Secure a hire
Filling an executive role in a federal or cantonal organisation: traceable criteria, documented procedures and a decision that can withstand a challenge procedure.
Assessment · in the canton of Bern
Assessment in the canton of Bern
Objectify a personnel decision when committees also decide and the role is publicly advertised.
Working in the canton of Bern
The canton of Bern lives on the federal administration, healthcare, telecommunications and precision industry. German dominates in the city of Bern and the Seeland, French in the Jura and Biel/Bienne. Executives here move between political processes, long decision paths and bilingual teams.
Most common working languages in the canton of Bern: German and French.
Assessment in the canton of Bern: what we secure
Clarify a promotion or internal move
Assessing a manager in a bilingual team that speaks French and German between Bern and the Jura.
Build a development plan
Preparing internal succession in a hospital, a university or an industrial firm where few candidates are available.
Assessment Bern: where we intervene
We work in the cities below and cover the whole canton of Bern.
Assessment in other cantons
The same support, adapted to each canton's economic fabric.
Assessment Bern: why choose SHR
An Assessment Bern run by SHR serves a decision first: hiring, promotion, succession or a development plan. Every Assessment Bern is built from the actual role, your culture and the local business context, not from a standard test battery.
Our Assessment Bern combines a structured interview, role-close exercises and, where relevant, validated psychometric questionnaires, so each competency is observed from several angles and the conclusions of the Assessment Bern are sturdier than a single interview.
Organisations that commission an Assessment Bern receive a reasoned report, a debrief for the decision-maker and individual feedback for the person assessed. A well-run Assessment Bern leaves something useful whatever the outcome.
The Assessment Bern can take place on your premises, at a neutral local venue or partly online. To organise an Assessment Bern, simply describe the role and timing and we will propose a suitable design.
How an SHR assessment works — Assessment Bern
A serious assessment does not start with a test but with a question: which decision is it meant to inform? Hiring, promotion, succession and development reviews call for different exercises and different reports, so every design starts from the actual role.
- 01
Role definition
A conversation with leadership and HR to turn the role into four to six observable competencies, with examples of expected behaviour in your context rather than a generic framework.
- 02
Method selection
Structured interviews on real past situations, work-sample exercises close to the role (in-tray, difficult conversation, board presentation) and, where justified, validated psychometric questionnaires. Each competency is observed through at least two methods.
- 03
Assessment day
Candidates are told how the day runs and how results will be used. Observations are rated independently, then compared in an integration session to limit halo effects and first-impression bias.
- 04
Feedback
A written report and a debrief with the decision-maker, followed by individual feedback to the person assessed, who leaves with concrete development points whatever the decision.
What you receive
- A competency profile backed by observed behaviour, not impressions
- Strengths to build on and risks to watch in the first six months
- An explicit recommendation and its conditions
- A development plan ready for onboarding or coaching
What an assessment does not do
It does not predict the future with certainty and does not replace your judgement: it reduces uncertainty on specific competencies. Nor is it a way to justify a decision already taken — if that is the request, we will say so in the first conversation.
Standards we rely on
Our designs follow international guidelines on assessment centres and test use: role-based competencies, multiple methods, trained assessors and informed candidates. Recent research on predictive validity confirms that structured interviews and work-sample exercises are among the most reliable methods. Personal data is handled under Switzerland’s revised Federal Act on Data Protection, in force since 1 September 2023.
- International Taskforce on Assessment Center Guidelines (2015). Guidelines and ethical considerations for assessment center operations. Journal of Management, 41(4), 1244–1273.
- International Test Commission (2001). International Guidelines for Test Use. International Journal of Testing, 1(2), 93–114.
- Sackett, P. R., Zhang, C., Berry, C. M., & Lievens, F. (2022). Revisiting meta-analytic estimates of validity in personnel selection. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(11), 2040–2068.
Frequently asked questions — assessment in the canton of Bern
Are bilingual assessments possible in the canton of Bern?
Yes. We run sessions in German, in French or alternating between the two, and can provide documentation in both languages.
Do you work to public administration requirements?
Yes. We follow the requirements of public bodies: equal treatment, traceable criteria, confidentiality and documented feedback.
How long does an assessment in the canton of Bern take?
Half a day to a full day of observation depending on the level of responsibility, then analysis and feedback. The written report is delivered within about a week.
In which languages is an assessment run in the canton of Bern?
In your team's working language: German and French are the most common in the canton of Bern. Italian is available on request.
A personnel decision to objectify in the canton of Bern?
Describe the situation in a few lines: we call you back to frame the request and propose a method suited to it.
SHR — Swiss Human Resources — Esplanade de Pont-Rouge 9A, 1212 Lancy (Genève), Suisse · Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm.