SHLs assessment centres help select top graduates at P&O Nedlloyd

P&O Nedlloyd, a provider of container shipping services, used assessment centres from SHL, provider in objective assessment, to select the best graduates for its highly regarded, five year-long graduate training scheme. Hundreds of candidates apply for the scheme each year, but only three are selected.



The role of container shipping manager is very demanding and only the most motivated, well-prepared people can cope with the stress and uncertainty of the position. They need to be flexible enough to change their location, moving around the Globe whenever needed, and to respond to all demands of the role in a professional and timely manner. That is why, to pick future leaders, P&O Nedlloyd likes to hire only the best graduates and submit them to a very challenging five years scheme - the Management Potential Programme.

As part of an objective process designed to ensure that only the top graduates most likely to succeed are selected, P&O Nedlloyd asked SHL to design an assessment centre to support the final decision. P&O Nedlloyd Global Development Manager, Peter Oí Riley, commented: I felt SHL was the company which best understood our needs. While other companies were trying to convince us to adopt their largely ready-made solutions, SHL arrived with a íclean sheetí ready to co-develop a personalised solution from our needs.

This year, over 300 candidates submitted their CVís to join this graduates scheme. After the initial sifting, ten of these candidates were invited to the SHL assessment centre. I was impressed with SHLís organisation, especially with its flexibility. SHLís team was able to fit in with our arrangements, no matter how demanding. Also, they were able to meet our time table and set up the whole process very quickly, Oí Riley continued.

After all the exercises, which included personality and motivational questionnaires and simulation exercises, three finalists were singled out and suggested for a final interview. Oí Riley added: Now we have a better-grounded opinion on each candidateís suitability. The performance of the candidates on the assessment centre is really reassuring and it is good to know that, when needed, they will be able to deliver.

Mike Tims, commercial director of SHLís UK assessment business, concluded: By using assessment centres, P&O Nedlloyd is gaining a broader view on each graduateís capability and potential. Normal interviews are naturally biased by the interviewersí unavoidable subjectivity. However, by looking at how the candidates act and react íon-the-groundí, the company gains objective insight that helps to select the right applicants and make sure they will deliver even when facing the most demanding situations.