Research & Analysis Interview Questions & Answers

I was initially given an Excel exercise to complete within an hour. I had to use the data provided to draw conclusions and explain what I would do to add value to the clients business. I then sat with the team leader and presented my findings and explained briefly what conclusions I had come to.

I was then given a number of competency questions relating to my reasons for applying. I was questioned by the head of Human Resources as well as the team leader.

I was asked a number of difficult questions including: Give an example of a time in which you added value to a business.
Give an example of a time where you failed at something and how did you overcome the failure.

Be confident and prepare answers to difficult questions. Check Excel skills and practice before the interview. It is also worth knowing a bit about the company and what they do as this was something I was asked about.

I was asked to examine two sets of client data and use the information to work out if advertising made a difference to product sales and by how much. I was provided with a laptop and the data. The data sets were very complex and had been made difficult to work with. I had to create graphs and present my findings back to the head of the team, explaining how what I had found out would add value to the clients business.

After sending in my CV I was contacted by a member of the company, who invited me to attend an assessment day. The email summarized the background information about the role as conference producer and detailed all the characteristics they were looking for in a candidate. It was stated that in order to be considered for the position I needed to have some experience in sales, research and project management, if possible.
There was no telephone interview, and the assessment day lasted only until noon (and was led by a member of senior management).

There are no interview questions doing the assessment morning.

It's always good if you have some sort of sales , research or project management experience as doing well in this job is depended on these skills.

The assessment is purely based on your research skills, so be prepared to concentrate on the task.

As you have only 2 1/2 hours to impress them, make sure that you show your communication and teamwork skills.

First, we introduced ourselves and described our academic and professional background.

We were given an introduction about the values of the company, the role of a commercial conference producer and the progression of previous graduates.

The actual assessment was divided into three aspects.
First, a research analysis test, where we were asked to read through 20 transcripts(oil and gas industry)and extract the most important information from which we would construct our own conference.
Second, a role play exercise, which is a group based activity and makes use of the information you collected doing the research task. Third, we were presenting the structure and content of our conference in individual group presentations (which do'not last much longer than 5 minutes).

After completing an initial online application form, I was contacted for a telephone interview. This was with a member of the HR Team and lasted about 15 mins with quite general questions such as 'Why IPSOS Mori?' and 'What strengths do you have for this role?'.
About a week later I was contacted to say I had been selected to attend an assessment centre at their offices. This lasted from 8:45am - 5pm, involving numerical and verbal reasoning tests, a group exercise, a brainstorming task, individual interviews and finally a presentation.

'Describe a team member you found difficult to work with'

Make sure you speak up in all the group tasks and make consistent contributions.

The day began at 8:45, we were given about 15 minutes to meet all the other candidates and help ourselves to some breakfast. After an initial introductory presentation from the head of department, we had to complete both a numerical and verbal reasoning test - each taking about 15 minutes.
Next, we were split into groups for a group exercise. We were each given seperate pieces of paper with 5 statements to describe a fictional company. The aim was to find out as much information about the company as we could without being allowed to write anything down. I'm assuming this was to test our communication skills.
After, we were moved to a conference room to take part in a brainstorming task. We were shown a real brief that the company had received from a client a few years earlier and had to brainstorm various aspects of how we could approach the research project. Everyone was encouraged to put forward their own points whilst one of the assessors tried to lead the general flow of the brainstorm.
After this, we were separated off for individual interviews. Mine was with two members of staff from the department I was applying for. The interview was quite informal, however it lasted 45 mins. Generally they stuck to competency based questions, e.g. about teamwork, creativity, willingness to go 'above and beyond' for clients, organisational skills etc. There was also a few knowledge based questions regarding research techniques.
We then had lunch where we got to meet with a lot of employees, including previous graduates who had been accepted on to the scheme. After lunch we were given an hour and a half to analyse a data set we had been given and create a 10-15 minute presentation. The data set referred to research carried out in several areas about community opinion on local facilities and issues such as parks, police, roads, transport. The presentation aim was to inform the local council of the main outcomes of the research and to give recommendations on future action. We were given the option of using laptops so you could either create a Powerpoint or just stick to a verbal presentation from handwritten notes.

