Deloitte
Deloitte is the world's largest auditor.
It is comprised of four main lines of service:Corporate Finance
[Edit]The Corporate finance practice at Deloitte advises clients ranging from multi-national corporates, to private equity, owner managed businesses, creditors, shareholders and governments.
More than 150 partners and 1900 staff offer expertise in Reorganisation, Corporate Finance Advisory, Raising Capital, Forensic and Dispute Services, Real Estate Advisory (through the Drivers Jonas Deloitte Business) and Transactions. Deloitte also provides a number of Specialist Services, including business modelling, valuations, and economic consulting.
Deloitte Application Process
Competencies
[Edit]The Deloitte selection criteria allows the firm to identify the people most likely to thrive in their working environment. Below are some examples of the competencies that you will need to demonstrate in your applications and interviews.
Communication
You will need to be expressive, clear and concise and have the ability to quickly form relationships with others in a variety of situations.
Achievement of goals
You will need to show the persistence and energy required to meet or exceed your objectives and well-defined goals and respond well to pressure.
Commercial awareness
You should have an interest in business and the knowledge of what a career in a professional services firm involves.
Adaptability
You will need to be positive in the face of change and resourceful in responding to major changes.
Problem solving
You will need to show you can analyse, distil and solve practical problems, generate new ideas and make sound judgements in complex situations. You have been successful at motivating others towards a particular course of action.
You will need to show you can take responsibility for the completion of tasks and ensure that detail is not overlooked when involved in a project. You will also need to be able to show good time management skills and be able to prioritise tasks effectively.
Deloitte Consulting Interview Questions
The recruitment process for consulting differs from other graduate schemes offered by Deloitte. It is estimated that 150 people are recruited onto the Deloitte consulting graduate scheme per annum.
Positions Available
[Edit] The following is an estimate.- Number of graduate places nationwide: c.150
- Number of applicants: 2,000
Academic Requirements
[Edit]The minimum academic requirement is 320 UCAS points at A-level and 2.1 degree.
First Interview
[Edit]The first interview is conducted by someone within the Consulting Practice. You will be given some information relating to a business case study, and be permitted 15 minutes to understand and answer questions. This will then be followed by a 60 minute interview. Part of the interview will consist of a discussion around the case study. The remainder will include a competency based interview and an opportunity to ask questions. Competencies you will be quizzed on include communication, teamwork , career commitment, organisation skills and leadership.
Assessment Day
[Edit] The assessment day consists of:- A Case study
- A Case study interview (presentation on case study & competency based questions)
- Partner interview
- Written exercise
- Group exercise
You will have to do work on the case study in the time between scheduled interviews/exercises, and schedule your time accordingly. It is imperative that you manage your time efficiently.
Case Study
[Edit]You will have about an hour to read a case study and prepare a 10 minute presentation to take place in your case study interview. The case study will describe a business scenario which includes a business problem, and you will have to propose your own ideas for a solution, explain your reasoning and defend your solution against inevitable scrutiny. You should also consider any drawbacks of any solutions you propose, to offer a balanced argument.
Case Study Interview
[Edit]The case study interview is similar to Deloitte's first interview for consulting applicants, with the exception of an increased complexity of case study and a 10 minute presentation exercise, which forms the beginning of the interview.
The interview will be with a manager/senior manager/partner from Deloitte's consulting division. The interview will last approximately one hour, and will consist of:- 10 minute presentation on the case study
- 5-10 minutes of questions from interviewer about your presentation
- 35-45 minutes competency based questions.
The interviewer will attempt to scrutinise and challenge your proposed solution to the case study scenario. Ensure that you back up your points sufficiently.
For information about the competency questions, see the information above for other Deloitte graduate schemes.
Partner Interview
[Edit]The partner interview is similar to the typical Deloitte partner interview, described above. You may also be asked to discuss points from your case study. You will then be asked some complex commercial awareness questions to test your understanding of wider business issues as well as the standard 'why deloitte' type questions.
