- Are you comfortable working with a wide range of people?
- What are some of the most important qualities for a universal banker to have?
- How would you describe the relationship between a universal banker and their clients?
- What is your experience with financial planning?
Bank interview questions will explore your technical experience and skills as well as the key job competencies as they relate to the banking position.
The personal interview for banking jobs can be tough, it is important to come across as comfortable and confident.
Carefully consider these frequently asked banking interview questions and use the excellent interview answer help and guidelines to prepare your own winning bank interview answers. Get the banking job you want!
Universal Banker
Jobs for bankers
If youre seeking a job as a banker or another finance-related occupation, there are multiple options to consider. Heres a list of 10 jobs that involving banking:
1. Bank teller
2. Equity analyst
3. Loan officer
4. Internal auditor
5. Budget analyst
6. Asset manager
7. Branch manager
8. Credit analyst
9. Mortgage banker
10. Relationship specialist
Why do you think this particular bank is a good fit for you based on your skills and experience?
An interviewer asks this question to gain a deeper understanding of your qualifications and prior training as well as your knowledge of their specific bank. You should use this opportunity to explain how you have developed your skills throughout your career and education. You may wish to talk about your sales, communication, time-management or problem-solving skills. Make sure you also emphasize how your unique skills can benefit your potential employer in tangible ways.
Example: “After thoroughly reviewing the job requirements and researching your companys policies and history, I knew that I would be a good match for this position. Specifically, I believe that my skills in customer service, communication and problem-solving can help me effectively serve your customers. I am committed to giving customers the resources they need to make wise financial decisions and investments. Throughout my career, I have learned to put the customer first while developing my ability to make sales.”
What motivated you to become a personal banker?
Interviewers ask this question to understand more about your background and why you are pursuing a career in personal banking. This is your opportunity to express how passionate you are about this career and emphasize your unique background. Make your response personal, and tell your story about how you got started in banking.
Example: “I have always been naturally fascinated by finance, and I am continuously learning more about the topic. When I started college, a career in personal banking seemed like an obvious choice to me based on my personal interests and skills. I have excellent communication skills, and I am good at solving problems and making decisions under pressure, and I believed that I could use these skills to give people good financial advice and help them reach financial security, so a career as a personal banker sounded rewarding.”
7 Banker Interview Questions and Answers
Can you tell me about a time where a client wanted to make a risky investment decision? How did you react?
Bankers are responsible for overseeing a client’s investment decisions and major financial transactions to ensure they make smart decisions for their businesses. This question allows interviewers to gauge a candidate’s ability to identify risk factors and communicate with clients to avoid future financial problems. A candidate’s answer should emphasize:
- Ability to speak up
- Risk management skills
- Commitment to clients
Here is an example of a quality candidate answer:
Why do you think this bank is a good fit for your skills?
The answers to this question will give you deeper insights into the candidate’s prior training. Here the candidate should divulge their career history a bit more. What to look for in an answer:
- Whether the candidate understands the responsibilities of the position
- Skillset match
- Honesty
If a customer is not convinced about this bank, how would you change their mind?
At the end of the day, a good banker is not only a good manager, but a good salesperson. You need them to do the job of persuading more potential clients to become your loyal customers. What to look for in an answer:
- Ability to make a sale
- How convincing they may be
- Clarity when forming the answer
Why did you decide to become a banker?
It is essential to understand an individual’s motivation for embarking on a particular career path. Asking this question in the beginning of the interview will give you a better idea of your candidate and their motivation for working for you. What to look for in an answer:
- Underlying motivation
- History that led to their job search and choice of career
- Personal insights
Have you ever had to deal with an angry customer? How did you handle it?
This question gives you insight into your candidate’s customer service skills. You can tell by their body language and word selection if they possess the skills required for such a demanding and interactive job (such as patience and the ability to listen well while still selling a product). What to look for in an answer:
- Interpersonal skills
- Whether the past incident led the candidate to change their perspective
- Frankness
How would you handle a situation wherein a customer has been wrongly overcharged for a withdrawal fee?
Specific questions like this one can determine whether or not your candidate will keep their cool in such a situation. It is likely that a client becomes angry and even aggressive, and your banker will need to exercise extra care in their customer dealings. What to look for in an answer:
- Ability to remain calm and patient
- Customer service skills
- Communication skills
What do you feel are the most important qualities for a bank teller position?
It’s possible that some folks looking for work don’t quite understand the roles and responsibilities that come with the job. Here, you can see how committed and prepared they are for the job requirements. What to look for in an answer:
- Clear mindset
- Understanding of the job and roles required
- Whether the candidate asks questions to get clarification
How do you stay up to date with best practices and regulations in retail banking?
Indicates an interest to remain well-informed on developments within the banking industry.
Describe the process you follow to onboard new clients. How do you ensure it is a smooth process?
Illustrates knowledge about retail banking platforms and client-interaction skills.
How do you ensure that you provide the most suitable retail banking products and services to your clients?
Tests the ability to provide the right banking products and services to clients.
A junior colleague was in a bit of a spot when he couldn’t handle a customer who was quite upset with him for forgetting to deposit his check. I intervened, and resolved the issues, ensuring immediate credit to the customers. I did not put down my colleague, but I did explain to him how this cannot be done again.
This will ensure that you are ready to respond to questions pertaining to cashing checks, opening accounts, and balancing drawers.
My method of handling discrepancies is simple – do not let them happen. I ensure that all cash transactions are properly logged so that there is no room for errors. On the rare occasion that errors have occurred, I have made it a priority to check all my accounts and resolve them immediately. I do not let errors roll over to the next day.
I have worked as a universal banker for 5 years. During this time, I have performed many duties including serving walk-in clients by providing them with information on offered services. Specifically, my work includes processing a variety of transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, and money orders. Attracting new customer relationships, and retaining existing ones are also part of my work. In addition, opening accounts, and providing clients with information on value-added services is also part of my work.
During the interview, it is imperative that you are able to answer all types of questions including those that have to do with customer service and problem-solving within a banking environment.
The easy start – personal (screening) questions
The interview process starts with several basic (screening) questions. We can ask them over the phone, in a group interview, online, or in a typical one on one setting.
In this stage, we try to understand something about you, your motivation, your abilities, your experience and knowledge. If you do not fit into our working environment, or do not meet one of the crucial job criteria, we will know it once the screening stage finishes. The questions we may use:
The second stage – behavioral questions
Interviewers will ask you several behavioral questions. Inquiring about your behavior in various work-related situations, they try to understand your attitude to work, what you expect from them and what they can expect from you, and how do you imagine a typical day in work. You can have a look at the questions below.
When answering these questions, you should try to recall situations that had a positive outcome (you eventually solved the conflict with the colleagues, you dealt with an angry customer, etc).
FAQ
What are the six mandatory universal interview questions?
- “Tell me a bit about yourself.” …
- “What interests you about this job?” …
- “Why are you thinking about leaving your current job?” …
- “Tell me about a time when …” …
- “Tell me about your biggest strengths and weaknesses.” …
- “What salary are you looking for?”
Why do you want to be a universal banker?
What kind of questions are asked in a bank interview?
- Tell me a little bit about yourself.
- What is your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- How did you hear about our company?
- What about our job listing caught your attention and made you believe this was a job you would be interested in?
What is a universal banker job description?
