I applied online. I interviewed at British Airways (Londres, Inglaterra) in Feb 2015
Interview
Everyone who applied for the same role that day were picked up by 2 interviewers and every single one looked so friendly and smiley. They seemed like such a lovely bunch. When it was my turn I got picked up by two grumpy guys who looked so bored they didn't bother to smile or show any emotion. It wend downwards from there.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Pretty standard competency-based questions. Like which achievement are you most proud of, last time you solved a conflict at work, what are your weaknesses/strengths, who do you look up to, ..then a more 'consulting' question like...how many tires are sold in the UK in a year. You have to think out loud, they always wanted specific numbers.
I wouldn't say the interview was hard..questions were pretty common like you would expect from any other interview. I was just very nervous because of the rather unfriendly attitude of the interviewers. One even left out a sigh and shook his head while the other guy was interviewing me, and he started writing down his comments on my performance on a paper. I thought it was incredibly unprofessional and it made me feel even worse than I already felt.
I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at British Airways (Heathrow, England)
Interview
Online application, telephone interview, online tests, in-person assessment (case study and then a strengths interview). Easy application process up until in-person assessment and the interviewers were friendly.
However, the lady I met at the careers reception desk at Waterside was very rude and despite giving her accepted paperwork for ID verification etc. she said she could not accept it. Additionally no expenses are paid which is disappointing, even more so when they don't even bother to give feedback - given I took a whole day out to attend it does not take long for a quick email or follow-up call.
The case study element of the interview was challenging, mostly due to it taking a very different format to the majority of consultancies, professional services firms or even investment banks. A little note to advise candidates to brush up on Excel skills prior to the interview would have been nice, at least for candidates who tend to use other (and more complex) programmes to analyse data. It was a curveball that then set the tone for the rest of the process.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Estimate the number of tyres sold in a month in the UK
I applied online. I interviewed at British Airways
Interview
Interview process consists of online application for head office role. Salaries not mentioned in the job adverts, this is because form my understanding analyst salaries ranges are capped at around £35k - £37k. Then telephone interview. Telephone interview time slots are very few, and if you cannot attend even if you are out of the country there is no option to reschedule or pick a different date/time from those proposed. Following the telephone interview, within 2 weeks you are informed if you are invited to the assessment center in Heathrow. No travel expenses paid and also no option to choose convenient time for interview for candidate despite long journey to get there. Assessment center involved numerical/verbal tests (yes, even though this is not a graduate or intern role) , interview and case study/ presentation. Def recommend a jug of water and glasses being kept in the interview room.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Interview took place in one of the smallest interview rooms I have even seen, felt very squashed for me and the 2 interviewers sitting in this tiny room. Assesment day takes almost half a day. Also really hard in rush hour and expensive to get to Heathrow for an assessment that starts between 9am -10am. Interview questions, mostly on company, role, presentation, competency questions, competitors, etc. Ridiculous question was how many tyres are produced in the UK. Wondering if this is from a management consulting book by Boston Consulting Group or McKinsey on trick questions to ask candidates so the interviewer can see how candidate reacts to random questions ...to be perfectly honest, this actually gives the candidate a poor impression of the interviewer and company recruitment process.
Def recommend salaries need to go up for roles, e.g. 10% higher than the candidate's current salary should be offered. Also flexibility of interview dates and times should work both ways. Candidates also have lives, work schedules, holidays and family commitments. As well as travel expenses (at least upto £50) when the companies earn billions annually. Also assessment center needs to be modified for candidates with 5yrs experience or more to be a normal interview and presentation. Doing shl tests makes sense for graduate roles or newcomers, but seems so outdated for experienced professionals in this day and age.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at British Airways (Londres, Inglaterra)
Interview
Firstly a phone interview screening followed up by a face to face with a task and numerical and reasoning testing. Test result highly valued you need to pass a certain mark or you will not be accepted even if you ace the interview.