Students' Speak: Parameters considered for assessment during GD
By: Arun S
The real case assessment of a Group Discussion is different from the common perception that it is only about the topic given at the time. Arun talks about the parameters that are assessed in a Group Discussion.
Group discussion, most of the time being an initial round in any selection process, is conducted in order to assess team interaction and coordination skills of individuals. People often think that a group discussion is only about how well we know about the topic given but the real case of assessment is slightly different. Here are four mostly used parameters that will be assessed in a group discussion.
- 1. Communication Skills
- 2. Team Management Skills
- 3. Topic Awareness
- 4. Listening Skills
1. Communication Skills
This one of the most important parameters. It is not just about having a good language or an accent but also how well you transfer your views and opinions on the topic to all the members of the group in such a way that everyone will understand.
2. Team Management Skills
In most of the GDs, this parameter will be the most weighted assessment criteria and it will contribute to almost 50% of your total assessment grading. This is because the core objective of group discussion is to understand how well you respond in a team environment. As participants, you need to give utmost care to excel in this criterion by coordinating with the team opinions, sticking to the role and by not solely dominating the discussion.
3. Topic Awareness
Another important assessment parameter is the awareness of an individual on the topic given. This criterion will be having A high contribution to your total assessment grade of GD if the topic is of current affairs. All the recruiters or the selection panel will expect a good knowledge of current affairs and therefore, try to be a master of current affairs. One simple and most widely said tip to improve is to read newspapers regularly. Supporting your content with data is an added advantage and can impact your overall grades without any doubt.
4. Listening Skills
Assessment does not restrict in the points that you put forward in a group discussion but will extend to the degree of importance you give to your group members. Therefore, noting down points when others are speaking is a great way to show that you are listening and how serious you are on the discussion. This will also be useful for concluding the discussion in case the evaluator asks everyone to conclude the discussion individually.
The distribution of grading for each parameter can be different depending on the selectors or assessors. A model distribution can be 40% to 50% for Team Management skills, 15% to 20% for Communication Skills, 20% to 30% for Topic Awareness and 10% to 15% for listening and concluding the discussion. However, this is not an ideal model as such and the percentage can vary. Some evaluators can also use different parameters to assess the group discussion which they think is important for the particular role they are hiring for.
About the Author:
Arun S, an MBA - Healthcare Management student at Manipal Institute of Management, interested in Marketing & Business Strategy predominantly in Healthcare sector.
