The group exercise, decoded: what the recruiters are scoring, from someone who sat on the other side of the table
-
#1 Ex Emirates, six years, and in my last two I helped at open days, sitting behind the recruiters during the group exercises with a scoring sheet. I cannot share the sheet. I can tell you what was on it in spirit, because candidates spend the whole exercise trying to be clever and the sheet does not have a box for clever.
What the boxes were, roughly
Contributes: did they speak, did they add something, was it relevant. Not how much. That they did, and that it helped.
Listens: did they respond to what someone else said, by name, building on it. This box is worth more than the first one and almost nobody knows it exists.
Includes: did they notice the quiet person and bring them in. One sentence does it: 'Maria, you have not said, what do you think.' That sentence scores.
Manages time: did anyone notice the clock. The group that runs out of time with no conclusion loses marks for everyone, and the person who said 'we have two minutes, let us decide' gains them.
Stays positive under disagreement: when two people disagreed, who made it worse and who made it work. The recruiter is watching the faces of the people not talking.
Presents: if there was a presentation, who volunteered, who supported, who hid. Hiding is noticed. Volunteering is not required.
What was not on the sheet
Being right. The task has no right answer and the recruiters do not care what the group decided. Being funny. Being the leader. Speaking the most. Having the best English. Being the most attractive, which candidates believe and which is not a box.
What got people cut
Silence for the whole exercise. Interrupting more than twice. Dismissing someone's idea with a face. Talking over the quiet person. Arguing after the group had decided. And, genuinely, looking at the recruiters instead of the group, which reads as performing.
The one thing
If you do nothing else: say someone's name and build on their idea, once, early. It fills two boxes and it changes how the group treats you for the rest of the exercise.
Questions welcome. I will answer what I can.
-
#2 This is the most useful post about the group exercise I have read in a year of reading them. The 'listens' box being worth more than 'contributes' explains exactly what I did wrong in July. Reapplying in January with someone's name in my mouth.
-
#3 Failed the Wizz group stage in spring for exactly the 'arguing after the group had decided' reason and got that feedback informally. Reading it here as a scoring box makes it concrete. October, with a different approach.
-
#4 Emirates crew, and I did not know about the sheet and I passed by accident by being the person who said 'we have two minutes'. It was not strategy. It was anxiety about the clock. It scored.
-
#5 @sophiedxb anxiety about the clock is a legitimate assessment strategy and I will not hear otherwise.
-
#6 Iberia Express assessment on Tuesday and I have written 'say a name, build on an idea, early' on my hand. Literally. Thank you.
-
#7 Cabin manager, and I have helped at easyJet days: the boxes are the same in spirit everywhere. Contribute, listen, include, manage time, stay pleasant. That is the job, in a room, in 20 minutes.