ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the Russian HR market and more specifically the application of Assessment Centre (AC) methodology. It examines some of the cultural features that are evident in the behaviour of participants attending ACs, particularly with regard to simulation exercises such as role plays and fact-finding exercises. The chapter includes a case study which provides a detailed description of how a Development Centre (DC) was implemented according to best practice principles and key role of line managers in this process. The use of ACs commenced in Russia less than 20 years ago, in the early 1990s, when western companies started opening their representative offices bringing with them the methods they used in their head offices in the US, the UK and Germany. The history of carrying out DCs in the Russian branch of Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA) is interesting as it can be used as a rare illustration of the way to derive the maximum benefit from such an activity.