Group Exercise
[Edit]In the group exercise you will have to sit with other applicants and work together on a particular task. You should aim to ensure that all participants are involved and that you communicate your points effectively.
Deloitte Graduate Schemes
Deloitte Graduate Schemes Available
[Edit]Graduate schemes are available in all following lines of service, although the numbers recruited are not identical:
- Audit
- Tax
- Management Consulting
- Financial Advisory
Audit is the largest intake.
Graduates are recruited all year round, with the exception of consultancy, where the closing date for applications is 31st January.
Academic Requirements
[Edit]Degree & A-Level
[Edit]You need to have at least 2.1 degree from any university and 300 UCAS points at A-level (320 for Consulting). Equivalent foreign qualifications are accepted.
GCSE
[Edit]All UK applicants must have a strong set of GCSE (or equivalent) results with a minimum of grade B in both Maths and English.
Foreign Applicants
[Edit]Foregin applicants may be required to sit an English language course and produce a certificate of competency.
Graduate Training
[Edit]In some careers at Deloitte you will undertake professional qualifications such as ATT, ACA, FIA and CTA. To help graduates succeed with these studies, you are given financial support.
Deloitte Interview Questions
Graduate Scheme Application Process
[Edit]This section does not apply to Deloitte consulting, which has a different application process.
Recruitment is in four parts:- Web based application form
- Online aptitude tests
- Competency based interview
- Final assessment centre
A printed guide to getting through Assessment Centres is available to all WikiJob users - click here to download your copy now
Web Based Application Form
[Edit]This is a substantial form which requires you to fill in information regarding your education, achievements (academic and other) and motivation for working for Deloitte. There are a large number of free text fields, and you should set aside at least a day to complete this.
The Career Motivation question section asks:- Please let us know why a career at Deloitte appeals to you compared with other career options? (max 100 words in bullet point format).
- Please let us know why you are particularly interested in joining the service line you have specified? (max 100 words in bullet point format).
- Please let us know what you think you will be doing on a day to day basis as a graduate in your first choice service line including any commitments required for professional qualifications (if applicable) (max 100 words in bullet point format).
Online Psychometric Test
[Edit]The test is a SHL psychometric test that consists of two parts - numerical and verbal. These tests provides the interviewers with objective, reliable and relevant information that helps them to make a well-informed decision on how you would handle a demanding graduate position.
The two parts of the test assess you on the following:
Verbal Reasoning: Your ability to understand complex verbally presented descriptions, explanations or arguments and to interpret them, grasp shades of meaning and key points and draw conclusions.
Numerical Reasoning: Your ability to analyse quickly numerical/financial data, with computations where appropriate, whether embedded in a narrative or presented in tables. 25 mins for 18 questions
‘’’you can perform better at SHL tests with practice try these SHL simulator questions’’’
You will have one week to complete the test and the questions for each test are different.Competency Based Interview
[Edit]This is a competency based interview (click the link for info).
Your interview at Deloitte will last up to an hour and be with a manager from the line of service to which you have applied. All interviews are standardised; the interviewer will read out prepared questions and record your responses. After your interview, he/she will grade you and return these details to the graduate recruitment team for processing. You should receive feedback on your interview within 3 days.
Putting yourself forward for this is an excellent way for graduates like you to get interview practice. The questions will be similar to those at professional interviews, you will gain a good understanding of the interview process from both company and candidate perspective, and you may even be paid. Get in touch with the Deloitte graduate recruitment team if you are interested in participating.
All interviewers at Deloitte have been trained to interview graduates by an in-house team. Deloitte operate an interviewer training day, in other words, an opportunity for the managers to train to interview, and for this they require a stream of real graduates to interview.
The interview questions you are likely to be asked are:
- Do you have any goals in the past and how did you achieve it. (Achievement of goals)
- Give me an example of when you gave a presentation (presentation skills)
- Give me an example of when you have to make a decision (Decision making)
- Give me an example of when you have had to persuade someone. (Communication)
- Give me an example of when you were involved in team work (Social Interaction)
- Give me an example of when you were involved in a multi-task situation. How did you manage it? (Planning and Organising)
- Why are you choosing Deloitte? (Commercial awareness)
- Why are you choosing Audit? (Commercial awareness)
- What interested you the most in the recent news? (Commercial awareness)
You may also be asked about what business you admire the most, and why.
