Application Process & Interviews at Westpac Group

For the graduate program, i did an initial application, followed psychometric testing, followed by an individual interview, followed by an full day assessment centre (comprised of 3 parts: an individual 1 on 1 interview, a group activity and an individual activity). since moving internally between roles, i have generally had 1st or 2nd interviews.

Interview process was smooth, quick, and got feedback which was amazing! only negative was that the virtual interviewer was not from the graduate program so couldn't answer my grad program-specific questions

Was good process to get a role as a graduate -however, a very long process if needing to get a role internally due to limited roles and most roles being advertised externally as well -very long process and multiple interviews with limited feedback provided

Went swiftly and was easy to follow. i think the only thing that i would recommend is when applying for separate divisions to have a brief 'what to cover' for digital interviews

Graduate program was supportive and provided the necessary exposure to various divisions within the bank to understand how to entire process works.

For the graduate program, there was an initial interest form, aptitude testing, a pre-recorded interview, and then if you are chosen, an assessment center (3 stages: another pre-recorded interview, 1:1 interview, and group interview).

Grad process was psychometric test, online recorded interview, and assessment centre and in person interview.

The hiring process included: - personality testing - maths, english and emotional intelligence testing - video interview (1 chance to answer the question without any preparation) - group video case study + 1-on-1 digital interview

It had around 5 stages. communication from westpac at each point of the process was always fantastic.

The interview process consists of video interviews, a group interview and an individual interview

Very stringent hiring process, there were lots of different stages which was quite stressful.

Interview process for the grad program was very straight forward, communication was consistent and helpful, and the overall process was nowhere near as long as other programs i applied for.

online application, video one-way interview, psychometric tests, assessment centre.

The process involved multiple cognitive and personality tests, work samples and an interview.

Was offered the grad role after the internship

Psychometric testing, followed by video interview, in person interview/AC

Mostly word of mouth for internal applications. Interview was informal coffee meeting with 2up manager and people leader

Application - testing - video assessment x 2 (ask random questions on the spot and you have to film yourself; second time is that you only have 1 chance to answer) - one on one interview on Teams (did not look at resume)

Process was as expected for a graduate program of this calibre - values assessment, competency testing, pre-recorded video interviews, blind in person/virtual interview - feedback provided as needed.

Initial application, followed by video interview and online testing, followed by a group and individual interview

Video interview: value-based questions and questions about myself virtual interview: behavioural questions group interview: problem-solving activity

Future goals -experience -skills i have

How you work with people, challenges facing the banking sector, what experience you have

Why i wanted to work here? how i was able to resolve a difficult situation?

The interviews in the assessment center are 'blind', where the interviewer has not read your cv/transcript -they don't know who you are. individual interview: tell me about yourself, about a time you had to overcome an obstacle, a time you were proud of an achievement, didn't agree with a decision, etc. - all standard interview questions. interviewer based further questions on what you replied. left room for you to ask them questions which opened up whole new avenues of discussion. group interview: 6 candidates given a 'mission briefing' where we were to discuss as a group and solution to a given problem. the interviewers did not intervene but to change the given problem 'scenario' to encourage further engagement.

All behavioural questions for grad interview. roll off grad program interview has been more a mix of behavioural and technical (dependent on team)

Behavioral style interview. e.g. "when was a time you faced group conflict".

Questions relating to company values

Questions were either directly about myself or what makes me, me. or they were more abstract, aimed at assessing problem solving and teamwork skills.

I applied as an intern, so that was a few years ago and don't remember.

What motivated me to pursue banking and westpac specifically, questions about my experience etc.

No formal interview

Why would you like to join Westpac? Given a data source how would you ensure it's accuracy?

Tell me about yourself, why youre fit for role, what would you do in xyz scenario.

Mainly behavioural - Which is more important: technical skills vs soft skills - Why do you want to work here? - Tell me about difficult customer experience. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ video assessments quite difficult; asked a lot of scenario questions "what would you do to better this" etc

In live interview - I was asked about me as a person, what my interests and priorities are. I was asked why I am a fit for Westpac etc. In video interviews I was asked more generic questions - what is a challenge I have faced and how have I overcome it - and also scenario based questions "what would you do if x".

