If you want to get a job at ZS associates (virtually any job), prepare for a phone interview, group interview (optional), assessment test, and an in-person interview in the company (can be done online during the pandemic).
You will have to deal with personal and behavioral (scenario-based) questions, and convince them that you can bring value to their team of excellent employees. They can afford to hire the best, and they will hire only the best. Let’s have a look at the interview process, step by step, and the questions you will face in each step.
Simple start – the phone (or group) interview
When they talk to you over the phone (or over Zoom), they try to get a good grasp of your communication skills, understand who you are, what you did in the past, and why you try to get a job with them–and not with any other company. That’s a typical goal of a first phone interview. You can expect to hear some of the following questions:
- Why do you want to work for ZS associates?
- Why do you decided for this position?
- What makes you a great candidate for this particular vacancy?
- Tell me more about the job XY you had, your main duties, achievements, successes and failures you experienced on the position.
- What motivates you in work?
- Why did you leave your last job (why do you plan to leave your present job?
- Where do you see yourself in five years from now.
Who will proceed to the next stage?
Typically approximately every second person will proceed to the next stage, the assessment test. In some cases (especially when we speak about highly technical positions), nearly all job candidates will be invited for the next stage.
The assessment test consists in Quantitative Aptitude, Logical Reasoning, and Verbal Ability. The best way to prepare for the test is practice in advance. If you have no experience with this type of testing, we strongly recommend you to check the following online assessment test preparation pack (more than 100 online practice tests), to get ready for this challenge…
In person interview – case studies, scenario-based questions
You should prepare for a long day when you interview for a job with ZS Associates… More often than not, you will talk to two or three people, you will have to complete some tests (see the paragraph above), and they will ask you plenty of behavioral questions.
They can actually also repeat some questions from the phone interview. If they do so, it is important that you give the same (or at least similar) answers as you did on the phone. It is the test of your credibility and trustworthiness–saying a completely different thing when answering the same question in two interviews won’t shed the best light on your credibility… Keep in on your mind, and try to stay consistent.
Behavioral questions – the tough nut to crack
Inquiring about your behavior in various work-related situations, HR managers from ZS associates try to understand how you would react in the same situations in your new job. We can call this the most important part of the hiring process, and one which most job seekers fail to pass.
Your answers help them to assess your attitude to work, to your colleagues, and to various problems that can and will happen on the workplace. I can’t stress enough the importance of your answers to behavioral questions. Let’s have a look at some common at ZS Associates:
- Describe a situation when you were under pressure in work.
- Tell us about a conflict you had with your colleague.
- Describe a situation when you demonstrated leadership at work.
- What was the most challenging situation you’ve ever faced?
- Describe a situation when you reached a goal and tell us how you achieved it.
- Tell us about an obstacle you overcame.
- Describe a time when you had to decide about something without having all information you needed to make a qualified decision.
- What’s the worst project you’ve ever worked on?
- Tell us about a time when you had to work on multiple projects simultaneously. How did you prioritize?
- …..
* Special Tip: If you are not sure how to answer the questions from the list, or experience interview anxiety, have a look at our Interview Success Package. Up to 10 premium answers to basically all questions you may face in your ZS associates job interview will help you streamline your interview preparation, find the right words in every moment of the interview, outclass your competitors, and eventually get the job. Thank you for checking it out!
Short case studies
In some cases you may deal with a short case study, as a part of your in-person interview with ZS Associates. For example, they may ask you to analyze some numbers and identify the issue causing a decrease of sales, or some other undesirable result of a business or team.
They will give you bunch of information–numbers, balance sheets, etc (observing whether you can pick the right KPI from the bunch), and a few minutes to prepare your answer to their question.
The most important thing here is is to think out loud, to explain your reasoning, and to present the solution in a professional yet simple to understand way. In many cases there isn’t a right or wrong answer when we talk about these short case studies… As long as you can justify your suggestions with your thought process, they will be satisfied with your answer.
Interview with a branch director
If you apply for a management job with ZS Associates, you will often have to pass one more interview–with the branch director. The decision maker may ask you some behavioral questions, but the core of this meeting is relationship building, and understanding whether you can offer them what they need in the company, and whether they can offer you what you want from the job, and from your professional career.
Try to stay relaxed, focus on every word they say, and show the decision maker that you care for their business, and understand what they do in the company, and what role you should play in their success story…
Conclusion, final thoughts
Interview with ZS Associates belongs to difficult job interviews. The hiring process often takes weeks, and you will have to pass a series of interviews and tests, just as we described in this article.
Behavioral questions form the integral part of their interviewing process, and you should try to have a situation ready for each of these questions. What’s more, it is important to prepare also for other questions you may face (screening questions), and get ready for the assessment tests. We believe you will manage to do that, and wish you best of luck!
More from InterviewPenguin.com:
- How to overcome interview nerves – We are nervous when we care. But you can overcome your nerves and show your very best on the big day. Learn how.
- Interview Success Package – Up to 10 premium answers to all tricky scenario-based interview questions. Streamline your preparation and outclass your competitors.
- Salary negotiation tips – Some rules you should remember when negotiating a salary in your interview with ZS Associates.
- Interview attire guide – Not sure what to wear to your next interview? We have the answers!
