IBISWorld Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process started with a phone call where they asked basic economic and business questions, like supply and demand. After that, I had a 24-hour take-home writing test. If you pass that, you might get an in-person interview. I met with three people: a manager, a higher-level manager, and a senior researcher. They asked more economics questions and general interview questions. They also asked about working with limited data. The job is mostly writing (about 75%). The atmosphere was casual and friendly, with beer on Fridays.

The interview process had four parts: a phone chat, an in-person interview, and two writing tasks. The first phone call was mostly behavioral, with some questions about the industry thrown in. Then, there was a take-home writing assignment to check writing skills. If they liked that, you'd have an in-person interview with several people, focusing more on behavioral aspects and how you handle writing reports under pressure. The last step was a timed writing assignment done in the office. The main focus was on writing, not so much on economics or quant skills. Everyone seemed nice and the office felt pretty relaxed (casual dress code, etc.). Being an Australian company, the culture is more laid-back.

I applied online in May and heard back about three weeks later. The whole process was pretty straightforward. It started with a short, 10-minute phone chat where they asked me some basic questions about myself, like what I know about the company, why I'm interested in the role, and my salary expectations. They also threw in a couple of economics questions. After that, I got to ask them some questions, and they laid out the rest of the interview process. If you pass this initial call, the next step is an 8-hour writing assignment. I actually liked doing the assignment and felt I did a really good job on it, but unfortunately, I didn't make it past that stage. It was a bit of a letdown because I thought my writing skills were top-notch, but I guess not.