Application Process & Interviews at Xero New Zealand

The interview process was about four interviews/stages, which at the time I thought was pretty crazy to have to go through four rounds. However I now realise that the process is important as it means we hire only good candidates which is important for a good work culture.

I feel like the interview process took around 3-4 months which I thought was pretty long. There were multiple interviews and assessments - some were difficult, but was kind of enjoyable.

Long but okay. I now know that the internal teams aren't actually often aware that we are hiring for our division (for grad roles in particular) until the call has actually gone out.

There are various stages before having an in person interview. This includes a coding test conducted on hackerrank and also video interviews and other values assessments before a final values assessment online and also a technical assessment (for graduates)

Apply online, do a HackerRank coding test, video interview, and then a 'Grad Day' which involves a behavioral interview and a technical research presentation. I was assigned a graduate buddy once I got through the video interviews, who showed me around the office, answered questions about working at Xero, and helped me prepare for Grad Day. It felt like a very supportive process which helped bring out my best. The interviewers were all lovely and made me feel at ease. The process was also very inclusive. I changed my name and pronouns in the middle of the process, with little fanfare. Somebody personally reached out to me to say that they would need to use my legal name for some background searches, and said they were looking at different alternatives in the future.

For graduates, it is a very long process that takes months and lots of tests. It feels reasonable due to the amount of applicants, but it is also very long. For interns, it is much easier to just move to the graduate role.

It's great to get update from each stage of the interviewing process

Overall good, I think naturally stressful but having a grad ambassador and having very friendly interviewers and interview environment was helpful.

The process was as stress-free as a recruitment process could possibly be. It started with an online assessment, then async video interview, then grad day before offers.

A few different stages but overall it was a good process.

The grad interview process was very long

CV -> Online Tech Test -> Pre-recorded video test -> Grad day (Interview + Presentation)

The interview process was quite long and thorough. There were four stages to the process that tested all the aspects of what is required for the job. While it was quite stressful, I did feel supported throughout the process and it was overall a good experience.

Code, online video interview, technical + behaviour interview. It took a long time, due to the large number of applicants.

It is better than most. But it's still a long process and a lot of effort if you don't make it. Especially as a graduate. I believe that more higher positions there is less filtering applied.

I got into the graduate role through the internship program held the year before. I went through summer of tech for applications, then did a video interview, an online skills assessment and then a behavioural interview. It was a long but smooth experience with good communication from Xero.

I was hired as a graduate into Xero's grad program which is a highly sought after role, we are talking thousands of applicants for around 60-70 positions distributed amongst all Xero's offices, so my interview process was mostly focused on cultural fit and potential rather than any existing technical skills or knowledge. There were still basic technical tests to assure a basic level of competency, but they aren't taken into consideration as much as the multitude of questions determining your personality, social skills and willingness to learn and work in a team.

Behavioural, technical and personal questions.

Most questions are related to personal project at university, and how does the experience resonate with the company's values.

I was asked a range of 'tell me about a time ...' questions ranging from when I worked in a team, time I was a positive influence, times I gave and received feedback, times I came across conflict and how did I resolve it

The behavioral questions were situation based. They gave us guidance prior to the interview about the STAR method. I remember questions like "give us an example of a time you faced a conflict and how you handled this", and "tell us about a time you made a mistake and how you handled it".

Personality questions, working with teams, scenarios in which we work in teams, conflicts with people. Tech and coding knowledge.

I can't remember specifically, behavioural questions about communication, conflict etc.

Cant remember exactly, there was personality questions, behaviour questions and also a presentation that we had to give.

Presentation -> 10~15 minutes. Explain steps on how you would take a NZ only web application and have it expanded out to a global platform. Interview -> Talk about a time you dealt with conflict.

Questions about times I was challenged, when I had to be resilient, etc.

Tell me about a time when you have conflicts with your team mates.

Do not use AI for your video interview, instead prepare basic interview questions and be truthful to yourself when interviewing. I think the most important thing is to just be yourself and be honest.

They should just come as themselves, I think xero hires for how people can fit and whether or not someone will be enjoyable to work with.

Show personality! this goes a long way.

Check out the company's values and spend time understanding how our personal experience/projects at university resonate with the company's values. It helps show that you are prepared for the interview and have a good understanding of the company.

Be yourself, they look for authentic people who are open-minded and eager learners. It's best to prepare and come in with ideas of how to answer 'Tell me about a time ...' questions relating to teamwork and feedback.

Be yourself! Xero is looking for genuine people who are able to learn and grow. They don't look at grades at all-you don't even need to submit a transcript. Let your personality shine through!

To focus on soft skills, as that can be just as important as experience.

Important to understand the company and it's values. Show your thinking and messy ideas, more important than having a polished product.

Understand the company you're applying to and be yourself!

Research company values and ensure you put a good amount of effort into presentation, also be yourself.

The technical interviews are also cultural fit interviews. Ask questions and don't shut down if you get something wrong. You can ask for time to think about things.

I know it sounds cheesy, but just be yourself. They are looking for people you best fit the company's values and being genuine is the best way to meet that criteria. Understanding the company's values is also key to success.

Read about Xero Value.

Learn as much as you can about the Xero values and showcase your knowledge in your interviews. Also, be yourself as the interviewers are just trying to get to know you.

For candidates apply to Xero's graduate program specifically - show a willingness to learn, as that is the purpose of the graduate program, for you to learn as much as you can. For anyone applying to Xero (including graduates) - become familiar with what Xero does and why, and gain familiarity with their values. Showing an acute awareness of what Xero does and why as well as demonstrating an understanding of their values (while embodying them as much as you can) will likely get you further through the hiring process than any demonstration of technical prowess.

Know the values, understand your role and apply with confidence. It's really important to know what the job description wants and requires.

I think the best way to prepare is look at Xero's values. As cheesy as it is to say, we really do look up to - especially human and team.