Interviews and
selection centres
Laura Newman and Sara Boyle
Agenda
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The recruitment process
Preparation
Activity One
The BT Competencies
Activity Two
Interviews and Assessment Centres
Activity Three
Hints and tips
Questions and Answers
The recruitment process
CV and
Application
Form
Self-Selection
Tool
Standard online
application system.
Interview and
Testing
Assessment
Centre
A mix of online
psychometric tests and
telephone interviews.
A mix of capability
interviews, role play
scenarios and paper
based tests.
Your career
starts here
Preparation
Know the
organisation
Know
yourself
Activity One - Knowing the company
• In pairs:
– List 5 products or services that your potential employer provide.
– Now describe them – does your partner understand your description?
What do BT provide?
• Technology consumables
• Phone book
• 21CN
• VOIP
• Business process consultancy
• Information management
• Networked IT service provider
• Government policy advisor
• Software development and deployment
• Future technology development
• Core and emergency communication
network
• Broadcast / On Demand TV
• Media and Broadcast Solutions
• Sub-sea cables
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Manage historic and cultural land marks
BT Community Connections
BT Education Programme
BT Satellite Services
BT Yahoo internet
Connected Earth Museums
CRM & Contact Centres
Security and Compliance consultancy
Identity Management
Operational Risk Management
Applications Management and Hosting
Carbon Impact assessment – Sustainable
practices.
Network Design
Wholesale access
What employers are looking for throughout the process
BT Competencies
Activity Two – can you relate?
• In pairs:
– Think of an example of something you’ve
achieved and relate it to the BT values.
Trustworthy- do what you say they will
Helpful - work as part of a team and contribute to the success of others
Inspiring - create a compelling vision and help customers to realise new possibilities
Straightforward - exercise common sense and judgement in pursuit of clear objectives
Heart - passionate and confident about implementing our strategy, mobilising and energising people, acting as role models.
Preparing for the day:
Assessment centre activities
Interviews
In-tray
exercises
Group
exercise
Role play
Case Study
Psychometric
tests
Business case study
What?
The case study will often consist of information about a company, how well it is
doing, its competition, what it’s challenges are, its values, it’s finances etc.
You will then be asked to answer a series of questions using the content provided.
Why?
To assess your:
Analytical skills and written communication
Ability to process lots of information and identify the key detail
Ability to be innovative
Ability to cope with time and pressure
Hints & Tips?
Keep an eye on the time
Highlight the important information
Make sure you answer the question asked
Be clear and concise
Answer as much as possible, even if it involves bullet pointing
Make sure your handwriting is legible!
What?
Group exercise
•Placed in a group with other candidates
•Asked to solve a problem / organise an event / recommend a solution
•Often required to meet certain objectives
•Likely to be advised not to select a leader/chairperson
Why?
To assess your:
•Ability to communicate with others
•Ability to solve a problems in a team
•Ability to influence others
•Ability to recognise good ideas and arguments
•Interpersonal skills
Hints & Tips?
•Recognise the contribution of others and invite people into the discussion
•If you volunteer to time keep/scribe don’t forget to continue to contribute to the
conversation
•Keep focused on the objectives of the task
Presentation
What?
5 / 10 minute presentation to two or more managers
20 – 30 minutes preparation time
Could be on a topic that you have chosen or a business scenario
Q&A by the panel
Why?
To judge whether you are a professional individual
Ability to research a topic
Ability to convey a topic to an audience with little prior knowledge
Hints & Tips?
Be aware of your body language
Prepare thoroughly
Be prepared for questions
Ensure you talk at a steady pace
If you use slides don’t cram them full of text!
Role play
What?
•Often involves discussing an issue/challenge with somebody acting as a
peer or manager
Why?
To assess your:
•Ability to work with others
•Ability to deal with resistance/conflict
•Interpersonal skills
•Ability to think and react quickly
Hints & Tips?
•Concentrate on the key messages you want to get across
•Support your suggestions with evidence from the brief
•Listen carefully to the other person’s responses
•Remain calm – pause to collect your thoughts if you need to
Assessment Centre – Top Tips!
Travel
Effort
Exercises
Time
Prepare
Professional
Be yourself
Feedback
Face to Face Interview
Format
First
Impressions
Preparation
Appearance
The Interview
Why have you applied to us?
• Demonstrate that you are serious about the organisation
Capability questions
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How have you dealt with a difficult situation
When have you had to take on additional responsibility
When have you had to achieve a difficult task or goal
When have you had to challenge unacceptable behaviour
What do you think you can bring to the
role/organisation?
TASK
What was the task? When
was it? How did it come
about?
SITUATION
Set the scene. Briefly! Don’t
waste word count
STAR
Situation
Task
Action
Result
ACTION
What did you do? Most
importantly, why?
RESULT
Did you achieve your
objectives? What was your
learning?
Activity Three – Interviews, are you prepared?
• In pairs:
– 15 minutes each
– Answer the questions on the next slide
– Interviewee - Remember we are looking for specifics
– Interviewee – Remember to answer the question
– Interviewer – think about what feedback you can give
afterwards – how clear were the answers, how articulate
was your partner
Activity Three – Sample Competency based interviews
Q1: Inspiring is about thinking creatively
to change things for the better. Think
about a time when you challenged
existing thinking. What was your role?
What was the setting?
Q2: BT puts customers at the heart of
everything it does. A customer is anyone
we do work for. Think of a time when
you were involved with one or more
‘customers’. In particular, think back to a
time when you had a difficult situation
with a customer.
1. Briefly describe the situation.
2. How did you identify the
opportunity to do things differently?
3. What was your approach?
4. What factors did you take into
account?
5. What problems did you
encounter?
6. What was the outcome?
7. What was the most important
thing you learned?
1. Describe the situation. (Your role,
Who were the customers? What was
the setting?)
2. What did you want to achieve?
3. What actions did you take to
address the situation and why?
4. What was the outcome?
5. What would you do differently if
you were in the same situation
again?
Feedback
• 5 Minutes
– Now just spend a few minutes giving each other some
feedback
• Group Feedback
– Are there any concerns?
– How did you find the exercise?
– What was useful about it?
Interview Hints and Tips
Be pleasant
Time
Answers
Listen
Be clear
Tone and rhythm of your
voice
Don’t over prepare
Pauses
Smile!
Any questions?
For more information on the BT
Graduate Scheme please visit
http://www.btgraduates.com/