NCJ Number
194858
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 69 Issue: 4 Dated: April 2002 Pages: 35,37-39,40
Date Published
2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article evaluates the assessment center as a personnel selection method.
Abstract
The assessment center method is straightforward, it is based on common sense, and it can be applied in almost any employment context. By 1941 it had become obvious that traditional selection criteria (education, written tests, interviews, and background investigations) for officer positions were not working for the British and American military. There were alarming failure rates among officer cadet training units; failure was also reflected in the number of officers who had mental breakdowns. After World War II, military and government officials seemed to lose interest in the assessment center, except for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency and the British Civil Service. The concept generated more interest in the private sector, where employers were dissatisfied with traditional personnel selection methods. The article claims that the most promising opportunities in police personnel selection lie in systematic behavior-based assessments as described in the assessment center method. The article describes the assessment center as “one of the best methods available for selecting suitable candidates for either employment or advancement in law enforcement agencies.” Notes