This consisted of a telephone interview which lasted around 20 minutes with a memeber of the graduate recruitment team in the company.

The interview itself was fairly routine consisting of the usual questions, why Millward Brown? Why Trainee Research Executive role? Following this were the usual competency questions. Finally there was a bit of a surprise where i was asked to describe something in the media recently i felt strongly about and why.

Is there something that has been in the media recently that you feel strong about and why?

This was just difficult as i was not expecting it but as long as you are someone who can adapt to the situation at hand and come up with something then you will be fine.

Prepare for the usual questions about the role and company. You have no excuse to not be prepared for these.

Prepare for the usual competency questions adequately as these will be scrutinised.

Other than these just act professionally while also being yourself. Think of this as a more professional self, maybe like what you would act like if you were meeting your boyfriend or girlfriends parents for the first time.

There were 7 of us at the assessment centre.

Fist exercise consisted of a numerical and verbal reasoning tests to confirm it was me that had completed the previous ones.

Second exercise was an in tray exercise. Just the usual colleague off sick and you have to complete their tasks. Had to arrange these in order based on priority. Also given a list of colleagues that you could use for assistance. I was then asked to present what I had decided to do and justify why i had chosen this order.

Next came the group exercise. This was a situation in which the group was stranded on the moon and had to walk 200 miles to base. We were given a list of items and had to agree what order of importance these items were and rank them. This had to be done without any sort of voting system and the group had to be in agreement.

We then had lunch and finally came the one-to-one interview. These were very standard interviews with all the usual questions. Pretty much the same as the phone interview just with more in depth competency questions so make sure that there are no holes in your examples.

A lady phoned to get a general feel of why I thought this role suited me, she also asked me what I thought the role would entail and gave me some background information onto the company. She also asked I have any previous experience within events, research or corporate roles.

Who are our main competitors and what industries do we deal with?

Be prepared to do a lot of heavy research and analysis from day one in the company. This role requires a driven and competitive individual.

In regards to the assessment center, make sure you speak up and volunteer ideas during the group discussion, a large part of their selection criteria people based on this.

We had to read though 20 sets of telephone transcripts which was from a rage of oil and gas suppliers. We then had to extract the most useful to design our on conference. Using the questions on a separate sheet. This included what the main topics of discussion should be and also and also who the primary audiences should be

The day began with a one-to-one interview with a senior member of staff, relating to past experiences, interests, ambitions and knowledge. The interview though formal was unpressured and relaxed, with a friendly and receptive atmosphere.

The interview was followed by a pre-assigned, individual powerpoint presentation that involved working within a set framework but with enough flexibility to demonstrate communication, presentation, interests and ideas. The presentation was made to a separate senior member of staff who following the presentations end proceeded to ask questions, make comments and share suggestions.

The afternoon session began with a group assignment where three candidates were challenged to produce a hypothetical solution to a common problem whilst out actions were monitored and evaluated by both senior members of staff. We were provided with an hour to communicate with each other, share ideas, propose solutions and summarise our findings.

To conclude the day we were given an hour to undertake a numerical and psychometric assessment of our technical abilities. This was done individually and in exam style conditions, which though creating a pressurised environment was not overbearing or stressful.

A numerical problem solving task examining the comparative expense of travelling between London and Newcastle either by car and train and all the hypothetical variants that could effect the final answer.

Be confident in yourself and your own abilities, don't hide in the shadows and let others take the limelight. Demonstrate your enthusiasm and interest in particular fields and don't make false claims / statements.

I found the mix of one-to-one interview, individual presentation, group assignment and personal testing was a well organised, stimulating and varied approach to assessment. I feel it provided enough opportunities to demonstrate individual and group working, personal interests and knowledge whilst providing a rigorous environment to be fully tested but assessors.

