Application Process & Interviews at John Deere

The interview process was an original resume and cover letter, then aptitude testing, then online recorded Qs to answer, then aptitude testing, then the final 10 candidates were flown to the brisbane where 5x 45 minutes interviews were conducted, with 2 people in higher management each time. I believe the interview process was tough, however it needs to be to find the right employees. I like that the interviews were in Brisbane, and the should continue to be in person rather than online. The assessments were not too hard.

The interview process was entirely online (due to Covid-19 restrictions at the time). Once I applied, I received an email saying I had been selected to participate in the first round interview, which was an online aptitude test. After this, I was then selected to complete a recorded interview - where a question appears on screen and you have two minutes of recording time to answer. From here, I was selected to participate in an online 'in-person' interview with three executive leaders. The questions that were asked were completely fair and felt like they wanted to get to know the genuine me. I was also given the chance to ask my own questions which is very important, and made me feel as if my opinion was valued.

Several online assessments followed but multiple in person interviews.

For the graduate program the process consists on an online application, psychometric testing, online recorded interview questions and then a series of live interviews with managers

The hiring process was standard for and comparable to any corporate company. There was the initial application, followed by personality and aptitude testing. This was followed by a self interview, where questions are displayed on a screen and you must video record your answer within the given time. The was followed by an interview with staff.

I was asked questions about my past jobs, my personal life and upbringing, my studies etc. many of the tougher questions in the interview were behavioural questions, such as ones along the lines of “tell us about a time you experienced difficulty in a work environment”. These behavioural questions were hard to answer. In my most recent interview for my current role, the questions were much easier. Qs included why I think I would like the role and what I learnt in my precocious role.

I was asked a lot of situational style questions. E.g. "Tell us about a time where you made a mistake with your work and how did you rectify" etc. I was asked a fair bit about what my time at uni was like, and what my favorite subjects were. Upon reflection they would have been using these answers to formulate if my interests were aligned with what the Grad Program could offer.

Questions about self experience and what defines you as a person.

Behavioral questions around my ability to work in teams, key achievements, prior experiences, interests in the company and how you relate to the company values

In applying for John Deere, it is important to have some understanding on the products they make, their history, and their role in AU/NZ. Getting into the graduation program can be tough, with many difficult questions, so study all different sorts of questions that could be asked and prepare your answers. Make sure you have different scenarios in your work/social/personal life that you can relate skills etc too.

In both the recorded and in person interview - the interviewers want to get to know YOU! Yes, a knowledge of the company and it's products/aims/mission statement is important, however not essential. I genuinely felt like my interview was a nice conversation with the ELT trying to get to know me. It was not a test of knowledge of the Agriculture industry at all. My top tip would be to research the company and it's mission statement/goals for the year, and try and align your interests with those. Also look into what the global culture is associated with the company. The interviewers wanted to understand how I could contribute to a positive workplace culture, so if you understand what their values may be, it will be easier to convey how you also align with the company.

Highlight your diverse and abstract skill set.

Think about examples from uni and other employment (if applicable) of how you responded to different situations, eg working in a team, working with difficult personalities, how you problem solved a situation etc

I would recommend becoming very familiar with the role advertisement, and tailoring your responses to match the core values that are listed in the description. Eg. sustainability.