Assessment Centres - Talent

The Challenge

Prudential’s operations teams were underperforming. Central to this where First Line managers (FLM’s), whose roles had evolved significantly. Once highly technical, the role now required stronger interpersonal and performance management skills. Many FLM’s lacked the necessary experience and skills to execute well. To address this, Prudential needed a rigorous assessment process to evaluate all FLMs in Operations against updated management standards. The goal was to identify high-potential individuals while also recognising those who were unlikely to meet expectations even with support.

The Solution

Following a comprehensive job analysis, we designed and delivered a bespoke one-day assessment centre that was carefully aligned with the new FLM role requirements. Delivered in Reading and Scotland with assessors, actors and coaches. The process included:

• Two-day assessor training event prior to the assessment centres.
• A revised competency framework reflecting the updated expectations for FLMs.
• A one-day assessment centre comprising:
  • Four assessment exercises: group discussion, 1:1 with a team member, 1:1 with a stakeholder, and a team briefing.
  • Individual summary reports categorising each participant as:
    • Meeting or exceeding required standards.
    • Potential to meet standards with support.
    • Unlikely to meet standards, even with support.