Morningstar Research Analyst Interview Questions
& Process

The interview rounds were quite good and all focus was on skills, experience, cultural fit, and enthusiasm for the position that candidate holds. The process included an initial application review, followed by assessments and tests. Then there were technical/skills-based interviews, and a final round before an offer and negotiation.

HR set up the whole thing. I had one chat with the Hiring Manager who was building out the fund research team in Canada and needed three people to cover Canadian mutual funds. She seemed nice and answered my questions. Near the end, she asked for a writing sample, which I sent right after. Then I got invited to a 2-hour test that involved writing and logical thinking. They gave me two letters to unitholders, a Q&A with the fund manager from Morningstar, and a sample Morningstar report. My task was to write a 3-5 page synopsis of the fund for an 'average investor' – like my mom, who wouldn't know variance. I focused on metrics I could explain easily and skipped the Morningstar risk metrics and STDEV because I don't know how they're calculated. That's where I got shut down. I asked for ways to improve, but the hiring manager said it's company policy not to give feedback to candidates. Funny, because about six weeks before, I interviewed at Sustainalytics, and they did give me feedback when I asked. So, it's the same firm, but a contradiction. I don't like being lied to.

I began the interview process in early July and apparently reached the final stage by late October. The hiring process has been inefficient and lengthy for an analyst role, whether it's HR or the team responsible. As of this week, I still haven't received a final decision, and I was informed that next steps wouldn't be decided until late January. While the interviewers were pleasant, this entire experience makes me question the company's culture and if other internal procedures are also this slow. Only commit to the interview process if you're extremely passionate about a Research Analyst position. I estimate I spent about 20-30 hours total preparing for all application parts, which now feels like a significant waste of time.