Targeted Simulations

Targeted Simulations are structured, timed exercises (30 minutes or less) that simulate relevant job situations and challenges, designed to be administered as part of the interview process during the interview close.

Targeted Simulations can be administered and evaluated by one interviewer. They:

• Allow the interviewer to observe candidates performing in situations they might encounter on the job. 
• Give candidates a chance to demonstrate skills they have developed but haven’t had the opportunity to apply in job situations (e.g., recent college graduates, a person seeking a position in a new field, etc.)

Targeted Simulations are appropriate when: You are dealing with dimensions that are difficult to evaluate in an interview. By observing a candidate’s level of skill in Formal Presentation, you will gain valuable information about his or her ability in this dimension. You want to supplement the information you’ve gathered on critical dimensions. For key dimensions most critical to the target job, you might want to supplement interview data with information uncovered in simulations. For example, candidates seeking sales positions could participate in a sales call simulation, and candidates seeking leadership positions could participate in a team member interaction exercise.

A candidate has limited job experience. When interviewing candidates with limited job experience (for example, recent college graduates), it can be difficult to obtain meaningful, job-related data. Simulations give candidates a chance to demonstrate skills they have developed but haven’t had the opportunity to exercise in job-related situations (for example, decision making, sales ability, planning and organizing, etc.). A candidate is seeking a position in a new field. The challenge you face in interviewing a person changing careers is that the candidate’s experience and skills might be different from those required in the target job (for example, an engineer applying for a sales position or a production team member applying for a leadership position).

Note: A simulation does not necessarily need to apply to total job performance (for example, many areas of a salesperson’s job do not directly relate to selling). Simulations must be used consistently for all candidates. For example, using a simulation only when time permits or only when you want to gather additional information about a particular candidate is illegal.