Choosing The Right Assessors For Your Business
Having the right people in your business to carry out assessments is crucial in order to ensure consistency and fairness when assessing learners. As well as having the relevant industry experience, your Assessor should also be fully qualified and hold the Level 3 Certificate in Assessing Vocational Achievement. Alternatively, you could always provide them with the right Assessor training in order to support them and ensure they are best equipped to carry out their role.
Who Should Be Your Assessors?
When choosing an Assessor for your business (either promoting someone internally or hiring a person specifically for the role), here are a few questions to consider:
- If they are not already qualified, do they have the drive and motivation to complete the training required?
- Do they possess the right technical competence for your sector?
- Do they have the right soft skills and behaviours to handle assessments?
- Will they be able to give constructive criticism to learners in both a sensitive and diplomatic way?
- Will they be able to make assessment decisions that are not biased in any way?
If you have someone within your organisation who you feel would fit the criteria, you then need to work out how you are going to encourage them to take on the new Assessor role.
How To Get Buy-In
One of the main advantages of upskilling someone already within the business, to take on the role of an Assessor, is that they already know the business inside out. From how things are run on a daily basis, to the internal systems and procedures that need to be followed. It is often the most competent employees who fit the Assessor role. They will probably already have a very busy schedule.
It is therefore essential that you provide them with the support they need from the start. You should also have regular reviews to check in with them on a long-term basis. Assessors are generally more motivated if they understand the process, and know that they have support from management too. Here are a few ways you can ensure they receive the support they need:
- Put a comprehensive training programme in place.
- Ensure the member of staff has time within their schedule to carry out assessment planning.
- Ensure the paperwork and assessment process is straightforward and not too complex.
- Manage workload, expectations and deadlines to ensure they are clear from the start.
Implementing Training
The majority of assessment processes begin to fail when assessor training has not been completed correctly. This also needs to be followed up with verifier training to help with the standardisation process. Effective Assessor training should be broken down into three parts: assessment set up, assessment principles and working with people.
The first stage is all about explaining the roles and responsibilities the Assessor will have, the methods of assessment that will be used, and how the assessments will be recorded and reported. Stage two is about planning, gathering evidence from the learner and providing feedback. The final stage is working with candidates, as well as other Assessors to ensure consistent assessment.
If you would like any more information on how to train and support Assessors within your organisation, please get in touch on 01205 805155 and we will be more than happy to assist.
Steve is a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
He provides Educational Consultancy to the 19+ sector as well as being an Assessor, IQA, EPA and Digital Marketing Professional. When not doing any of these he finds time, every now and then, to write blogs and articles.
