Assessment centres can be tough because they stack several demands together.
Group activity. Written task. Interview. Waiting. Timed exercise. New environment. Multiple assessors.
For some candidates, the problem is not one task. It is the load of the whole day.
Adjustments that may help
Depending on your barrier, you might ask for:
- schedule in advance
- clear explanation of each activity
- breaks between tasks
- extra time
- written instructions
- reduced sensory environment
- alternative to group discussion
- smaller group
- accessible room
- assistive technology
- online or separate assessment format.
Group tasks
Group tasks can disadvantage people with anxiety, hearing impairment, speech disability, autism, ADHD or sensory processing barriers.
If group participation is not an inherent requirement of the role, an alternative assessment may be worth discussing.
If group work is relevant, adjustments might still help, such as clear rules, written instructions, smaller group size or structured turn-taking.
What to ask
> I am requesting recruitment adjustments for the assessment centre. Please provide the schedule and activity instructions in advance. I would also like breaks between assessment tasks and written instructions for each activity.
Start with the load points.
That is usually where assessment centres become unfair.
Useful next steps
If this topic is relevant to your application, these related Team 3Thirty guides are the best places to go next:
Useful resources
These official resources are worth checking if you need the source guidance behind the adjustment examples: