Royal London Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process for the Graduate Enterprise Leadership Programme was super organized, felt really professional, and they clearly cared about the candidates. It started with an online application, then we had to do a written task that looked at strategic thinking, leadership ideas, and if we fit with Royal London’s values. If that went well, we got a quick call with a recruiter, which was pretty chill and mostly about why I wanted to join and my experience. The last part was an assessment centre in Edinburgh. It was a full day starting with a welcome and a quick intro about myself, then chances to chat with current grads, two group activities, and a competency-based interview where we used the STAR method. The group activities were a problem-solving challenge where we had to work together and a business simulation, meant to see how we communicate, team up, lead, and make choices, not really about technical skills. The interview itself was about past experiences, how I act, and if I'd be a good fit for Royal London’s culture and values. Honestly, the whole thing was clear, supportive, and smoothly run, with good communication all the way. They gave helpful feedback, and it really gave me a true feel for Royal London’s culture and how they work.

Started with a positive initial HR screening, a 30-minute chat via Peli the virtual assistant on WhatsApp, which was great, super clear. Then got invited to interview with the recruiting manager, which involved a case study. They sent one case study, then said it was a mistake and sent a second. The case study was one page, listing several artefacts to prepare, but not specifying the detail needed. I spent a lot of time on it and sent it in early. During the interview, they commented that my 'materials were very rich', which I felt meant they wanted something simpler, but the case study wasn't clear on the required depth, so I showed what I could do. They asked questions about the case study and some follow-ups. I was told I'd hear back in 2 weeks after other interviews. It took 6.5 weeks, even after chasing HR weekly from week 3 and eventually the interviewer. Finally heard I was unsuccessful, with feedback only coming through the recruitment team, not directly from the interviewer. Didn't get a chance to speak directly to the interviewer for feedback, unlike with a different role at RL. Waiting this long, especially after putting in a lot of prep and being given a timeframe, felt extremely long, waiting over three times as long as expected.

First there were some emails and phone calls via a recruitment agency. Then, I had a competency-based video interview with the Marketing Team Lead and a Talent Acquisition Partner. The interview lasted about 50 minutes. It was a pretty decent competency interview, and we even managed to build some rapport, so it didn't feel too stiff. It was a bit strange, though, that they spent some time asking why I applied through an agency instead of directly. I never got any feedback afterwards, either from the company or the recruiter. I'm not sure if the recruiter even got the feedback from the company, but since they chose the recruiter to represent them, it gives a bad impression.

The last stage (assessment centre) was pretty fun and I felt I did great in both the group activity and the interview part. However, I never got a rejection email and instead got a call with feedback that didn't really align with my performance in the assessment centre; the feedback didn't make sense given how I felt I did. I was told my interview answers lacked structure, but nothing about the quality of the answers themselves. So, there was no clear reason for my rejection. It's especially frustrating because I traveled 4 hours to get there, and travel expenses weren't covered, nor was there any flexibility on dates. I'm really disappointed and suspect they might have hired internally. I would have at least appreciated genuine feedback or a clear reason for not being selected. Very disappointed.