Thousands of candidates, fresh out of university, will be vying for a limited number of positions. The selection process is comprehensive and competitive, so there’s little room for error. For that reason, it’s vital that you do your homework. And your homework begins with reading an article like this, so you’re off to a good start. Read on…
What Qualifications Does Deloitte Look For?
Before starting the application process, know the minimum qualification requirements. Note that the exact requirements can vary depending on the programme, so do double-check this on the job advert itself. The basic, general requirements are as follows:
GCSE maths grade 6 (grade B pre-2017) and English grade 4 (grade C pre-2017) 104 UCAS points (260 pre-2017) Predicted 2:1 degree in any discipline
For a fuller list of requirements, visit Deloitte’s website. Deloitte also states that while these requirements do apply the vast majority of the time, they will occasionally adjust them to reflect extenuating circumstances. So, if you have a particularly good reason for why you do not have one or more of the entry requirements, Deloitte welcomes you to apply and will take your circumstances into account.
Applying Online
As with most job applications, this one starts with an application form. Gather all your important documents, details and qualifications and fill it out. First, you select the programme you want to apply for. Choose from:
Career Shapers Entry Level Apprenticeship BrightStart Apprenticeship Spring into Deloitte Summer Vacation Scheme Industrial Placement Graduate Programme
Next, you can read a little about the overview of the programme, the entry requirements and the deadline. Then, you select your career path. For the graduate programme, these are:
Audit & Assurance Business & Financial Advisory Cyber Governance, Risk and Regulation Human Capital Real Estate Strategy & Operations Tax Consulting Technology
Within some of these, you may also be able to select more specific roles that are currently being recruited for. Once you have selected your career path, you will be able to read more detailed information on the programme, including requirements, the available location, an overview, what you will do during the programme and Deloitte’s values. If you’re satisfied with everything (check the available locations in particular, if you have a specific place in mind), then you can click ‘Apply Now’ and begin the form.
Requirements and Extenuating Circumstances
For most, this is just a simple checkbox to say that you have all the minimum requirements. However, it is also here where you must declare if you have extenuating circumstances that have prevented you from attaining the required grades. Likewise, this is also where you fill in some other important legal requirements, such as whether you’ve worked for or applied to Deloitte before, whether (and on what grounds – citizenship, visa, etc.) you are eligible to work at the location you’re applying for, and whether you have anything on your legal record that you have to declare.
Diversity Monitoring
As part of Deloitte’s diversity and social mobility initiatives and statistics, you are asked to provide some more personal information here. This information is confidential and does not impact the recruitment process. For each question, you may answer with ‘Prefer not to say’. You are asked about the following:
Nationality Gender Whether you are trans or non-binary Ethnicity Religion or belief Disabilities Sexual orientation Parents’ education level
For some programmes and locations, you may have additional questions. For Belfast applications, for example, you will be asked whether you are a part of either the Protestant or Roman Catholic communities. Finally, you will be asked whether you are happy for this data to be shared in a way that is not personally identifiable. And that’s it. With that filled in, you can then review your application and send it off. Once you’ve submitted your application form, you’re automatically advanced to Stage 2.
Immersive Online Assessment
The second stage of the process is essentially a situational judgement test. It’s not a test with right and wrong answers, per se, like numerical or verbal reasoning tests. Instead, you will be given a typical workplace scenario and asked how you would respond to the situation. You complete this test online, so ensure you have a secure internet connection. The test itself is untimed but it must be completed in a single sitting. Deloitte says that it should take around 40 minutes, so make sure you have about an hour set aside. This is a ranked preference multiple-choice test. You need to rank the possible answers in order of preference, from your most likely action to your least likely. Crucially, this format means that you aren’t just selecting a single response to put forward but, rather, you’re ranking each one. This will require more time and more thought. Because this is not a test with right or wrong answers, it can be a bit harder to prepare. Deloitte will be assessing your personality and whether you’ll be a good fit for the role. A good way to prepare is to figure out what Deloitte values in an employee. Read up all you can about the company’s internal structures, values and culture, to see what they might be looking for. Of course, it’s important that you are true to yourself as well, but there is flexibility in terms of what you focus on or emphasise. For starters, Deloitte has published the values that ‘describe the core principles that distinguish the Deloitte culture’. In brief, these are:
Integrity Outstanding value to markets and clients Commitment to each other Strength from cultural diversity
Have these written down nearby and refer to them if you’re struggling to rank a set of options. To help you narrow things down, consider which answers most embody Deloitte values, and which answers potentially go contrary to one or more of its values. Within a few days, you should hear whether or not you have been successful in stage 2. That does not mean that you are automatically advanced to stage 3. Rather, if you’re successful at stage 2, Deloitte will consider your full application and get back to you within about 2 weeks, to let you know if you are advancing to the third stage or not. Succeed or fail at this stage, you will receive a feedback report that essentially tells you your personality results from the immersive online assessment. It will let you know your strengths and weaknesses, and how you performed according to certain key traits.
