The In-Basket Exercise and How to Use It

The In-Basket Exercise and How to Use ItThe In-Basket Exercise and How to Use ItIts a dog-eat-dog world out there and businesses advertising for help or that otherwise put out the word that theyre hiring can be inundated with applications. Many of them come from qualified applicants, making the decision as to who to hire particularly difficult. Enter the in-basket exercise. Its an activity (a tool, really) that can help potential employers gauge how well applicants perform job-related tasks within a certain period of time. Some exercises also test applicants prioritization skills. Theyre called in-basket exercises because employees used to have physical in-baskets on their desks where others would place assignments to be completed. Thats not always the case today, but most employees do have some method or procedure in place by which they can track their work assignments. When These Exercises Take Place In-basket exercises are usually administered when candidates come in for inter views. They complete the exercises immediately before or after the interview. The hiring manager uses information from the application materials, as well as from the interview and the exercise, to make a decision on which candidate will receive a job offer. Elements of the Exercise When managers want to test applicants prioritization skills, they may put more tasks in the exercise than can be completed within the given amount of time. Managers should tell applicants when this is the case. Otherwise, candidates might be leery about taking the job because they perceive the hiring manager has unrealistic expectations on how much work can realistically be completed on a certain schedule. fruchtwein applicants believe that theyre expected to complete the entire exercise within the assigned time period, and this is a reasonable assumption, particularly if theyve never faced in-basket exercises before. But the manager actually expects them to complete the most important tasks first, th en any others that can be tackled and completed within the allotted timeframe. Failing to inform the candidates they dont have to complete the entire exercise completely defeats the purpose of seeing how candidates prioritize the tasks within the exercise. Tips for Applicants Candidates should work quickly to complete in-basket exercises, but not so fast that they become sloppy. After all, employers are not just looking for speed but for competence as well.If they have time, candidates should read over their completed exercises before they turn them over to the hiring manager. Theres no advantage in finishing early if the work is sloppy, and theres no shame in taking the whole time to complete the jobs well. Some Examples of In-Basket Exercises A manager is hiring an administrative professional to assist her. She devises an in-basket exercise that includes editing a piece of written correspondence, completing a purchase requisition and filling out a travel voucher.The hiring process for a public information officer position might include an in-basket exercise which is comprised of writing a press release, responding to a reporters written questions and providing feedback on a draft brochure intended for the general public. If youre a potential employee, an in-basket exercise can be your opportunity to shine and show off your amazing skills. If youre an employer, it takes you a step beyond the written resume and the interview questions to help ensure that youre hiring the best person for the job.