to think creatively, bring new ideas, and demonstrate the ability to think outside the box—contributing to improved company processes or products. This openness to new ideas can inspire innovation and foster an entrepreneurial mindset within the organization. Increased Employee Engagement and Loyalty Development-focused activities can positively impact employee engagement. When employees feel they have opportunities to grow, develop, and feel important and valued within the company, they are naturally more loyal. Engaged employees tend to be more productive, efficient, and satisfied in their roles, which in turn boosts organizational performance and goal achievement. A Development Centre is undoubtedly a valuable tool that can help companies achieve long-term success. Offering opportunities to improve employees’ professional and interpersonal skills promotes personal growth and contributes to increased productivity, engagement, loyalty, and innovation within the organization. When employees feel supported and motivated, they become a strong pillar of the company’s success. Development programs are a smart investment that pays off in the long run. News / 27. 07. 2023
Development Centre: Discover Your Inner Potential
If you’re facing a challenging selection process that includes an assessment centre, we’re happy to share tips on how to stay calm, be yourself, and walk away from the interview with valuable insights about yourself. An Assessment Centre (AC) is most commonly used as a proven and objective method for selecting the right candidate for a specific job position, or as a developmental activity where candidates receive feedback on their strengths and weaknesses. Each job role has defined parameters that assessors are looking for, such as: – abilities, – skills, – potential, – participants’ reactions and behaviour during the AC. The biggest advantage is the ability to compare multiple candidates at once, which increases the objectivity of the selection process. When is the Assessment Centre method used? This method is suitable for a wide range of job roles, often for key positions such as managers, team leaders or specialists. This type of interview monitors candidates’ behaviour in various situations to identify leadership potential, communication style, credibility, and the ability to handle difficult conversations with clients—for example, in sales or call centre roles. Both internal and external candidates may participate in assessment centres. What does the interview look like? An Assessment Centre usually lasts one day or a few hours. The number of candidates depends on the nature of the position, as does the number of assessors. Companies often involve internal staff, but it’s also common to hire external experts for such processes. The selection process includes a mix of individual and group tasks tailored to identify potential for a specific position. These might include roleplay tasks where candidates take on certain roles and situations, as well as presentations, discussions, and knowledge or skill tests. Throughout the day, assessors observe and note your reactions and behaviour during each task. Can I prepare for the tests? First of all – don’t stress. Even if the interview doesn’t go exactly as you imagined, the assessors might still see potential in you, and you will walk away with valuable insights about yourself you may not have known. It’s a good idea to spend time learning about the company and the role you’re applying for. These interviews are not about speed or winning. Be yourself. Authenticity, openness, and honesty are key to success. News / 13. 08. 2023
Teambuilding: Strengthening the Team through Collaboration and Fun
In today’s world, the success of any organization is closely linked to employee satisfaction, team spirit, and the ability of team members to collaborate effectively and harmoniously. How can we achieve this synergistic interplay and boost motivation and mutual trust? The answer is simple – teambuilding. In this article, we’ll explore the importance and benefits of teambuilding and how it can help improve team performance and strengthen relationships among its members. What is teambuilding? It’s one of the most common types of employee activities in companies. It includes various games and exercises aimed at strengthening relationships between team members, developing communication skills, building trust, and fostering collaboration. These activities typically take place outside of the work environment and often combine fun with challenges, providing a chance to better understand individuals, their abilities, and – last but not least – offer a range of benefits for company leadership. The main ones include: Strengthening team spirit Teambuilding activities are designed to encourage collaboration and mutual interaction among team members. This helps to create a strong sense of belonging and team spirit, boosting motivation and individual engagement. Developing communication skills The games require open communication between team members. Exercises like puzzles, group tasks, and problem-solving help develop the ability to communicate effectively – often under pressure – as well as to listen to others’ ideas and make compromises. Building trust Trust is a vital aspect – not only in personal relationships, but also in the work environment among colleagues. Such activities offer opportunities to get to know each other outside of work, observe how teammates behave in different situations, and often allow people to relax and show their hidden side. This helps build trust and mutual understanding. When team members feel comfortable and trust each other, collaboration and performance improve significantly. Identifying strengths and developing skills Teambuilding activities allow individuals to identify and strengthen their dominant traits. For example, team activities may bring out leadership skills or creativity in solving tasks. These activities often uncover new talents and abilities – something your manager won’t overlook. Types of Activities These can vary and be tailored to the team’s needs. Popular options include: Adrenaline Sports Activities like paintball, go-karting, laser tag, ziplining, rope courses, orienteering, wilderness survival, or rafting are excellent for strengthening team dynamics, building trust, and improving communication in crisis situations – all while delivering a dose of adrenaline and fun. Logic Games A very popular teambuilding activity is the escape room, where teams must escape a room or location within a time limit by solving puzzles, riddles, or challenges. Another is the mystery dinner – a combination of team dining and a mystery game (e.g., solving a murder), where each participant plays a role with unique characteristics and often a secret, which may help the team solve the mystery successfully. Creative Workshops Perfect for teams aiming to boost creativity and innovation. These may include art activities such as painting, sculpting, or collage-making, as well as music workshops, dance lessons, or theatrical improvisation. Such activities promote collaboration, out-of-the-box thinking, imagination, and are also great ice-breakers. Communication Training These include activities focused on enhancing communication skills, leadership development, or improving crisis management. They help team members better understand each other, identify strengths, and improve weak points in team dynamics. Members also learn how to adapt communication to different personalities – as we know, everyone is different and may interpret things their own way. Teambuilding and coaching are essential for every healthy company that values employee satisfaction. These offsite activities are perfect for breaking routines, getting to know colleagues from other teams, and most importantly, building stronger relationships, communication, trust, and often unforgettable memories. News / 12. 07. 2023
How can I help myself feel better in today’s times?