Job Simulation
Here you will need to answer questions in written, multiple-choice and video format. It is called a ‘job simulation’ because the questions will relate to the work you might undertake at Deloitte. Before you begin, you may be asked to select a specific service line, which can affect the types of questions you are asked. This section is not timed but you should be able to complete it in about 45 minutes. There should be around 18 questions in three sections. Around five to seven of those questions will be video recorded. While the tasks you face and the order you face them can change depending on your service line and intake group, you’re likely to come across some of the following questions:
1. Numerical Reasoning
You’re likely to be asked tough numerical aptitude questions. These questions test your ability to interpret and manipulate numerical information, and come to a conclusion. Typically, the actual questions will not be that difficult in isolation – addition, multiplication, division, percentages and so on – but working out which operations to use to get to the desired answer can be tougher. Plus, some candidates have noted that there is a possibility of being asked to use factorials – and other more advanced operations – in some of the more difficult questions. You can practice numerical reasoning tests here.
2. Situational Judgement
Similarly to the last stage, you might also face situational judgement questions: those that relate to how you would respond to particular work-based scenarios. The key with these questions is that there’s no right or wrong answer so, as with the last stage, keep Deloitte’s values in mind and you won’t go far wrong. You can practice situational judgement tests here.
3. Verbal Reasoning
Verbal reasoning questions are to do with interpreting and analysing written information, and using it to come to a conclusion. These can be done in different ways. A common format is for the information to be given and then a statement is made about the information. You have to decide whether that statement is true, false, or if there is not enough information to say either way. You can practice verbal reasoning tests here.
4. Video Questions
A large part of this section works as a pre-recorded interview, meaning that there is no live person on the other end. The questions are pre-set by Deloitte and your answers are recorded and then assessed later. You will be given around five to seven questions. For each of these, you will have a set number of minutes to record your answer. These questions can be on more or less anything to do with you as a candidate, though they are largely competency-based. Some examples of questions you might encounter include:
“Introduce yourself to the members of your team and the senior colleagues who haven’t met you yet.” This is a question on how you present yourself and your professionalism. What do you want your future colleagues’ first impression of you to be? Most likely, you will want to come across as friendly, approachable, confident, capable and professional. “What does successful collaboration mean to you?” Think about outcomes here. When you collaborate on something work-related, what do you want to achieve? Typically, you’ll want to work towards a successful outcome through effective teamwork. Likewise, you’ll probably want to grow closer to your teammates and learn more about their work styles throughout the collaboration, so that you can work better in the future. “Give me an example of a time you’ve been creative.” Often, very open-ended questions like this will be asked because how you decide to answer says a lot about you. What does creativity mean to you? However you think of creativity, make sure you have a concrete and relevant example to back it up. “What technology do you think could have a big impact on the industrial workplace?” This sort of question is looking for a few things from you. First, you need to be at least fairly well-read on current events, so that you know what’s coming in the future, technology-wise. Second, you need to be able to explain in what ways that will impact on the workplace, and what effects that will have going forward. Why do you think that one technology will have more impact than another?
