Development Centres
 Development centres are focused primarily on the identification of potential and training and development needs. They typically consist of a series of activities that have been designed to stretch the participants, but at the same time give them the opportunity to demonstrate behaviours, which are important to the organisation. As part of the process they will receive feedback, either from trained observers, or other participants on the centre. They will be given time and opportunity to reflect on their own performance and consider their own development needs.
Over the years development centres have evolved and the format used will depend on the purpose of the development centre.
A “pure” development centre has no organisational goals, it is entirely for the benefit of the individual with the focus on skills or competency development, with feedback during rather than after the centre and often includes a learning element with a coaching relationship with the observers.
Some organisations prefer to offer development centres where the organisation has an objective as well as the individual. Career, development centres provide the individual with the opportunity to review their own strengths and development needs against a particular level or role e.g. managerial level or project management role. This enables individuals to know which areas they need to develop if they are to achieve progression within the organisation. The organisation is able to ensure that a number of staff are consciously developing themselves in the competencies that will be needed by the organisation. This helps to secure the future, with staff with potential for promotion, with or without the formality of a structured succession plan.
Development centres can be seen as the opposite end of the continuum to assessment centres. There is no yes/no decision with development centres. Instead they are designed to increase individuals self-awareness, so that the individual can make choices about where they see their future and what areas they want to develop. Development Centres are likely to be longer than assessment centres and involve feedback and development activities either during or at the end of the centre. Ownership of the data usually rests with the individual rather than the organisation.
Our Approach
The Consultants at Corinium HR Management Ltd have a wealth of experience in the design and facilitation of Development Centres, across a range of industry sectors and levels.
Our Consultants are highly trained in Development Centre design and facilitation, including the use of psychometric material, feedback, and development planning.
Benefits of Development Centres
Development Centres have many benefits both for the individual and the organisation. Among them are:
- The competencies used in the development centre gives a clear message to participants about what behaviours the organisation values.
- Individuals can take ownership of their own development and ensure it is focused on key areas
- Individuals understand what they need to do in order to be ready for promotion/advancement within the organisation
- By receiving feedback and acting upon it, individual performance and therefore contribution to the organisation will improve.
- Provides the opportunity to identify talent across an organisation
Examples of Development Centre
A financial services company introduced a new behavioural competency framework. Staff who wanted to develop their careers within the organisation were invited to attend a 3-day development centre. Prior to the centre participants discussed their objectives in attending the centre with their line manager and also discussed areas that their manager felt they needed to focus on. During the centre participants underwent a mixture of observed activities, psychometrics, peer and observer feedback, as well as self-analysis and reflection. They utilised this information to identify their strengths and development needs. From this they were able to start planning their development focused to the competencies, or behaviours, that were felt to be critical to success, by the organisation. After the development centre each participant received detailed one to one feedback from an observer. The participant then used this feedback to produce their development plan and discuss their development needs with their manager.
As a result of running these development centres, the organisation has found that the competencies have become embedded within the organisation and staff have focussed on improving performance in the competencies.
If you would like to talk to anyone about how Development Centers or any of our other services can help your business and HR objectives, please contact us.
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