Authentic killer questions used in financial services interviews

15 June 2010

3 minute read

Authentic killer questions used in financial services interviews

You may be aware that we are currently running

If you tell us the most punitive question you have ever come across/conceived, either as an interviewee or interviewer, plus the answer you gave/wanted, we will enter you for a draw to win an iPad.

Below, in no particular order, are the questions we've been sent so far. Click on the links below to read the answers, and the context they were asked in.

What do you struggle with most at work?

The interviewer didn't ask me any questions at all! - Surely the most difficult question ever?

"I propose a game, you throw a dice just once, if you get a 1 I give you 1, if you get a 2 I gave you 2, ... if you get a 6 I give you 6. What's the fair value of this game?"

Define a moral dilemma ? Give an example of a time you have faced a moral dilemma? How did you know it was a moral dilemma and what was the outcome?

How many tennis balls are there in China?

A stock is trading at $100 and in a year's time it will either double to $200 or halve to $50...

If a colleague had to give one of your worst features, what would it be?.

How would you react if I told you that your interview, so far, was badly at this point? And how would you rate me as an interviewer?.

Tell me why I shouldn't outsource your job to India

How do you calculate VaR, and what are its parameters?

Have you ever had a disagreement with your boss over an issue at work? What was the outcome?

If you were an animal other than a human, what animal would you want to be?

Of the clients you said you might be able to bring with you, how many of them would you, using your mobile, be able to phone now and speak to directly?

You have a junior team and need to manage a project that is forecast to be unprofitable and that is not meeting the client's expectations

Identify up to 3 of your worst business decisions and discuss what you learned from them.

If your friends, not your colleagues, were sitting round the table of this room, what would they be saying about you?

If your boss was asked to provide three criticisms of you, what would he say?

Where do you see yourself in three years' time in our organisation?

Explain gamma to me as you would explain it to your grandmother.

What's the difference between a UK/European Option and a US Option?

AUTHORSarah Butcher

Global Editor

ha
hapy dayz
29 June 2010
I find that "formula" based questions where you get to say what your colleagues say about you and what you dislike about working etc are (a) bloody irritating and (b) almost offensive.
I mean, "what do my colleagues say about me"? whatever they like, I'm not there, I don't even know what my Mother says about me. If you are asking me to be introspective so that you can judge if I have the ability to self-appreciate and be developed as a leader then how you get that from my answer "they respect me and believe my work is changing the organisation for the better" then I have no idea. I've tried answering that way and the interviewer says "mmmmm" and moves onto the next question. What the hell was he expecting?
When I occasionally hear these stupid questions I generally refuse to answer now as the rote pre-paired answer is as offensive for me to say as it is for them to hear. An earlier poster suggested attacking, I did that recently (Ops Dir role) and got bollocked in the interview for being facetious. Needless to say, when I got to my questions for him I asked him a few twat questions myself ("can you tell me how the CEO's vision is being implemented by your division?")
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Jo
Jojo
23 June 2010
Chez HSBC, dans le cadre d'un recrutement mon interlocuteur me pose un certain nombre de questions sur les processus GARCH. Il me demande ensuite de prononcer une blague sur les processus GARCH. Je lui réponds ne pas comprendre. Il insiste et je lui réponds: garch toi bien (gare toi bien) lui me réponds GARCH la gonesse.
Ensuite il se mouche le nez et dépose son kleenew sur la table en face de moi.
Pathétique.
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Jo
Jojo
23 June 2010
Lors d'un entretien chez un asset manager, mon interlocuteur observa que je pratiquais le football depuis de nombreuses années et je précisais que j'étais plutot un bon footballeur. Ce dernier appella ses collègues gérants et me demande de jongler avec une petite balle anti-stress. Surréaliste.
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Eg
Egor
20 June 2010
What's tricky about any of these- they're all par for the course typical questions, one should have thought through answers to several dozen questions like these before starting any interviewing process.
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Ma
Marco
17 June 2010
All these questions are classics in graduate jobs interview....and are probably tricky if someone didnt bother doing a bit of research before actually attendign the interview...
fThese are not questions for senior or more experienced roles where you are expected to lead rather than being asked...
i moved job at associate level had few interviews with Banks and it was more about them selling to me than viceversa
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