Other questions in this section might be case-study-based, depending on your service line. This is a question on how you present yourself and your professionalism. What do you want your future colleagues’ first impression of you to be? Most likely, you will want to come across as friendly, approachable, confident, capable and professional. Think about outcomes here. When you collaborate on something work-related, what do you want to achieve? Typically, you’ll want to work towards a successful outcome through effective teamwork. Likewise, you’ll probably want to grow closer to your teammates and learn more about their work styles throughout the collaboration, so that you can work better in the future. Often, very open-ended questions like this will be asked because how you decide to answer says a lot about you. What does creativity mean to you? However you think of creativity, make sure you have a concrete and relevant example to back it up. This sort of question is looking for a few things from you. First, you need to be at least fairly well-read on current events, so that you know what’s coming in the future, technology-wise. Second, you need to be able to explain in what ways that will impact on the workplace, and what effects that will have going forward. Why do you think that one technology will have more impact than another? Here, the questions might ask you to figure out where the errors are in a report. This might require some more technical knowledge, so be prepared for that. Essentially, you will be given a fictional client scenario and asked to come up with a solution to a problem. Be ready to think on your feet. Sometimes the case study question is written instead, and you will simply need to write an analysis of the case study and answer a question on it. Video interviews can feel very unnatural. That’s why it’s vital that you practice recording yourself giving answers into a camera.
5. Email Task
Another task that some candidates have reported being given is an email task. This simply entails writing an email to a client, colleague or manager about a day-to-day task. For instance, you may have to write an email to a colleague politely explaining why you are unable to meet a deadline. At the end of the job simulation, Deloitte says you should receive an email within 3 weeks containing the result of your assessment, alongside some feedback.
Final Stage Assessment
If you have made it this far then congratulations are in order. Very few candidates advance to the final stage. Deloitte says that in this stage you will face an interview with a senior person from your chosen service line and a presentation. The final stage assessment will be scheduled for around 1 to 2 hours. About a week before your scheduled time, you will receive further information about the final assessment. You will be sent a topic on which you must prepare a 5-minute presentation. This presentation will be given at the beginning of the interview. You will need to give your presentation and then answer some questions on it. The presentation topic could be on a variety of things but it tends to be quite broad, leaving you to narrow it down to a succinct 5 minutes. For instance, one candidate was asked to speak on globalisation. Five minutes is very little time for such a broad topic, so your first job is to figure out what you want to talk about. Research the current debates and news relating to your topic. When you find one or two points that interest you, see how they might relate to Deloitte and the industries your service line is related to. Use your 5 minutes to briefly sum up the most interesting and pertinent aspects of the topic area, how they relate to Deloitte, and then what challenges and opportunities those aspects present to the firm. Next, the presentation will segue into the interview itself. Deloitte internal audit interview questions are not a standard set of questions and can vary greatly from one interviewer to the next. Exactly how the interview will go depends very much on the particular interviewer. While many will follow familiar patterns, some like to go off-piste to see how you deal with the unexpected and types of questions you likely haven’t prepared for. Broadly speaking though, this interview will be competency-based. Potential questions include:
Why Deloitte? Why this service line? Tell me about something in the news and how it will impact Deloitte. Tell me about a time you were challenged and how you overcame it. What do you see as your best role in a team? What is your proudest achievement? What are two of your strengths? What’s your greatest weakness?
In general, candidates mostly report facing ‘standard’ competency questions, so some general preparation should do you well. Take a look at our article on Deloitte interview questions for more detail. They’ll talk about why you want to work at Deloitte, why that particular service line, and what about your past experiences makes you a good candidate. Remember to use the STAR technique to answer interview questions like these. It’s a formula to help you succinctly get across all the relevant points, along with tangible evidence. STAR stands for:
Situation – What school or work project was this? Was it a team exercise or solo? What were the stakes? Task – What was the exact challenge you were facing that you want to highlight? What did you need to overcome? Action – Describe the action you took to resolve the task. And, particularly in team projects, focus on what you specifically did. What steps did you take? Response – What happened as a result of your action? Was the task resolved successfully? Numbers and other pieces of concrete evidence are ideal here if you can. For example, “We boosted sales by 20%” or “The action I took was specifically mentioned by the lecturer as one of the main reasons why we got a higher grade”.
Some candidates have remarked that their interview was structured according to Deloitte’s values – the same ones mentioned earlier. This structure entails four sections based on the values, with about 3 to 4 questions per section. Even more reason to get to know Deloitte’s values as well as you can and to factor them into your answers.
