Fifty Years of Assessment Centres: A Retrospective and Prospective View

Assessment centres do work, predicting success in management very well; however, the inclusion of non‐ability characteristics would enrich assessment centre research. Moving into the personality/motivation area may require some special steps in staffing of assessment centres, with qualified psychologists used to interpret the results of personality tests. Where traits and motives are rated on the basis of behavioural simulations, assessors would need thorough training in this new area. Assessment centre practitioners are in the best position to contribute to a greater understanding of the psychology of occupational life since they study individuals thoroughly, and in the context of the total personality.