HSBC Interview Questions & Answers

My initial telephone interview lasted around 20-30 minutes for my role of Commercial Banking Management Trainee. The interviewer was very polite, friendly and helpful. During the interview I had to provide an example for each of HSBC's 3 values; open, dependable and connected. After this I was asked why I wanted to join HSBC and why I was suited to them and my job role. The interview was very competency based. Upon passing the interview have your national insurance number present as they will conduct checks on you to ensure you are right for the position.

To provide a detailed description of how I fit HSBC's three values: open, dependable and connected.

To learn a detailed description of how you fit HSBC's three values: open, dependable and connected. You must provide very detailed descriptions using the STAR method. After this I was asked why I wanted to join HSBC so prepare something for this and a reason why you was suited to them and your job role. The interview was very competency based.

Yet to have one, scheduled for next week

I applied to HSBC through SEO London. I was first given a telephone interview, which focused mainly on commercial awareness. The questions included: What are the current issues facing HSBC? What will the world look like in 2050? How do these issues impact the division you will work in? What skills make you suitable for the division? The interview lasted around 35 minutes and was with a member of the HR team. The interview was very quickly completed as there is a time limit.

The most difficult question was: what will the world look like in 2050? This needed one to touch upon aspects of finance, economics, technology and health. The candidate had to demonstrate an understanding of the real world issues. Make sure you point out the HSBC has strength in the emerging markets and tie this into your answer.

Make sure you stay calm and ensure that when you present, everything you say is relevant. It's easy to fall into the trap of rambling but it's more effective to be clear and concise. Choose a 2 or three pieces of information to focus on as opposed to cramming 8 points into a short time slot.

At the AC, we were first given a group exercise where we had to work as a team to recommend business initiatives. We then had 45 minutes to draft a presentation based on market information. We then gave a recommendation to a senior employee on how we could capitalize on the opportunities evident in the information pack. We were quizzed around how we chose our answer, and were asked to explain our reasoning process.