Receiving an Offer
Once you’ve done the interview, that’s it. You can rest and try to relax for now as you wait for the final verdict. The time you’ll need to wait varies a lot depending on how many more applicants they need to see, their scheduling, how difficult the decision is and so on. But you should be looking at approximately 1 to 3 weeks, with detailed feedback regardless of whether you’re selected for the position or not. Alongside an industry-competitive salary, the bonus structure allows for rewards based on personal performance and the performance of the wider business. Focusing on the overall wellness and happiness of staff, Deloitte offers comprehensive insurance options that include medical and life insurance, but also optional extras like travel insurance. Childcare vouchers and excellent leave options help families to balance their finances and their time. Casual Fridays and flexible working help inject some balance and fun to the working culture at Deloitte, and the business is recognized by employees as having an open, informal, collaborative, and fun atmosphere. Learning and development is an important part of the employee journey at Deloitte, which means that whether you join the graduate scheme or as an experienced professional, there are many career paths that you can take – with the appropriate learning and training included in your development plan. Working at Deloitte allows staff to be at the forefront of innovation in a diverse range of professional services – and looks great on any CV. Deloitte lists the core competencies, skills and qualifications that are needed for each role and program, so if you cannot demonstrate that you have achieved these in your application form you may not be considered for the role. To ensure that Deloitte does not reject your application, make sure that you highlight the relevant attributes that they are looking for in the online application form, or include any extenuating circumstances that might have prevented you from achieving what you were capable of. This is especially relevant for internships or graduate roles, where your application hinges on whether you got the required degree level, for example. Another reason that Deloitte might reject your application is if it is full of errors. Make sure you spellcheck and reread the application before you send it, and get proof of qualifications, skills, and competencies ready to show the team. Don’t let your achievements be muted by simple spelling mistakes or grammatical errors in the initial application. The application and interview process at Deloitte might be slightly different depending on what position you have applied for, with different aptitude tests that relate to the skills and competencies needed for the role. However, you should expect the process to be like the below:
Online application form – Designed to capture all the details needed to get you through the initial paper sift. You will need to provide contact information as well as things like your education, qualifications and experience, and you can expect to provide some diversity monitoring information at this stage too. Immersive online assessment – This is a situational judgment test that is taken online, and you will be given several realistic workplace problems with several different possible solutions. Job simulation – Like the immersive assessment, this involves realistic workplace scenarios but the questions will require several different methods of answering. The questions here are based on psychometric competencies like numerical reasoning, situational judgement and verbal reasoning. Final Stage assessment – This usually includes an interview with a presentation, but sometimes includes an assessment day with group activities and individual exercises too.
When you apply for a role, you will have a dedicated Talent Advisor that will keep you in the loop about what comes next, and when you can expect to get through to the next stage. It can take several weeks from the initial application form to reach the final assessment stage. If at any point after the assessments your application is rejected, you can get detailed feedback to know whether you need to develop or grow to be able to get through the process if you reapply. If you are successful in the Deloitte recruitment process, you can expect to receive a job offer within 1-3 weeks of the final stage assessment. In the UK, for most graduate placements and some other roles, you will be expected to have GCSE Maths at grade 6 (B) and English at grade 4 (C), at least 104 UCAS points, and a predicted or actual 2:1 degree. Usually, applicants will need a GPA of at least 3.5 – 3.7 to be considered for US roles, and there are often campus-based events for students thinking about applying for a role at Deloitte. If you haven’t achieved the required GPA or degree to make the Deloitte cut-off, you can describe any extenuating circumstances in your initial application to see if you will still be considered. You will get detailed feedback after every stage from the initial assessment onwards, and the bespoke feedback report will describe your strengths and weaknesses within two weeks. Your personal Talent Advisor will be in touch throughout the process with the next steps. You can expect to hear back after the job simulation within three weeks, and then it usually takes 1-3 weeks after the final stage interviews and assessments to get a job offer. To prepare, the best thing you can do is extensive research on the role, Deloitte as a company, and the wider financial industry. This will help you answer questions about the business during the interview and make you more prepared even for the presentation. You will be able to produce examples from your previous experience that show how you meet the requirements in competency and skill through this research, too. The questions you will be asked include motivational questions, thoughts about your past experience, scenario-based questions, and a discussion about you, your values, and your strengths. You will be given the topic for your presentation in advance, so use this time to prepare. The topic of the presentation might be quite broad, but you will be expected to narrow it down to just five minutes. Be sure that as part of your preparation you know what to expect, you practice answering competency and motivational questions in a succinct way (you might want to use a technique like STAR to make this easier), and you think of some questions to ask yourself of the interview team. On the day, give yourself plenty of time to get to the interview – it is important to be early. Dress well too – the dress code at Deloitte might be more like business casual on a day-to-day basis, but you should always aim to be overdressed. This might mean a suit or similar and make sure that you are clean and well-presented, too. In the second part, you will be asked questions that are based on the following topics:
Motivational – Why you have chosen this role, why you want to work at Deloitte, and what your future plans are. Competencies – Examples from your past that show your strengths and skills in relation to what is needed to be successful in the role. Scenarios – You might be asked to solve work-related problems, based on realistic scenarios that you might come across in the role. You – Some of the questions might be linked to the type of person that you are, with a particular focus on your strengths and values, and how they line up with the needs of Deloitte.
