Dangerously invasive or needless worry

    Organizational Development

    Dangerously invasive or needless worry
    by Lillian, 3/23/99

    I wonder if you can help with a potentially difficult scenario we are facing with regard to assessment centres.

    We have set up a quite hi-stress assessment centre where the individuals are put through a series of structured exercises which are designed to see how they behave in a stressed state.

    The day is preceded by an "informal" evening, where of course the candidates are also being observed.

    Both days are precided over by a qualified psychologist.

    The issue is this. During one such assessment centre, in the informal evening session, the presiding psychologist was observed to use a relatively invasive questioning and probing technique on one of the candidates. The candidate himself recovered well and made no issue.

    I observed this technique being used in what I considered an unstructured and non-consenting forum. I feel we got lucky that the guy shrugged it off and that we exposed ourselved as an organisation to various problems of undue emotional distress etc. I know there have been cases fought and won over motivation techniques and other psychological techniques deployed without due care in the workplace.

    Difficult to argue the case with my management team. Their argument is "You come on an assessment centre, you know you are going to be put under pressure." My argument "A qualified psychologist should not deploy his/her expertise without explicit consent"

    The answer on the surface seems quite simple. In the letter state "Do realise you will be stressed and tested by our team including qualified psychologists, from the moment you arrive. I you do not consent to this, contact us to make alternative arrangement"

    However, I also know that disclaimers such as that do not always hold up in court.

    My question...am I unduly concerned and being oversensitive or is my concern valid. If it is the latter I would be VERY much obliged if you could point me in the direction of some supporting materials to make my case with my management team.
      • Values and Ethics Resources by Charlie Seashore, 3/29/99
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