Hays Assessment Centre, Aptitude Tests, Recruitment Process & Interviews Online Preparation – 2024

What Is Hays?

Hays is a dedicated recruitment firm which operates in over 30 countries across the globe. As a market leader in the UK for recruitment solutions, Hays has a variety of careers on offer, including fantastic graduate internship schemes. With over 12,000 people working around the globe, Hays prides itself on being a leader in its field.

 

What Is Hays’ Hiring Process?

Although it may seem lengthy, the pre-employment screening process for Hays is derived from their desire to match the right candidate to the right job. You can expect four stages to their recruitment process, including:

Online Application

To begin the hiring process, job seekers must fill in a straightforward online application form. You will need to input your personal details and upload your cover letter and CV. Because Hays are recruitment specialists, you should consider updating your CV before applying to ensure that it is relevant to the job role you are applying for. Make sure to add relevant keywords and show you have what it takes to succeed in the role.

 

Hays’ Aptitude Tests

If your CV passes through the applicant screening process and you look promising to the recruiter, you will be invited to take part in a series of online aptitude tests.

How many aptitude tests you take depends on the role you are applying for; however, you can expect to do at least two. The email you receive from the hiring manager will let you know which tests you will take part in and how many there will be.

• Numerical Reasoning Test – In this online aptitude test, you will be evaluated on your ability to understand and assess a series of numerical data. The data will be presented in the form of graphs, tables and charts, and you may also be expected to answer some high-school-level mathematic equations. The overall content in the numerical reasoning test is manageable, but the time pressure of 1 minute per question can make it more challenging, and therefore taking practice tests is vital for success. Get prepared with free numerical reasoning practice questions.
• Verbal Reasoning Test – In this test, candidates are shown a section of writing they are expected to read. They will then be presented with a statement about the text they have just read and must answer whether that statement is true, false or if they cannot say due to a lack of information available. Like the numerical reasoning test, the information in this test is not difficult, but the time pressure can make it tricky. It is for this reason why it is so important to practice online tests. Improve your verbal reasoning score with free sample questions.
• Logical Reasoning Test – Some candidates will be required to take a logical reasoning test. This test sets out to examine applicants’ problem-solving skills under pressure. In this test, applicants will be given 12 questions to complete within 12 minutes. Each question will present the test taker with a series of patterns and matrices and will require them to work out which comes next from a set of multiple-choice answers.

 

Telephone Interview

If you have successfully passed the psychometric tests, you will be invited to participate in a telephone interview. This will be your first opportunity to speak to one of the recruitment team, so make sure you have your CV handy and are prepared to answer questions about your motivations for applying for the role and what attracts you to Hays.

The telephone interview will last approximately 15-20 minutes and will be a ‘get to know you’ session. You should also prepare some questions to ask the recruiter, as this will show that you are serious about the company and have done your research.

 

Assessment Centre

After you have had a conversation with the recruiter and they have deemed you suitable for Hays and the job role, you will then be invited to an assessment centre. This is a day-long event where you will meet other candidates, people from the HR team, hiring managers and senior professionals from Hays.

During the day, candidates will take part in a variety of individual and group tasks, including:

• Role Play – As part of the assessment centre, you will be given a role-play exercise to act out with the recruiter. For example, if you are applying for a role within recruitment, you will be given two role plays to act out – one selling an applicant to a client and another looking to get a new client on board to assist with their recruitment drive. While role-play might feel strange, it is a great tool for recruiters as it allows them to test how applicants approach certain situations that occur regularly within the role.
• Presentation – Before the assessment centre, you will be sent a brief to complete a presentation on a particular topic concerning Hays and the role you are applying for. In this presentation, you will be assessed on how well you have understood the brief as well as your delivery.
• Written Task – Not all roles will require each applicant to perform a written task; however, for roles within recruitment, candidates will need to prove that they have what it takes to write a compelling job description for their clients.

 

Final Interview

The final step in Hays’s recruitment process is the face-to-face interview. This interview is competency-based and will focus on your behaviours in relation to the job role. Competency-based interviews aim to understand how you have taken responsibility in the past and what you have learned from your experiences. This will allow Hays to understand whether you fit the candidate profile for the job they are hiring for.

Common interview questions you can expect are:

• Why do you want to work at Hays?
• Tell me about a time when you have overcome a challenge in the workplace. What are the steps you took?
• Tell me about a time something did nott go to plan. How were you able to fix it? Is there anything you would have done differently?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

 

How to Prepare for Hays’ Psychometric Tests?

Preparing for Hays online aptitude tests requires some time and dedication. Unfortunately, many candidates go into psychometric tests unprepared, which is why they do not do as well as they would think.

Making sure you are well-prepared is easy when you have the resources. One of the best ways to ensure that you are prepared is by taking online practice assessments. The online tests mimic the test conditions you will encounter on the day. This allows you to get familiar with the test questions with less pressure. The fantastic thing about taking practice tests is that you can see your score after you have submitted the test, and you can also see the answers. This allows you to gain an understanding of how you may do on the day and help you understand areas for improvement.

Another great way to prepare for the psychometric tests is by using sample questions. These questions are like the ones you will encounter on the test, except they do not have time constraints.

Both methods can help you, and both are incredibly useful in their own ways. Sample questions will ease you into the type of questions you will encounter on the day, whereas practice tests will allow you to work under the same conditions as the test itself.

 

Conclusion

Working at Hays can be challenging, but they offer fantastic career and progression opportunities. Hays is a business with a competitive recruitment process, and each role they recruit for is highly sought after. This is why preparation for the online psychometric tests, assessment centre, and interviews is key.

Throughout the hiring process, be sure to familiarise yourself with Hays and its ethos and values so that you can highlight throughout each stage in the process how your characteristics and competencies fit the job you are applying for. Ensure you wow the recruiters by being prepared and showing interest in the role and field.

When you follow the tips above, you stand the best chance of being successful in the hiring process.