Bank of New Zealand (BNZ) Psychometric Tests, Hiring Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2024
What Is BNZ?
In operation since 1861, Bank of New Zealand, also called BNZ is one of the big four banks in New Zealand. It provides retail and business banking services and employs over 5,000 people across New Zealand. BNZ has been headquartered in Auckland New Zealand since it first opened its doors. There are currently 180 branches located around New Zealand. It was purchased by the National bank of Australia in 1992 and has been a subsidiary since it was acquired. Despite their subsidiary status, they are run by a board of directors who are all from New Zealand.
Employee benefits offered by BNZ include:
Health coverage
6 weeks of annual leave
Sick leave
Staff banking rates
What Is BNZ’s Recruitment Process?
Application
The BNZ hiring process starts with registering on their website and creating a profile. On this profile, you can list your qualifications and upload your CV. The next step is filling out the online application form. You can apply for multiple positions and your information will be saved. You will be contacted by a recruiter after the job posting has closed about the next steps. Applications will be shortlisted based on qualifications.
BNZ Psychometric Tests
To further shortlist candidates for the interview process, BNZ will have candidates whose applications made the first round of shortlisting, take a series of online assessment tests. These tests are a mix of pf psychometric evaluations and reasoning tests that measure your critical thinking skills. BNZ uses The tests most likely to be used by BNZ include:
Hogan’s Matrigma Test – This is a cognitive reasoning assessment that evaluates your ability to problem solve, interpret no verbal information, and interpret relationships between shapes. You will be presented with a series of shapes forming patterns. You will need to be able to determine how all the shapes relate to each other so you can complete the patterns. This test is 35 minutes long, and you will have 40 minutes to finish the test.
SJT – Situational judgment tests are a commonly used psychometric test. Through asking questions about workplace situations they can help determine your values, and your work style. They come in several variations, you may be asked to rank statements, from most to least likely, or to mark them as “agree” or “disagree”.
Verbal Reasoning Test – Verbal reasoning tests are given to make sure job-seekers are able to process written or verbal information, and draw accurate conclusions. These tests usually take the form of brief passages followed by true or false questions about the information you have just read.
Numerical Reasoning Test – Going into the banking field, it is reasonable to expect prospective employees to have a basic understanding of how to interpret data sets provided in graphs. The numerical reasoning test will be made up entirely of graphs and charts that you must interpret to answer the questions.
Interviews
So you’ve passed the assessment tests! The next step will be a digital interview. To perform this interview you will be sent a link, which will expire after a certain time frame. The link is to the interviewing platform. Before you begin recording the interview, make sure your computer camera is at the correct angle, clear any clutter from your background, and make sure you are not in shadow. You will have about 3 minutes to prepare your responses to the pre-recorded questions.
The next step will be an in-person interview. Questions at this stage will be about your motivations, your expectations, and your behaviors. They want to see candidates who are enthusiastic about working for them, and who have the potential to stay with them long-term. Some of the questions you might be asked during this interview are:
What banking experience do you have?
What are your goals with this position? Do you see yourself moving up?
What makes you a good fit for BNZ?
Assessment Center
The assessment center is the final stage for some positions. The assessment center gives the hiring managers a unique chance to so you in a workplace setting before making a final decision. Many of those who are expected to attend the assessment center are those who have applied for graduate scheme positions. During the assessment center, your teamwork skills will be observed, and your professionalism and communication abilities will be evaluated as well. You may be asked to role-play, review a case study, or give a presentation. At the end of the day, the remaining candidates will be given their final interviews. These may be done one on one, or as a panel with an HR representative and a hiring manager.
How to Prepare for BNZ Assessments?
To set yourself up for success on the online tests, take time out to sharpen your reasoning skills, and refresh your memory on some skills that you may have allowed to lapse. Logic puzzles and sudoku can help strengthen your reasoning centers and train your brain to recognize patterns. Drilling yourself on some mathematical concepts that you may have forgotten, such as ratios or percentages, will also help your performance on the assessment tests. Your environment plays a large role in testing success. Find a place where you feel comfortable, in which you can also concentrate. Reducing the stress level around you will help you stay calm during testing.
The online tests play a major role in how far you are able to make it through the hiring process. Don’t allow this to intimidate you. If you prepare yourself, and if you stay motivated and positive, you will easily make it all the way through the hiring process.
