Assessment Centre

If your application progresses to the Assessment Centre stage, you will receive a call from a HOBAN consultant to invite you to attend the Assessment Centre and provide you with information about the day.

You will then receive a confirmation email providing comprehensive details including confirmation of the date and location of the Assessment Centre. These sessions are usually held at HOBAN Recruitment’s offices in Melbourne.

If you are unable to attend please notify HOBAN Recruitment via return email or by calling 1300 304 128 as soon as possible.

What is involved?

The Assessment Centre stage consists of individual and group exercises designed to allow you to demonstrate the skills, attributes and behaviours specifically related to the Community Corrections Officer role. Assessment Centres are an objective method of assessing candidates and provide you with multiple opportunities to demonstrate your fit for the role.

Each assessment is designed to find out either how you relate to and work with others or how you would cope with the tasks and demands of the Community Corrections Officer role. You will be measured individually against a predefined set of criteria for each activity and not against any other participant.

The assessment will take approximately 4.5 hours and includes -

What to bring?

You will need to bring the following to the Assessment Centre:

  • Photo identification
  • Proof of Australian/New Zealand Citizenship/Permanent Residency or applicable visa

Tips

  • Dress appropriately and professionally
  • Arrive 10 minutes early
  • Make sure you have the appropriate documentation
  • Make sure you allow enough time to participate in the Assessment Centre (for example, consider parking restrictions)
  • Be yourself and answer the questions or perform the tasks as you would in a work environment
  • Don’t give up if you feel you have performed badly on an exercise. It is a long process, so you have multiple opportunities to show that you are a good fit for the role
  • Advise HOBAN Recruitment beforehand if you require any special provisions

Group Exercise

In the Group Exercise, you will be provided with a fictitious scenario that will require a group discussion.As a group, you will be provided with appropriate documentation which will outline the objective, the task and the desired outcome of the exercise. The exercise will be structured and timed.

Tips

  • Be aware that you are being assessed on your contribution – this does not mean the loudest are the most competent
  • You are also being assessed on the way you interact with and relate to others in the group – remember to be respectful of other participants
  • Familiarise yourself with the skills, attributes and behaviours being assessed to get a better understanding of how you will be assessed
  • Be yourself, not who you think assessors are looking for.

Individual Interview

This is a 30-minute behavioural-based panel interview. HOBAN Recruitment and Corrections Victoria representatives will conduct the interview process.

Behavioural-based interview methodology suggests that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour so this is what we use in this process.

The interviewer will want specific examples of when and how you have demonstrated particular skills or behaviours in the workplace.

Tips

You will need to think of one or more specific examples which demonstrate the identified job-related skills, attributes and behaviours. For each example that you give, it is helpful to consider the STAR method:

  • Situation – what was the situation (background and context)?
  • Task – what specific task did you need to accomplish?
  • Action – what specifically did you say and do? What actions did you take?
  • Result – what was the result of your actions (impact, learning)?

Your HOBAN Recruitment interviewer will guide you through this method, asking probing questions that will help you to provide detailed examples.

Example Behavioural Questions

  1. Provide a specific example of a time you set a goal and were able to meet or achieve it. Describe the situation. What was the goal that you set? How did you ensure you met/achieved the goal? What were your considerations? What was the outcome of the situation?
  2. Tell me about a recent situation when you had to deal with an upset co-worker or customer. Describe the situation. How did you deal with this person? What did you do? What was the outcome of the situation?

Work Sample Activity

For this assessment, you will be required to undertake a 30-minute work sample exercise. You will be provided with a fictitious scenario based on a situation that may occur within a Community Corrections environment.

It could involve prioritising, drafting replies, writing memos and emails, delegating work and recommending a course of action, all of which is based on the details given to you. This exercise allows you to demonstrate your planning and organisation skills.

Work Sample exercises not only assess your thinking and planning abilities, but also your ability to work quickly and act decisively under pressure. You are given the facts about a sensitive issue and have to analyse the information and express your views in a clear and professional way within a set time frame. The emphasis is on whether you can select the right facts and arguments, and present them effectively.

There is no obvious ‘right’ answer, as long as your response is clear and concise, there is logic to your report and you demonstrate your awareness of the issues involved. While the decisions you make are important, how you present your case will greatly affect your performance.

Tips:

  • It is important to work with “quiet urgency”. Spend a few moments at the beginning to read all the information carefully, set priorities and then act
  • For this type of exercise you might want to think about how you deal best with tight deadlines and use the same process
  • Don’t panic – the assessors are not looking for perfection, just the right level of potential
  • Don’t be tempted to start writing immediately. Only write when you have worked out an outline of what you want to say
  • Follow the instructions. Don’t give way to the impulse to race ahead, without being absolutely clear what it is you are being asked to do
  • Stick to your brief. For example, if you have to say ‘no’ to a customer, make sure you do just that. So as well as being sympathetic, you may have to be firm
  • Think about how you are presenting your information, paying particular attention to formatting where time permits.

Please note: if your application does not meet the pre-determined benchmark at the Assessment Centre, you will be required to wait a period of 6 months before submitting a new application.

Please contact the HOBAN Recruitment and Projects Team if you have any concerns or would like to discuss this further.
1300 304 128 or projecte@hoban.com.au