Fact-finding is a popular component of assessments . In this task, you get limited information about an issue and then have to find more facts to develop your view of the problem.
How does it work?
At the beginning of the fact-finding assignment, you, as the candidate, get limited information about the problem or situation. By asking your interlocutor the right questions, you then try to get more information on the topic so that you can develop your own vision of the issue. This often takes the form of a one-to-one conversation. Your interlocutor plays the role of the client or the suspect, who has more information.
What is observed?
The fact-finding exercise focuses on how you are trying to get information and whether you are focusing on the right questions. Based on the information at your disposal, you should be able to assess what else you want to know and what the important questions are. Thus, it is about being able to see which issues are relevant and then apply tactics to dig them out.
After the conversation, you should clarify your point of view based on the information you have gathered. How would you solve the problem and is the situation clear in your mind?
When is it used?
Fact-finding is used in particular when assessing candidates for positions in which officers have to question suspects, such as detectives or attorneys general, or in sectors where officers have to speak to clients frequently.
Review
Your attitude during the interview, the questions you ask, the connections you make based on the answers, and your advice after the interview are all taken into account in the review of the introductory job. They all give the assessor information about your analytical, social and communication skills, such as listening and influencing, as well as your determination and ability to assess.
Role plays and practical simulations are another frequently used component of assessment.
