Cathay General Bancorp Interview Questions
& Process

It was just some basic behavior questions. Nothing too challenging. They asked about my past working experience. They want to see my commitment. They are looking forward for me to stay here for whole life.

She emailed me to set up an interview. She mentioned there would be two rounds. The first one was over Zoom with the LA Recruiter and it lasted about 45 minutes.

Interview started okay, with usual questions about why I want to work at this bank and my experience, and how it relates to the field. Then they asked if I spoke Chinese, and I said no. The interviewer mentioned that the position requires it. I pointed out that the job description said Mandarin would be a PLUS, not mandatory. I explained that while there might be a language barrier with Chinese clients given my mortgage industry background, the official documents are in English, so it wouldn't really impact the work. It was clear the interviewer's attitude changed completely after that and they had already made up their mind. They even suggested a lower salary of $15/hr. I've had several interview requests from this bank and their branches for their mortgage department/client services roles before. All came down to communicating with clients, so if Mandarin/Cantonese is a requirement, PLEASE STATE IT CLEARLY SO IT DOESN'T WASTE ANYONE'S TIME.

I sent in my application online via Cathay Bank Careers. A few days later, HR gave me a call and scheduled an interview. I had to take a test there and then a short 15-minute interview with HR. The very next day, they called again to set up an interview at the branch. The team there, which included the branch manager and a VP, asked some general questions, nothing too tough. They didn't mention salary though, so I asked. They then asked what I was expecting, and offered me a lower amount, stating that teller salaries are fixed and bonuses are hard to come by. This was the main reason I turned down the offer.