NSW Department of Communities and Justice Interview Questions
& Process

So I applied for a Senior Talent Acquisition role, and wow, this was a mess. They had me do a video assessment first. Then, I was supposed to have an in-person interview. I used their online scheduler, picked a time, got a confirmation, and drove 1.5 hours. I waited in the lobby for over an hour. The hiring manager didn't show up. She called me back later and accused me of being there on the wrong day, saying it was scheduled for the next day. I had the confirmation, so I showed her, and she admitted it was her mistake. We rescheduled for a virtual interview the next day. I did that, and then just got a generic rejection email a few days later. They offered a call to discuss feedback, which I accepted. But then, on the day of the feedback call, they cancelled it via email. Communication was a joke, no one took responsibility, and it felt super unprofessional. They didn't even send me the personality assessment results I asked for. They left me waiting for an hour because of their scheduling screw-up and tried to blame me. Then, a canned rejection email instead of a real conversation. And cancelling the feedback call? Just the cherry on top. The irony is their work sample was about fixing bad communication, and their process was exactly that. As a TA Leader, I was shocked they couldn't manage basic stuff like communication and planning.

The interview was supposed to give me 15 minutes to prep the questions beforehand but they handed them to me with only 5 minutes to review 4 detailed questions before I was called in. The panel was not friendly, they seemed arrogant and like they would rather be elsewhere. They didn't explain the role or the process. I had to tell them which question number I was going to answer and then give my response. The panel did not make eye contact during my answers and didn't say anything, just this awkward silence before I moved to the next question, making it feel like I was talking to myself. If this is how managers act towards new staff, I don't want to be a part of it.

They first give me a call or an email to invite me to an initial interview. It's usually a quick chat over the phone or video, about 15 to 30 minutes. They ask basic stuff about my background, why I want the job, and when I can start. I also ask them about the firm and the role. If they like me, they set up a more thorough interview, which could be in person or video. This one is longer and I meet more people, like the HR manager, hiring manager, and some team members. They ask different kinds of questions – behavioral ones about past work situations (like handling deadlines or conflicts) and technical ones about legal procedures, drafting, and software skills.

I got an email asking me to do a written task and an online questionnaire. After that, I got an interview date for an online interview. They called 10 minutes before the interview and emailed the questions. There were 3 questions. I was given time to read them and make notes. A panel of people asked the questions. They were all behavioral and focused on capabilities. You can find good tips by searching for DCJ capabilities online, they have a great tool for this. Use the STAR method for answering and giving examples. The whole process from application to offer can take 6-8 weeks.