Q Investments Interview Questions
& Process

I would avoid this lengthy and inhumane process they drag you through. They weirdly emphasize asking where else you are applying. The interviews themselves are fine and average, but they are disrespectful to candidates who are taking time to jump through many hoops for them, like multiple exams, case studies, and filling out many forms on outdated platforms. The firm seems stuck in 1995 and seems like they only recently discovered that computers, let alone AI, exist. What they should be doing is hiring tech/software people to update their old processes.

The recruiting and HR team here are very friendly, and I got the impression that plenty of intelligent and hard working people work at Q Investments. That being said, anyone interviewing for a position with the firm should know what they are getting into. This was the most excessive, invasive, and uncomfortable interview process I have ever participated in. It involved 6 interviews with HR and upper level management, over 5 hours of unpaid tests, a deluge of forms to fill out, a meeting to scroll through all of my social media accounts, and some ridiculous questions about if they were my “number one choice” of where to work and what was the absolute lowest pay I would accept. They wanted a background check among other things that you generally don’t go to the trouble of until after signing an offer, ACT scores from high school, and a college transcript with every class grade. The last interview was very combative as if the interviewer was trying his hardest to make me as uncomfortable as possible and to denigrate myself. Maybe the interview process is designed to find people with the least leverage who will put up with the most abuse. On top of all that, after going through the whole process, they didn’t have the professionalism to let me know their decision on an offer. After 2 weeks or so, I sent an inquiry, and they said they were “still considering”, and even after that they never sent me a formal decision. Even if for some reason you want to put yourself through that process, what you have waiting for you on the other side is 8am-6pm every day at the office. They cater in lunch to make sure no one leaves, and I was told most people eat at their desks and work rather than take a lunch break despite working 10 hour days for below industry average compensation. When I interviewed, they were still work from home due to Covid, but apparently workers at home are on a constant video call so that their managers can monitor them all day. If you believe a grueling interview process for around a 60k compensation ceiling job with 10 hour work days requiring a high ACT/SAT, and a business/finance bachelors degree with a high GPA, go for it, but I would not advise it. There are better opportunities out there with firms who will respect you and your time, especially if you have the qualifications they are looking for.

It begins with a 30-minute call with HR. Good performance there leads to two timed technical assessments, each taking about 1.5 hours. After that, two more personality-focused assessments are sent out. If you do well enough, you'll get an in-person interview. They covered the hotel the night before. The interview itself ran from 8:30 am to 2 pm on the 32nd floor of the Bank of America building. It involved multiple back-to-back interviews, each with a partner for about 90-120 minutes. They really dig into your answers from the personality assessment and any resume weaknesses. They even make you scroll through your social media while an HR director watches. People were nice, but be ready to stand by your answers.

This interview experience was terrible and a total waste of my time. It started with a phone screen that went well. Then I completed two Excel tests that took about 2.5 hours total. They said I did well on those, so I was given a personality test and an attention to detail test, which took another 2 hours combined. They said I did well on those too, but before bringing me in, they needed to verify my undergraduate and graduate transcripts and my ACT scores. Collecting this old information took me several hours. Finally, they scheduled a 4-hour interview that was supposed to include 3 one-on-one interviews and an office tour. I drove over an hour to their office and got a super quick tour of a quiet office with stressed-looking people. Then, they asked me to open my social media apps 'to keep their employees safe.' My first one-on-one interview was extremely combative, with questions trying to make me say negative things, which I avoided. They never asked about my years of finance experience. Instead, we spent time discussing my C+ in an Oceanography class from 6 years ago (which they apparently needed my transcripts for). After that interview, I waited 15 minutes. When I asked the HR person about the next interviewer, she said, 'Thanks for coming to get me! Unfortunately, all your interviewers are suddenly busy, but we have everything we need from you.' Basically, they expected over 10 hours of my time and didn't even interview me when I traveled to their office.