The candidate is placed in the role of District Manager for a national home improvement chain.

As District Manager, the candidate must provide leadership to store managers and manage district-wide planning and forecasting. Throughout the four-hour Assessment Centre, the candidate faces various challenges to ensure the success of the simulated scenario of stores in the district. Challenges are presented as In-Basket items, as well as interactive role-plays.

The challenges include:
•   actioning New Business Opportunities;
•   dealing with Employee Conflict;
•   Employee and Team Performance Management, Coaching and Development;
•   Crisis Management;
•   Employee Training Issues;
•   Staffing;
•   promoting Culture Change; and
•   handling Customer-Service difficulties.

Role-plays

•   Coaching Discussion: coaching a direct report about a strategic initiative
•   Presentation: presenting an organisational analysis to his / her manager
•   Customer Interaction: handling a customer complaint
•   Conflict Handling: managing conflict between two key business areas
•   Crisis Handling: resolving a region-wide crisis through collaboration with peers
•   Strategic Partnership: developing a strategic partnership with another business.