Nedbank Graduate Program Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was conducted online via Microsoft Teams with a panel after I completed a series of assessments.

The hiring journey kicked off with an online application, followed by an online psychometric test. Only 200 out of over 1000 applicants made it to this stage, and scores narrowed it down to 100. Next, I tackled the CPP psychometric at the Nedbank Roodepoort Campus, which took about 3 hours. It wasn't tough, and there are no right or wrong answers; they just want to see how you think. Some folks did this later, so it's not a strict elimination step. Then came a 30-minute culture fit interview at the Sandown offices with HR folks from CIB departments. They focused heavily on fitting into the team's culture, not just Nedbank's overall vibe. About 100 candidates were interviewed, with 51 moving on to the CIB Graduate Summit. This 3-day event was at a Sandton hotel and fully covered. Day 1 was all about presentations on Nedbank and CIB, understanding different departments, and chatting with HR, current grads, and others. An evening game night was a nice way to unwind. Day 2 involved assessments at another hotel: an individual presentation and a group discussion, both pretty relaxed with plenty of prep time and internet access. That evening, there was a networking event with CIB execs and managers – a key opportunity to impress and connect with potential interviewers and even persuade other departments to consider you. Day 3 was for interviews, each about 30 minutes. I interviewed with the department that eventually offered me a role, discussing what we'd covered at the networking event. My second interview with another department had just one simple technical question. Remember to have questions ready for your interviewers! Out of the 51 candidates, only 30 positions were filled. Even though I'm an engineer switching to CIB, the interviews weren't technical but focused on skills, attitude, personality, and thinking style. Still, knowing about current affairs or doing an online IB course wouldn't hurt.

The hiring process started with an application that included IQ and personality tests, which were repetitive and tedious. After that, there was a telephonic interview, followed by a video conference. While these stages were fine, the lack of feedback or communication after the final interview was unprofessional. A key concern for the interviewer was the candidate's potential move across provinces and their coping mechanisms for such a transition.