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Been to an assessment centre? Let us know where, and what happened….

While we wait to hear back from you, here’s what we’re hearing about where assessment centre attendees (around one third of whom are typically offered places) have been coming unstuck.

Inappropriate outfits. Julia Barber, director of graduate recruitment at The Cornell Partnership, which recruits for ING and Lazard, says someone this year turned up in skinny jeans and a fur jacket, another arrived in a new suit with the labels still on, and someone else turned up with their cuffs stapled together. “I have seen red G-strings outside tight trousers on ladies, earrings in noses, several other body piercings, and long hair tied in ponytails (on men),” recalls another recruiter.

Inappropriate behaviour. Brian Hood, head of graduate recruitment at Citi, says he attended an assessment centre at which a candidate sat next to the head of a business area during the pre-assessment dinner. The candidate’s mobile rang and he proceeded to chat on it throughout the meal. Another recruiter describes far worse horrors: “In my time, I have witnessed candidates throwing up in briefcases and handbags (not their own), becoming over-amorous with employees of the firm, and even inviting them for a night cap at their luxury five-star accommodation (provided by us to enable them to attend the assessment centre dinner!).”

Overbearing behaviour. “We were running a treasure hunt group exercise in which two teams of six students were competing against each other to win,” recalls one banking graduate recruiter.

She goes on: “The idea was to observe team skills, competitiveness, leadership skills, and the ability to collaborate to deliver results under pressure. One candidate was loud and over-confident. He said he’d done the same exercise at a competitor and knew exactly what was required. He boldly gave instructions and assigned tasks (making himself team leader). Team 2, meanwhile, got on well and had gelled together – they had sussed out what was expected of them, had divided themselves into sub-groups, and were systematically working through the task. After 20 minutes, Team 1 finally plucked up the courage to overrule their dictatorial leader, by which time it was too late. I noticed early on that a quiet member of the group had worked out the solution to the quiz and was repeatedly suggesting the correct approach. Despite this, everyone in Team 1 was rejected – there were plenty of candidates there who had potential, but the fact that they were unable to overrule the leader (who was clearly a reject from the outset) meant they blew their chances too.”

Political incorrectness. “We run an exercise where people are asked to choose candidates for a desert island and it’s surprising how often they choose all men,” says Barber.

On the other hand, political correctness can run amok – another recruiter recalls one candidate who informed the bank in advance that he was an orthodox Jew, and would therefore need to be home before dark and eat specially prepared food. When he was rejected (for unrelated reasons) he attempted to sue for racial discrimination.

Lateness. Susan Couper, head of graduate recruitment for Dresdner Kleinwort, says candidates often turn up over 30 minutes late, and on more than one occasion have started crying because they can't be assessed.

Tears. Another recruiter says crying is normal once candidates learn they’ve been rejected. “I have had many candidates who have literally broken down and sobbed, clung on to me and begged to be given another chance. Whilst I appreciate that it is tough and can be emotionally difficult, it is really not a good idea to become this upset,” she says. “I always tell candidates who are rejected at final stage that they have in fact succeeded. The statistics speak for themselves, and to get to final round in any blue-chip firm you are very good and you will get a graduate placement.”

Parental intervention. Couper says the parents of one candidate called for feedback on their progeny’s progress – not a great look if you’re trying to create the impression that you’re a grown adult capable of holding down a job.

Stage performance. “During a panel interview at the assessment centre with myself and the director of investment banking, a candidate was asked to give an example of entrepreneurialism,” says one recruiter. “He had a good example of a wellbeing package that he had sold in the shopping malls of Beijing. He said that he attracted customers by singing with a microphone on a pedestal. Mistake number one – he stood on a chair and sang his melody to us. Mistake number two – he said that his success came from attracting customers like me (female in my late 30s) who, to quote him, “should look a lot older than they actually are. It was like an interview for the X Factor.”

Stage fright. While it’s wrong to shout everyone down in the group exercise, it’s also not a great idea to sit there in silence. “Some people sit in the group discussion and say absolutely nothing,” says Esther Oxenbury, head of graduate recruitment at JPMorgan. “It’s simply not possible to form an opinion of them.”

Have you attended an assessment centre at an investment bank? We’re looking for information on group exercises, presentations, in-tray exercises, interviews, tests and other candidates – on a bank by bank basis...