Online Application

The first section of the application process was the online application. Here you have to fill in your work experience, personal details and education. You also have to answer some questions in written form (300-400 words each), this is a great opportunity to write something different and stand out from the crowd. This stage will take around an hour to complete.

How to respond for success

I made sure to tailor the descriptions of my work experience to focus on providing solutions. Whether this was work in retail providing solutions for customers or in sales where it was a project solution, I made sure to focus on delivering results. This shows to the employer you can understand needs and provide results. My first written questions were “Tell us about your hobbies and interests” I saw this as a great opportunity to be honest about my personality. The employer wants to know your fit in the workplace, and part of this is your interests. Rather than focusing on interest around academia or work experience, I spoke about sport, cooking and travel. My second written question was “Tell us of your motivation in applying for the role”. I used this question as a chance to show how my previous experience led me towards wanting to work in consultancy. I also tailored my answers around Arcadis’s key values. When writing both questions, be concise and honest.

Expect a 1 week wait before advancing to the next stage.

Psychometric tests

There were 2 tests involved in this stage of the application process and are all taken online. 

Numeracy and literacy test

This test is focused on your use and interpretation of information. There were 16 questions (4 sets of 4 questions). You were given a source and have to answer questions based on that source. Some sources were purely written and some had included statistics and models. The numerical data required simple data manipulation and calculations such as percentage changes. The words-based sources required you to undertake comprehension and interpretation. This will take 20 minutes.

Behavioural assessment 

This assessment contained a question in which a scenario is placed. You are given 5 answers and you have to rank your response from “most-likely” to “least likely”. These questions targeted various aspects of behaviour such as organisation, approach to challenges and team-work capability. This will take you around 30 minutes.

Example:

Numeracy and literacy test

Questions were focused on the information provided.

“Pick out the direct benefits of integrating the new technology into the business” (source was an article about the new technology)

“Calculate the % change in Q4 sales between 2018 and 2019”

Behaviour assessment

“You have tight deadlines and a large workload, and your manager asks you to complete a new task for the next day. You are worried you will not be able to deliver the task, how do you respond”.

How to respond for success

Numeracy and literacy test

Make sure to focus on your accuracy throughout. The question appears straightforward but there may be elements designed to catch you out. Make sure to accurately read and calculate your answers. With the literacy test, read the source before the question so you are familiar with the information. When doing the numeracy side of things, be confident with basic calculations. 

Behaviour based test

It is easy to overthink these questions and second-guess your answers. My advice is to be honest with your response. Additionally, I ensured to maintain the values and culture of Arcadis throughout.

Expect a 2-4 week wait before advancing to the next stage.

Assessment Centre

The assessment centre day took place in the London office. It consisted of 3 sections: Group exercise, individual exercise and individual interview. 

Group exercise

This was a 2 hour exercise in which I worked with 3 other individuals to deliver a presentation to two consultancy managers. You had 20 minutes to read through all the sources provided and the rest of the time was there to discuss answers and prepare a presentation. Mid-way through the time, further information was delivered which was a modification to the project budget. When our solution was presented, there was time for questions. 

Individual exercise

This was an exercise in which I had 20 minutes to review sources and provide a solution to a problem. This was presented to a service line director and a talent acquisition team member. I was given a booklet of details on a company, financials and focuses when providing a solution. There was around 20 minutes for questions after this. 

Interview

This interview lasted around 1 hour and 15 minutes and were a mixture of competency based questions, industry knowledge questions and technology based questions. Many questions were often accompanied by further follow-up questions to ensure all details are extracted from your experiences.

Example

Group exercise

Our sources were all based around electric vehicles uptake in a regional area. Sources included: cost of implementation, information and risks, previous case studies and town maps. We also were given a set of specific objectives, budget and timeframe for the project.

Individual exercise

My scenario was based around a rail company looking to cut costs across the business. There were sources that gave a large amount of information. As part of a solution you had to provide risks, opportunities and look at further information required. It is key to structure your presentation and provide a complete solution.

Individual interview

“Tell us the key trends for Arcadis to consider going into next year”

“Tell us about a time where you have had to make a decision based on a small amount of information”

“Tell us about a time where you innovated a new solution to a problem”

How to respond for success

Group exercise

My main advice here is to make sure you focus on group goals rather than standing out from the crowd (the interview is a better time for this). To do this, you can include and ask questions of others and build on other suggestions rather than overpowering with your own. It is also important to keep focused on goals. Due to the pressured environment, conversation can often go off-track. Be sure to keep focusing on goals and outcomes. Additionally, make sure you keep an eye on the time. Delegating and splitting up is also a great way to ensure all work is completed.

Individual exercise

Here there was very little information and a small time frame to provide an overall solution. This means it is difficult to go into a large detail about your ideas. Focusing on providing an overall solution and covering everything, rather than going into lots of detail. Additionally, make sure to structure your presentation by splitting up your key areas. When answering questions, make sure to keep overall objectives in your mind.

Individual interview

My top tip here is to know the company inside out. Many questions focused on how Arcadis may be different from competitors in the industry, it is less important to know about the role here. Additionally, make sure you have a wide range of experiences to call on that you can speak about. Due to the presence of follow-up questions, make sure you know your experience inside out. 

 ##### Expect a 1 week wait before receiving a call offering you a position.