Case Study-An Interview With Shell Oil Company
The Shell Oil company is well known for its human resource assessment methodology, which has proven successful in the identification and selection of candidates for its global operations. Its approach and assessment criteria have been adopted by some government agencies for selecting scholars and public officials. While it is not a financial institution, the experience documented below is the first-hand real life experience of one of the authors that has applicability and relevance on interviewing with global financial institutions.
Case study-The Shell Oil Company Interview Experience
殼牌石油公司以其人事評估方法著稱，該方法成功地爲其在全世界的機構選拔了大量優秀人才。它的方法和評估標準已經被全世界很多政府機構採用，以選擇獎學金得主和政府官員。儘管它不屬於金融機構，但以下案例是本書作者之一的親身經歷，相信對參加金融機構應聘的人士，也是有所裨益的。
案例分析——殼牌石油公司 面試 經歷
The second largest global oil giant and a Fortune 500 company, Shell is known for its stringent selection criteria when it comes to executive hiring. The interview process of this world-class company is very thorough and demands a lot out of a candidate. The whole experience is exhausting (it lasts approximately 6 hours including lunch) and one has to be very well prepared mentally to perform well.
The setting is as such: The candidate, along with 5-6 other short-listed candidates, is invited to a local hotel/resort/country club for a day. The panel that will be interviewing you consists of senior managers from different divisions of the company.
One point to note for perspective: Through this thorough interview process, the company seeks to employ candidates who can eventually progress to a General Management position in one of the company’s numerous divisions. The various stages of the long process include:
作爲全球第二大石油公司和財富500強企業，殼牌公司在挑選人才方面極爲嚴格。這個世界級大公司的 面試 過程非常全面、非常挑剔。整個過程是很耗費精力的(包括午飯大約需要6個小時)，你必須作好心理準備，爭取良好表現。
整個“佈景”是：你和其他幾個經過篩選的候選人一同受邀去當地的飯店/風景區/鄉村俱樂部過一天。即將 面試 你們的面試評審團成員包括公司各部門進階經理。
要注意一個前提：公司需要招募的是一個最後能晉升到部門經理的人選。冗長的面試過程具體如下：
1. Panel Interview. Candidates are first put through an interview regarding one's personal and education background, career objectives, achievements, extra curricular activities, etc. The panel usually consists of senior management from different divisions of the company. Some of the questions asked featured in the “Frequently Asked Questions?section above.
2. Panel Discussion Cadidates discuss with the rest of the short listed candidates. The Human Resource personnel will normally chair this session. Topics are typically general in nature and the key here is to assess how each candidate engages in the discussion process, how nimble is their thought process and their grasp of current issues outside of the normal textbook environment. (Keeping silent and not engaging in the process would be an absolute disaster)
3. Lunch with the Interviewers. Though a free lunch, it comes with a purpose. This session is used to gauge the social and dinning etiquette of a candidate. How he behaves, conducts conversions over lunch, and the obvious table manners. Try not to slurp loudly and stuff yourself too full, as the afternoon sessions are even more demanding and a full stomach will only dull your thought process.
4. Presentation to Interviewers and rest of Candidates. One is asked to give a short 5 minutes speech/presentation on a topic of one’s choice, and to take some questions following that. (there will definitely be some from the interviewers). The purpose of this is to test your presentation skills and presence.