The case study in the Deloitte interview is based on the type of genuine business issues that you might face when you are in the role, and this means you can get an idea of the types of work and projects you might be involved in if you are successful in a role. During the case study, you will be expected to come up with a course of action to solve the problem, and even if there isn’t something obvious that can be done, you should talk through the problem with the interviewer and discuss the thought process you are using. According to the recruitment team at Deloitte, ‘if in doubt, overdress’. A suit is always a good idea, with clean smart and comfortable shoes. Shirt and tie or blouse, whatever you feel good in – make sure it is clean and pressed of course. In the interview, be confident and friendly to give a good impression too – it’s not all about what you wear, it is just as much about your personality and the way you present yourself in a discussion. Knowing what you will be expected to do in the case study interview will help you prepare. This includes talking through your process and the structure you are using to approach the problem – giving reasons for your decisions is more important than your actual recommendations through the case study interview. The case study interview at Deloitte is candidate-led, and the interviewee can discuss the whole project with the interviewer throughout, asking questions and looking for clarification where needed. When you are practicing your case study interview, you can make use of the case study tool on the Deloitte recruitment site to give you some pointers and help you think about the way you want to approach the project. During the group exercise, you will be under assessment by the recruitment team, who will be looking for the so-called ‘soft skills’ that are not easily assessed through an application form or even through psychometric tests. These include the way you build relationships, approach problem solving, and focus on getting results with adaptability. You will also be assessed on things like communication, listening skills, teamwork and leadership. Knowing that these are the skills you need to demonstrate, you can prepare by thinking about problems and talking about them, knowing when to speak and when to listen – and remember that you don’t always have to lead to be effective in a group discussion. Speak clearly and remember that there are no bad ideas – from you or anyone else in the group. Be supportive of everyone as you would in the workplace. In most cases, a call from the recruitment team is usually used when an interview or assessment center is being arranged to ensure that you are available for different dates, whether in-person or virtual – so a phone call usually means success. An email at most stages is usually where you will get the detailed, personalized feedback that is so vital for candidates in their personal development. According to PayScale, the average salary for a Deloitte employee in the UK is around £41,000, but entry-level positions tend to be around the £21,000 mark, which is what you might expect on a training contract or as a graduate. Of course, Partners and Directors can expect a six-figure salary, but that comes with years of experience. According to previous candidates, the content of the test will be relevant to the role you have applied for – if you are working in Java, for example, then you will have questions that are about Java-specific knowledge. Specific internships for students who are interested in being part of the Professional, Engineering, or IT division at Deloitte can take part in conferences and leadership programs as well as case competitions – and there are ‘discovery internships’ available every summer throughout the business. In most cases, the GPA needed to get onto a graduate program is between 3.5 and 3.7, but the recruitment team is understanding about extenuating circumstances, especially if you can demonstrate that you have other competencies and skills that they are looking for. The work, projects and development offered by Deloitte are amongst the best in the world, so being successful in that environment will help you succeed in other related businesses in the future, especially other financial institutes.
Entry Level: £21,000 Analyst: £34,000 Consultant: £43,000 Senior Consultant: £56,000 Manager: £66,000 Partner: £100,000 Director: £145,000
Alongside these salaries are other benefits, like performance bonuses, insurance, pension, and share plans that all add up to a total rewards package.
