Differences I found in the interviews held in India and Australia?

The interview process can be a daunting and stressful event to many of us whether it be a fresh graduate or an experienced professional. In this article, I would like to talk about the types of interviews I attended in Australia. In the last 15 years, I have attended a number of interviews for various positions. This article is based on my experiences and what I have learned over the years about the process of interviewing.

Interview process: Contracting positions for any organisation:

The first job interview I attended was for a contracting role at NSW Health. I applied for the job through seek.com and I got a call to attend a face-to-face interview with a recruiter at a recruitment agency called “Robert Half International”. In Australia, recruitment agencies play an important role in the recruitment process. They act as consultants between the organisation looking for a candidate and job seekers. They source the candidates, shortlist by conducting preliminary interviews and submit the top 3 or top 5 candidates to the organisation.

As part of my first job interview process, I was interviewed over the phone about my experience, availability, and other job-related questions. Once the consultant was satisfied with my performance over the phone, she scheduled a face-to-face interview. On the day of the face-to-face interview, the consultant asked me a number of questions. Once I was shortlisted for the position; I was then interviewed by the consultant’s client where I had to work. That interview was held with the reporting manager, once they were happy with my performance. They offered me the job. I didn’t have to go through any further stages of the interview as this was a short-term part-time contracting role. I attended this interview as an international student.

Interview process: Full-time permanent role for a private organisation:

Later I applied through job search websites such as seek.com seeking a full-time permanent role. I received a call from the recruitment agency to attend a face-to-face interview; the same process was followed as mentioned in the above paragraph until I meet the reporting manager. This interview was for the position of Assistant Accountant at Toys R Us Australia Pty Ltd (now it is closed its stores in Australia). Once I cleared this stage, I was asked to attend another interview with the reporting manager and the Chief Financial Officer. After I got selected for the position; I attended a casual interview with the Human Resource Consultant of Toys R Us Australia Pty Ltd to complete the required formalities such as a bank, super, and residency status.

Interview process: Full-time permanent role for Public Organisation:

Public Organisations have a different interview process. The jobs advertised require you to complete the selection criteria and attach your Resume and Cover letter. Selection criteria is a criterion used to shortlist you for the interview. This is a set of questions ranging from 2 to 8 questions asking you to demonstrate the skills in the written format. Some of the questions I remember are:

1. Relevant tertiary qualifications (or equivalent extensive work experience), membership, qualifications from relevant professional bodies and/or relevant industry experience.
2. Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of relevant government policies and regulations, accounting, and audit standards.
3. Proven ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships. Possess the ability to ethically negotiate with and influence senior management, clinicians, and other key stakeholders.

The above questions vary to the type of role you apply for. These questions were relating to accounting roles.

Shortlisting for the interview in the public sector depends on how best you have written your selection criteria. This interview is held by a panel of members. The panel can consist of 3 or 4 depending on the role you applied for. When I attended an interview two years ago, I was interviewed by a panel of four members. Recently I have attended an interview with one of the public organisation with a panel of three members. Usually, the panel members consist of your line manager, Head of the Department, and an independent member. The independent member is totally independent to the panel, who may not necessarily be linked to your role or profession. They take turns in asking the questions by sitting on the other side of the table.

From my experience, I believe the above are the major types of interviews held in Australia. In addition to the oral interview, some organisations undertake psychometric tests. These tests are designed to assess your competencies, motivations, career interests, and personality traits. Few organisations also held role-play interviews where you have to act as a customer or an employee to showcase your experience in dealing with real scenarios.

Some interviews are very casual like catching up over a cup of coffee or lunch. These interviews are held for those candidates who were headhunted or recommended by someone to the potential employer or the interviewer is already aware of the skills and the experiences of the candidate.

Differences I found in the interviews attended in India and Australia:

As soon as I finished my Masters of Business Administration (MBA), I attended a walk-in interview with one of the Multi-National Companies. As part of this interview process, a psychometric assessment testing the reasoning skills was held, once shortlisted from this round; I had to participate in group discussions and thereafter a technical round interview asking various questions based on my knowledge and qualifications. In the final round of interviews, the Human Resources unit held an interview for further formalities.

The major differences I found in these two types of interviews are:

In Australia, the interview questions are competency-based whereas in India the focus was on technical questions from the degree I completed. I completed MBA with a specialisation in Finance and Marketing. I was selected for a finance role so more questions were asked in relation to Finance and Accounting.

On the other side, Australian employers focus on soft skills and how you demonstrate them at the workplace. In all the interviews I attended, there were at least 6 questions out of 10 focussing on situations/behaviour. Some of the questions I had to answer were:

1. Tell me about a time when you displayed leadership or teamwork. What was the result? What was the outcome? (Behaviour-based)
2. What would you do if an angry and dissatisfied customer confronted you? (Situation- based)
3. Tell me about a time where you had to submit a proposal and make it accepted by the senior management? What skills did you demonstrate? What was the result? (Situation-based)

Whenever I have an interview, I refer to the book ‘Win that job’ by Paul Lyons. In this book, Paul has provided guidance on personal branding, career management, effective job search techniques, and ideas in answering a number of interview questions. Consider having this book on your bookshelf. This book provides me adequate motivation before I attend the interview and also helped me to achieve 90% success rates in the interviews I attended. Hays Recruitment Agency has got some questions answered if you want to have a quick read.

Consider reading:

Why do some countries need more skilled professionals?

Planning and preparation is important in job search – Vivian Zhang