Job interviews are usually nerve-wracking, let’s not pretend they aren’t. It’s okay to be nervous, but we want you to be comfortable when you decide to apply for a job with us. So, let’s walk you through our hiring process so that you know what to expect. (These steps can vary a little depending on the role and our workload.)
Getting the call from our People & Culture team
- If we think that you are a strong candidate, we will call you.
- Perhaps you are busy, or you may want to refresh yourself on the role. If that’s the case, it’s okay to tell us you need a little time and you can call us back. We would much rather that you focus on our conversation so that we can truly connect.
- The chat will focus on why you are interested in the role and clarify any specific position requirements (for example, if the job requires travel)
- If it still seems like we are a good fit for each other, we will offer an interview either on the call or within a day or two via email.
- The interview will be scheduled for some time in the next week or two. It’s up to us if it’s in person or virtual.
The interview
- We will email the details about the interview to you – the location, what you can expect in terms of the type of questions we will ask you, as well as how to use the STAR method and she will send you the job description again.
- Your interview will be with a member of our People & Culture team and the hiring manager for that role.
- We are not trying to trick you in our interviews so 15-20 minutes beforehand, we will give you the exact questions (in person or via email).
- We usually ask seven to ten questions in an interview. Some are behavioural and competency-based questions (“tell us about a time when….”) which we expect you to use the STAR method to answer, and some are values-based questions (watch our video all about those).
After the interview
If the interview goes well, a few things will happen over the next few days or weeks.
- Depending on the role, we will ask you to do an assignment or have a coffee chat with another member of the team.
- Every potential new employee has a 15-20 minute call with Rob, our CEO. Don’t worry, he’s a nice guy – he wants to see if we would be a good fit for each other too. (Check out this video about a leadership award he won.)
- At the same time as that phone call, we will check your references. Our preference is to contact your current manager and one colleague.
- If your references check out and Rob gives the go-ahead, we will call you and offer you the role! You will get a conditional offer letter that is contingent on a criminal record check and the signing of our standards of conduct.
We try to get someone to start with us within four weeks, depending on the role. Welcome aboard!
Want more tips?
Read through all of our posts in our HR & culture blog, The Right Fit, We have lots more information to help you understand and be successful in our recruitment process and in our job interviews, including:
- Cover letters & pre-screening questions: what are we looking for?
- How to use our online job application system
- 4 tips to succeed in our job interviews
- Accommodations in our hiring process
- Common mistakes in job interviews & how to avoid them
- Tips for answering our values-based interview questions
- Tips to prepare for a competency-based interview
- Understand our corporate values and how we live them
Think you might want to join our team?
Visit the careers page of our website. Any new job postings can be found on the Join our talented team menu of our careers page. To learn more about the work we do as a provincial regulator, visit the About us section of www.consumerprotectionbc.ca. You can also follow us on LinkedIn for content about our job postings, our people, and our resources.