Read the Interview of Our Colleague Martina Šarišská with Andrea Ristl from Heart to Business – Expert on Mental Health and Wellbeing Andrea Ristl is the author of an objective methodology for measuring stress and burnout based on heart rate variability (HRV). We have been collaborating with Andrea for several years, and thanks to her, we introduced this unique HRV measurement method to Slovakia. Andrea came to the topic of mental health, stress, and burnout prevention through personal experience. She was leading a team of 4,500 employees while also caring for three young children at home, trying to be the best mother possible. She worked 14 hours a day. Eventually, it took a toll on her—one day, she suddenly collapsed. She had no time to take care of herself, even though she understood the theory well, as she was providing training programs on burnout prevention to her employees. That moment of collapse pushed her to dive deeper into the topic, not just to help herself but others as well. She realized that if she, as a top manager and a mother, was unable to help herself and recognize the signals her body was sending, then many others must be struggling too. That’s when she started working with heart rate variability—a way to objectively measure stress levels. Instead of asking people how they feel, you aimed for objective measurement. How did that idea come about? “The foundation is knowing your current state—seeing how stress, lifestyle, and workstyle affect you, and how your body reacts. Our body is wise and capable of self-regulation, but we need to know where to start and how to trigger it. There are many options, but each person is unique, like a fingerprint. So, it’s essential to understand your baseline. And this is the best methodology you can use! Even if it might sound like a lack of trust in people’s ability to identify their own problems, it’s not. The goal is to give them something concrete and objective. For example, participants in our HRV measurements clearly see how encounters with colleagues or managers affect them. If they see that their internal tension is high, they can better identify and name their emotions. Once they realize they are truly exhausted or angry, they can understand what drained them and deal with it better. Awareness of specific factors leads to meaningful change—just knowing you’re tired isn’t enough.” Sometimes people don’t even know they have a problem. They believe it’s normal to feel tired. They don’t realize they might be one step away from burnout or another major issue. How can we recognize the signs? “When you feel tired, but not the usual kind—this is different. It’s a constant fatigue that surrounds you. For instance, if you’ve been struggling for a long time to get out of bed in the morning and lack motivation. If you feel like you don’t want to do anything, and it takes significant effort to complete tasks. If you find no meaning in your actions. Or if you spend your day ‘daydreaming’ or constantly feel like you have no energy. If you experience any of these symptoms, you should seek help—at least from friends or professionals, or through your organization.” What are the most common issues people bring to you as a mental health expert? “Most often, it’s the feeling of overload, exhaustion, and lack of energy. When people feel there’s nothing that motivates them anymore. That’s a result of ignoring the body’s signals. For example, chronic tension in the shoulders or migraines might be brushed off because they’ve become ‘normal’ over the years. But that’s false. These are warning signs from your body that you need to act—change your habits and implement new ways of functioning.” You mentioned you didn’t have migraines but collapsed from exhaustion. “That’s right. I fainted because my body couldn’t take it anymore. I’ve always had a lot of energy, but when it’s depleted, I collapse. I didn’t know how to interpret my body’s signals. One moment I was standing, the next I lost consciousness. No warning signs. My body just shut down. That’s why it’s critical to listen. Every morning, do a body scan—do you feel tingling, tension? Where is it? Around your mouth? In your shoulders? If you don’t bring awareness to it, you won’t feel it. Sit up straight, fix your posture. Realizing things is the first step toward success.” With certain changes, can all of this be fixed? What helped you restore your energy? “Through HRV measurement, I realized my sleep quality was very poor. Despite working long hours, I’d fall asleep instantly and sleep deeply. That was the issue. Our autonomic nervous system has a sympathetic and parasympathetic branch. The parasympathetic is responsible for rest and recovery. My parasympathetic activity was nearly zero, meaning no real recovery during sleep. I changed that. I stopped working at a specific hour each evening—everything, including us, follows rhythms. I respected my biorhythm. I’d read something I enjoyed, then do my bedtime routine. Going to sleep without mental clutter helped activate my parasympathetic system and improve my sleep. I also added short breathing exercises in the morning and throughout the day. These small steps brought my energy back—and I stopped fainting. Everyone has different symptoms, but none should be ignored.” You said you slept “like a rock.” Why was that bad? “Because I was still full of sympathetic energy. My mind and body were active. My clenched jaw, for instance, was physical proof that I was still ‘fighting.’ This blocked the parasympathetic system from activating. Good sleep requires low heart rate. If you’re tense or exhausted, your heart rate stays high, and your body doesn’t rest. That’s why HRV monitoring is so useful—it shows what’s happening at night when you’re not conscious.” So, the key is: know your sleep and improve its quality. “Exactly. Athletes know this—they train hard and then optimize sleep. That’s how they increase performance. We can do the same.” You also mentioned five-minute