Making Assessment Centers Work the Way They Are Supposed To

Despite more than 2 decades of research showing that assessment center ratings vary more by exercise than by dimension, Lance’s (2008) plea to refocus assessment centers on tasks rather than dimensions has gained little traction. Most practitioners (and many academics) have stubbornly resisted a task approach as a blind alley. That apparent contradiction inspired this commentary. The problem lies not just with the recommended action but with misguided approaches to assessment center research and practice. The problem areas include (a) questionable theory and models underlying the experimental tests, (b) misinterpretation and/or misuse of dimensions, (c) misunderstanding the practical uses of assessment centers, and (d) a simplistic and outdated view of assessment center design. Lance’s paper shines a light on these long-standing issues as he leads us to what seem on the surface to be logical conclusions and recommendations. What I hope to show is that the assumptions on which the evidence and logic rest are shaky and cannot support the recommendations. I then offer alternative recommendations for assessment center research and practice. ‘‘Traditional’’ Assessment Center Theory and Models