Virtual assessments: the value and the risks

In analysis with partner firms in the US, Hong Kong and Australia, we have previously estimated a 10-15% drop in the ability to assess interpersonal skills virtually. Put simply:

• People build rapport, open and close meetings differently when they are face-to-face in comparison to videoconferencing.
• Non-verbal cues are stunted as you can often only see from the shoulders upwards. 
• People are more likely to launch straight into the purpose of the ‘meeting’.

But, before you are alarmed, the magnitude of the drop depends on the extent to which: 

1. Participants are used to interacting virtually.
2. You are assessing interpersonal skills in your criteria.

Therefore, we expect this drop to be diminishing, and the playing field to be levelling, day-by-day in the current climate. We’d also encourage you to consider: 

• Are insights into how an individual builds rapport virtually important?
• How often will your participants need to build rapport virtually vs. in-person?

What are the risks and how can they be mitigated?

While some of these may be obvious, there are key risks to mitigate to ensure the process is as well-oiled as an in-person assessment: 

1. You are reliant on multiple technologies working together; the assessment platform, the video conferencing, WiFi. Get participants to do technical checks in the same location, with the same device, on the same application, before joining the assessment.
    
2. Participants are more distracted when they aren’t in a cooled, controlled meeting room. While we are now all used to dogs barking or deliveries arriving mid-meeting, they can affect assessment performance. Give the participant time and support if they encounter issues; we adopt a fair and reasonable approach.
    
3. Group exercises simply don’t work as well as in-person, especially if they are usually conducted in a larger group. Switch to smaller groups or remove them altogether. 
    
4. Participants don’t receive the same level of human touch. Replicate some elements of the in-person facilitation process. We have a neutral colleague start the centre before the assessors join to alleviate participant concerns and settle them into the process. They then check in several times throughout the day; the same way a facilitator would. 
    
5. Participants may be unclear on the process if they have never completed an assessment virtually before, causing nervousness. Take key steps to alleviate anxiety:
   
   - Make sure you assess the candidate in their time-zone.
   - Send out clear communications on what to expect, tips, and provide a way of asking questions beforehand.
   - If this is your organisation’s first foray into assessments, control the positioning and start small. Consider an approach with 360-degree feedback, light-touch psychometrics, and an interview. You can build up to a more comprehensive centre (time, budget and appetite willing) over time.
    
6. There are key cultural differences in how participants approach timing in assessment centres; some may expect more breaks and, as an assessor, you may dial into an empty chair while the participant has popped to grab a coffee. Ensure you are clear upfront about the timings of the day.