The largest airline in Germany, the second-largest airline in Europe, and a founding member of the Star Alliance, Lufthansa is headquartered in Cologne, Germany. The primary hub and main operations base, Lufthansa Aviation Centre are located at Frankfort Airport and the secondary at Munich Airport with a secondary Flight Operations Centre. Lufthansa owns several subsidiaries, Austrian Airlines, Swiss International Airlines, Brussels Airlines, and Eurowings. They are one of the largest airline fleets in the world with over 700 aircraft, know collectively as The Lufthansa Group. The Lufthansa Group employs more than 135,000 employees around the world and operates in 176 countries. They offer career opportunities in every aspect of commercial aviation, from flight attendants and airport staff to pilots and IT. There are opportunities for apprenticeships, internships, and graduate scheme placement. Lufthansa takes its employees’ work-life balance seriously, which is reflected in their benefits. They offer benefits and incentives, such as:
Flexible working hours
Childcare
Continued education
Career Planning support
Health benefits
Pension and retirement plans
What Is Lufthansa’s Hiring Process?
Application Process
Lufthansa applications are available only online. As with most online applications, you must create a profile in their Career Cockpit prior to filling out the application form. Submit a resume that has been updated to reflect relevant experience. Priority will be given to applications that reflect excellent language skills and customer service. Unsolicited applications will not be accepted since all vacant positions are posted, you do have the ability to create a job subscription in your profile, which will allow job-seekers to see when positions that match their qualifications are available. Response times on applications may vary based on the job applied for, and the number of open positions.
Phone Interview
For some positions, like customer service representatives, the next step in the process is a phone interview. The phone interview is a chance for the recruiting team to get to know your personality and answer any questions they may have about information on your application. They will also be listening carefully to determine your English conversational skills. Being fluent in English is an important part of getting a position with Lufthansa. This is a good opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have about the job, to make sure the position and company are a good fit for you. The phone interview is relaxed and informal and should last anywhere from 15-30 minutes.
Lufthansa Online Psychometric Tests
Due to the types of positions offered by Lufthansa, there is some variation in the psychometric and skills-based assessment tests job applicants are given. There are some tests most applicants for graduate scheme and non-entry roles should anticipate. These tests are all timed, but the times for each test will vary.
Concentration test –The concentration test measures how well you can catch minute details, and focus. You will be given a certain word or number to find in a large group of very similar words or numbers and must go line by line to find every place in which it occurs. Since so many roles at Lufthansa require attention to detail, this test is given to applicants for a majority of roles.
Arithmetic Test – The arithmetic test may consist of two different types of questions. One test your ability to solve complex math problems involving numerical information. You will be given graphs and numerical data and must use these to answer true or false questions about the information presented in the graphs. The second tests your ability to solve arithmetic problems using the order of operations to determine how the answer to a basic math equation was reached.
Vocabulary Test – Since they are a multi-national airline, Lufthansa requires its employees to have a firm grasp of the Engish language. The vocabulary test determines a candidate’s understanding of English phrasing by presenting a sentence with two missing words or phrases. You must find the correct words in the options listed to complete the sentences.
English Test – The English test is similar to the vocabulary test, in that both measure the applicant’s grasp of English. The English test goes more in-depth, testing grammar, and word usage, as well as understanding. It consists of fill in the blank questions that require selecting the correct word, tense, and part of speech to finish a sentence.
Analytical Thinking Test – This test is used to determine your ability to understand relationships and patterns in complex information. This test presents you with tables with letters and numbers, which are divided into two categories. Based on the positioning, numbers, and letters, the test-taker must categorize the tables after figuring out how they were categorized.
Email Tasks – This is a real-life situation test, used to test how well you multi-task. This is also used to test your leadership skills, based on how well you can prioritize a task. You will be given a series of emails and must arrange them from high to low priority, and then determine how to process them. Each email will offer you a choice of which action to take such as sending, forwarding, or following up on a task described in the email.
Situational Judgement Test (SJT) – This test is used to evaluate how a job candidate will respond in certain work-place situations. You will be given a scenario with five separate responses. You must pick the answer that most closely matches what your response would be. Since performing under pressure is a must when working for an airline, a great deal of emphasis will be placed on this test.
Lufthansa Assessment Centre
The assessment day will vary by role, but all applicants who make it as far as the assessment centre will be expected to perform various activities related to the job they are hoping for. There may be more online assessment tests to make sure all scores stay consistent. Other things you can anticipate occurring during the assessment centre are:
A case study and presentation – A week before the assessment day you will be given a package of information written in English and must give a 10-minute verbal presentation in English. This is meant to further analyze the job applicant’s use and understanding of English.
Role-Play – You will be given a possible customer service issue, and must role-play with one of the recruiting team acting as the customer how you would handle it. They will be evaluating your customer service skills, and how well you know the company.
Group activity – Job candidates will be separated into groups of 6. After introductions, you will be presented with some material about the aviation industry. You will have 10 minutes to read through it, and then the group will have 45 minutes to discuss it. Participating in the discussion, and contributing ideas is an important part of this activity. This is meant to allow the job-seekers to demonstrate both their leadership and team-working skills.
Face to Face Interviews
The main focus of the face to face interviews will be past job experience. Customer service skills are an important part of many roles when applying for a job with Lufthansa. This will be reflected in may of the interview questions. Familiarizing yourself with the STAR method of interviewing (situation, task, action, response) will help you know what to anticipate from the Lufthansa interview. Along with the competency-based questions, there will be some team-work related questions, to gauge how well you will fit into the team at Lufthansa. Some questions to be prepared for are:
How would you deal with a demanding customer?
Where do you see yourself in 5 years with Lufthansa?
What are you’re biggest flaws? How can you turn those into positive attributes?
What appeals to you about working for Lufthansa?
How to Prepare for Lufthansa’s Assessments?
The Lufthansa assessment tests can seem intense, but with proper preparation and practice, you can take some of the anxiety out of the test-taking process. Setting aside enough time to take the tests without feeling rushed is important. The tests are timed, but setting aside a portion of time strictly for test-taking will help some of the anxiety away. Make sure you are in an environment that is undisturbed. The tests are very detail-oriented, so limit distractions and allow yourself to focus. Research the company, For situational judgment, or personality tests, most companies have a preferred personality profile they are looking for. Making yourself aware of the company core values and the requirements of the position you are applying for can help you not only anticipate the questions they may ask, but also tailor your responses. Lufthansa places a great deal of emphasis on English language ability. If English is not your first language, or if you don’t use it frequently, brushing up on your English skills is highly beneficial. The most important thing to remember is to stay calm and remember that part of the reason these tests are given is to see how well you perform under pressure. If you remember this and do your research on the company, you will breeze through the assessment tests into that new job.