It was a pretty straight forward interview process, where I consulted with the owner of the company. The telephone interview was rather vague about what skills was needed but I think that was only to urge you to be prepared for anything and everything.The telephone interview asked me about my expectations, my current employment status and what I hoped to add to the already, per existing team. I had a waiting period of 10-15minutes where I officially I introduced myself to the team and tried to get a rapport going.

I think one of the most difficult question I had, with which I was unprepared for was a random question - 'If you were invisible for a day, what would you do and why?'. Although my answer was suited and enjoyed, it wasn't fully work orientated but more of my personal character. I think if I had the chance to answer again, my response would be much different, more poised at the profession and how I cold use my skills further to aid the improvement of the company.

Relax, answer as requested.
Never ramble, there's a thing as too much information. You may stray attention from being short and concise, which could serve as a negative aspect on your side.
Bring self visual aids if you can, things you've prepared before on the company, it shows you as being forward thinking, eager and an asset to the team.

There wasn't an assessment centre, although I was told that that there were other candidates before me and more to come after.

I had 2 interviews with the line manager of the role and a current graduate employee on 2 separate dates. The first interview focused on the role and the company and my knowledge about both. The second interview focused more on myself and my own experiences including detailed discussions about my CV and placement role.

What are the biggest challenges the company and our clients will face in the future and can you describe a step-by-step process of how the company could go about resolving these issues and challenges?

Be calm and confident, research your CV and be prepared to be able to discuss each part in detail. Most important is to research the company and the role. Don't just say why you like the company and why you are a good, you need to convince them that you know the role inside out and why you are the best candidate for the role.

Very friendly and fun, the assessments themselves were split into individual and group exercises. The group assessments were most difficult as many candidates are trying to get their voice across.

I arrived early at Carma and was directed to the meeting room to wait for the three interviewers to arrive. I met the three most senior members of staff. I was asked to start and to explain why I would fit the role and what I would bring to the company. I went through each point ain the job description and explained my relevant experience and/ or relevant skills. After this we went through my CV. The line manager gave me some more information about the role and what I would be doing if I got the role. Finally I was invited to ask questions, I asked two. These were: "What do you consider to be the greatest difficulty for the new post holder?" and "What are the typical career paths for people who take on this role?"

Your maths Alevel suggests you are not particularly good with numbers. I overcame this by saying "no this grade does not reflect my ability, it was a mechanics based syllabus and physics is not my strong point."

-Be yourself
-Treat it as a conversation, it will help you to relax and say all the things you plan to say
-Take a copy of the job description in with you
-Make a few notes beforehand of any research you have done about the company or key points you want to say. You can take this into the interview with you, it shows organisation and that you have taken the time to research the company.

We had a general welcome speech and we each had to stand up and say what our greatest achievement was. We were then split into groups and had to do a further 4 activities. We were then all back together and pared up, we had to present to the rest of the group why we were better suited to the role over our partner. The successful applicants were then chosen to participate in face to face interviews.

After submitting my written application, I was granted a face to face interview with my potential line manager, and the head of human resources and recruitment for the Student Union. We had an initial introduction after which I was asked several questions based on what I personally would deem to be important issues facing the research and why. I was also asked about my experience. Even though the position was almost purely research based, I was also asked for demonstrable situations in which I had used other skills such as time management and teamworking. I was also quizzed on my technical knowledge in direct relation to the project that was undertaken, which I was given no prior information on.

The most difficult question asked was: "In relation to the project guidelines, please tell us how you would implement your technical knowledge." I had not been given information on the project or the guidelines, which I later confirmed (having been worried I had simply been unobservant and missed something). I had to ask for clarification o the guidelines, and answered the question.

Do not be nervous about asking for clarification. If you are feeling nervous or forgetful, simply politely ask for clarification or further information, rather than attempting to make sense of the question and potentially getting it wrong. Interviewers understand nerves and are often more than willing to give you a few moments to think of your answer, and the University of Kent is very aware of the possibility of students having their first interview with them. They plan accordingly and are happy to help you.

I was not asked to perform exact tests, but I was quizzed on my theoretical and practical knowledge of research methods and social theory. The focus was on research methods.