What is an in-basket?

what is an online in-basket exercise?

An In-Basket is just like the job

For us, an in-basket is a “real life simulation”. Simulation is a rather general description. Examples of simulations: in baskets, online management exercises, SJT’s, role play etc. An in-basket is a more specific term: an exercise in an assessment center in which the participant handles a certain amount of email. For each mail or message, the participant has several options: facts to analyze, decisions to make, tasks to delegate.

An online in-basket is about decision making

The main question in any assessment center: Will this candidate get us the results we need? Therefore, decision making is the most important part of the in basket: several goals are to be achieved and each decision or action should add to the achievement of these goals.

An online in-basket is reliable

In our In Baskets, the participant decides on a large number of options, decisions, and actions. (In Lakeview (our basic in-basket) the maximum number of decisions is 160). These large numbers of options make the measurements of an in-basket very reliable. To get reliable and valid feedback on all candidates you need objective and standardized scoring. This is achieved in all our online in-baskets. Our online in baskets will get you the best objective feedback on assessment dimensions. The most important feedback in our in baskets: does the candidate get results?

An online in-basket is easy to use.

The paper-and-pencil in baskets in the old days were really time-consuming. Modern online in baskets are easily applied. They take less time to apply and the automated scoring is reliable and quick. A report is delivered in less than a minute.

Numbers and facts

An on-line in-basket takes between 1 and 1,5  hour in your assessment center. Lakeview takes 50 minutes and Utopia takes 90 minutes. Scoring and generating the report takes 15 seconds max. Then, a pdf is mailed to your address.
In-baskets are online and available for participants anywhere in the world. In baskets come in several languages. Our in basket Highlight is even available in Mandarin.

online in-basket exercise
examples at three
management levels