I applied online. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at HSBC (Londres, Inglaterra) in Jan 2012
Interview
Standard online form, followed by invite to numerical test. Phone interview mainly competency based, but also some questions about what was going on in the industry. Waited more than 2 months for invitation to the assessment centre. The AC starts with a numerical which you have to pass to progress to the next stage of the AC (interviews). There are 3 interviews and one presentation to give. The presentation preparation is pretty pressured as you aren't given enough time. Make sure to justify your reasoning in the presentation as they are looking for analytical skills.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Who is the CEO of HSBC?
Who do you admire most in the financial industry?