What good service means to me and examples of when I have provided it. Why I choose the employer specifically and why I wanted to work in the particular area. Group problem solving activities and to perform an on-the-spot SWAT analysis.

Based off of my memory questions were loosely based on: - What steps would you take for our customers if our retail banks were to be removed in favour of online banking? - How would you utilise AI technology to assist the bank in transforming positively? - Can you please provide us with a short elevator pitch? - What experience have you had challenging a manager when something didn't feel right? - If you were managing a project, and a team member wasn't contributing fairly, what would you do? - Can you share an instance where you have worked in a team to deliver an E2E project delivery?

Mostly situational with some risk specific questions. No general or vague questions. I was asked to think about a time where I had noticed a risk and explain what I had done about it.

Why do you want to work here? When was a time you dealt with conflict?

To research westpac's helps values, read our annual report to understand our regulatory environment, the challenges we have faces over the last couple of years, and check out our linkedin page so you understand what our recent wins have been. will help to set you apart in the interview process if you can talk to more than just what's on our wikipedia page!

Advice: video interview: learn about the company's values, about the banking and financial industrial sector, be your "uncommon" self. virtual interview: do general behaviour type questions and prepare "star" answers. keep answers short and sweet. prepare questions about the graduate program, as well as broader ones about working at the company. i was interviewed by someone who wasn't part of the graduate program, so most my answers couldn't be answered. when in the group interview, ensure to let others speak but also take charge if you are not completing the task on schedule. i was commended for my leadership in the group interview, as there were a lot of people talking in circles without actually going back to what the task/question at hand was. take time to plan at the beginning with the group, rather than going straight into solutioning.

To read up on the history of westpac and its current values. the past informs the present so understanding this i believe is essential to understand and organisation.

Bring the best version of yourself and your experiences.

Be prepared - have scenarios/answers for the most common interview questions, but don't be super generic - have your answers be authentic to you. be polite and research the company before so you can ask questions relevant to the company (e.g. % female leadership, employee action groups, etc). don't be a silent bystander in the group project - take charge but don't be domineering.

Think of standard behavioural questions and have star response prepared for them. great way to structure response and get point across.

I prepared for this by having a list of 8 or so scenarios that collectively i could slightly twist to any behavioral question, so i always had a good answer. i think they want star method which might be worth searching. for the group work, i think they are just looking for how you work in a team. i shared my thoughts on this task as we worked through it, but i was also very conscious to 'bring in' the rest of the group, asking questions like 'what does everything think', 'does anyone have a different view' etc.

Researching the company values and purpose and think of scenarios where you applied these

Look up about the specific area they are entering e.g risk, consumer and business

Don't over prepare, you don't want to come across as a robot. remember at the end of the day there is another human being on the other side, and they do not know everything either. i initially would be stressed during interviews due to the pedestal i would perceive employers to be on, but once i realised they were essentially just someone's parent, the whole experience became a lot less daunting.

Understand why they are interested in the industry and the company.

Try an internship!

Know yourself and know the company's values well

Cultural fit is most important. Be curious and ask questions. Show you are interested.

Prepare for scenario and behavioural questions. You do not need to have the best resume experience. Do not even need a Commerce/banking background to become a Graduate. Think of some work/experience scenarios that can be related to many scenario/behavioural questions. Always support answers with evidence (i.e. scenarios). Do not over/under speak in your answers. Try to build great rapport with interviewer. Do not make it obvious you are reading from notes. Do not join meeting too late/ or too early.

Understand who the customer is, and what is important to the customer. Westpac is a values based organisation - your values and 'soft' skills will help determine if you are a fit for this organisation.

Consider carefully why you want to work for the company and in that particular area - not just because you want a job or want money or the reputation is good - make it specific to you. Attitude is important - be friendly and kind to everyone during the interview process.

Really understand Westpac's values as it a value-driven organisation

Align your experiences and conversation around Westpac's values. They are very universally applicable, but should absolutely be used to frame your responses (HELPS).

Be yourself - be open and honest and defintiely don't regurgitate prewritten answers.