For further information see the discussion on Deloitte graduate interviews.Final Assessment Day
[Edit]- E-tray exercise comprising
- Computer exercise
- Written exercise
- Lunch
- Short interview
- Partner Interview
- 60 minute computer based email simulation based on a business scenario presented to you.
- 40 minute written exercise (on paper).
- 20 minute interview as part of the partner interview to discuss the computer exercise and written exercise.
Psychometric Success also offer a printed guide to getting through Assessment Centres which is available to all WikiJob users - click here to download your copy now
Computer Exercise
[Edit]Background
[Edit]The E-tray exercise is a 60 minute computer simulation of an email inbox. Over the course of the exercise, you will be presented with a sequence of emails, from which you will have to select a response from a multiple choice.
You are a Financial trainee working for Advantage Business Service (ABS). ABS provides Financial & Business Services, Marketing Services, and HR Advisory services. You joined the company 8 months ago. You were working in Nottingham office but now you are transferring to Birmingham office to replace a colleague who is ill. You will have to deal with 24 emails from various people requesting info from you. The exercise starts with about 6 emails already in the inbox.
In your company's folder (ABS), you will see the following:- Calendar
- Employee's Availability
- Organisation Chart
You will also get folders for all 5 clients (only three of them will request info in the emails), and some simple formulae about how to judge the performance of the client's business.
Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray tests are available here
Typical request from emails
[Edit]- Client from Nottingham office wants you to do a job, what would you do?
- One of your colleagues is struggling with contacting someone, how would you react to help him?
- According to the info in Folders, do some calculations. They are not necessarily straight forward.
Tips
[Edit]Not all the e-mails will require you to go back to info folders. Some of them just require you to give your opinion.
There are three companies to advise on, so make sure you've identified which company you are being asked about prior to answering. The multiple choices will be created in such a way that may cause you to be easily misled, consequently, take your time and be careful.
Spend the first 5-10 minutes reading the information you are given before diving in. This will save you time later. Work at a sensible pace without rushing. It is quite easy to finish approximately 24 emails with time to spare.
Lastly, be careful and take your time to select the best response. It is easily possible to finish this exercise within the time limit.
Written Exercise
[Edit]After the E-tray exercise, you will then be asked to write a business email based upon the scenario developed over the previous hour. You will be required to analyse three potential takeover targets, and make your recommendation and case to the client's board of directors. The takeover targets are an internet firm, a catalogue firm or another store based firm.
There is no right or wrong answers here; any of the three companies will be adequate. They are testing your reasoning, so you must be able to substantiate your decision. For example, interviewees are often asked "how would you convince the board your decision is correct?"
The written exercise is done on the computer, but the software does not have a spellchecker, so make sure your answer is spelt correctly. Candidates are pushed for time much more in this exercise; it is advisable think about how you are going to word and structure your composition before you begin to write it.
Stick to the point. You may want to consider using bullet points. There is time pressure, so make sure you are organised and get your answer complete in the allocated time.
E-Tray Interview
[Edit]After completing the written exercise, you will have another 10 minutes to take any notes from the information provided for the E-tray exercise. You will then have a 20 minute meeting with an interviewer. You will have to brief them using only the notes you have prepared, and backup your decision for the takeover target. Whatever you say is likely to come under scrutiny, so you should be prepared to defend your position.
Real life training and practice In-tray and e-tray tests are available here
Partner Interview
[Edit]The partner interview is with a partner in the firm. This interview differs greatly from the first interview, and is much more personable. There are no set questions. The interview will be competency based and will focus on career motivation and commercial awareness.
Read about partner interviews here.
For more information on Deloitte interviews see the WikiJob forums.