TIAA Financial Services Assessment Tests, Hiring Process & Interview Online Preparation – 2025

What Is TIAA?

TIAA, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, was formed in 1918 to help teachers have money to retire comfortably.  Today, they work with people from a wide variety of not-for-profits to help them achieve the same goal.  TIAA’s mission is to help their customers reach their financial goals for purposes other than just retirement.  They offer consumer banking as well as financial services related to purchasing and refinancing your home.  TIAA also offers investment services.  Some of these include retirement annuities, mutual funds, brokerage accounts, and IRAs.  They haven’t forgotten where they came from, however, and are also available to help their customers plan for retirement.

Here are some of TIAA’s benefits:

• 401(K) Plan
• Health Insurance
• Corporate Discounts

What Is TIAA’s Hiring Process?

Depending on the position you are applying for, you may or may not need to have completed FINRA testing.  FINRA is a not-for-profit organization that is authorized by the government to oversee US broker-dealers to ensure fair participation in the financial markets for everyone.  One of their tenets is to make sure anyone who sells securities has been tested, qualified, and licensed.  FINRA offers tests in a broad range of subjects on markets, the securities industry, and regulatory structure.

Application Process

You can begin the application process by going to the TIAA website or to other job posting sites on the Internet.  People who work at TIAA have also reported finding their positions through recruiters or having been referred by an existing employee.  It is not uncommon for the application process to take as long as a month, and some employees report having had as many as five interviews before being hired.

Phone Interview

As you begin the application process, you will most likely be contacted by someone via phone.  Sometimes the entire interview process is handled over the phone.  For other positions, this will be a preliminary screening.  It is a good idea to schedule your phone interview when you can be in a quiet place, free from outside distractions.

Face-to-Face or Panel Interview

Some positions will require a face-to-face interview with a direct supervisor, or a team of employees with whom you will be working.  This interview will be your opportunity to put your best foot forward.  Dress professionally, and offer a warm smile and confident hand-shake as you meet those who will be interviewing you.

TIAA Sample Interview Questions

Below is a sampling of questions you might expect as you interview for a variety of positions at TIAA.

Company Related:

• What do you know about TIAA?
• Why have you chosen to apply to TIAA?

Work Related:

• Describe a time you went above and beyond for a client.
• Describe a time you worked on a team.

Career Path Related:

• How long do you expect to be in this position?
• Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Interpersonal:

• Describe a conflict you had with another colleague and how you resolved it.
• Give an example of a time you were part of a team that overcame a challenge.

Personal:

• What motivates you?
• Describe what an average week looks like for you.

TIAA Interview Tips

• Know how you offer diversity to the company. Having a diverse work force is important to TIAA.  Be prepared to share your unique qualities, and how you will be an important addition to the company.
• Research TIAA. TIAA is proud of their history.  Coming prepared with questions and observations about the company will show your interviewers you are interested in being a part of the team.
• Know the job description. Carefully read the job description, and have illustrations ready of how you have shown these qualities in the past.
• Ask questions. Asking questions shows that you are willing to learn from others on the team, and that you are interested in other people’s thoughts and actions.

How to Prepare for TIAA Assessment?

While TIAA doesn’t offer their own formal assessment, depending on the position for which you are interviewing, you may need to show results from general assessments, accreditations, or certifications.  If you are applying for a position to sell securities, you will need to have taken the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) Exam that is given by FINRA.  Other more specific tests may be authorized by TIAA once you have been hired.  Psychometric Testing is popular among companies.  You can be prepared for these by practicing the following assessments:

• Numeric Reasoning – You will be assessed on your abilities in computation, as well as your ability to work with numbers, ratios, percentages, and data presented in tables. You will be asked to draw conclusions and find relationships based on numbers in these various formats. Practice numerical reasoning questions for free.
• Verbal Reasoning – You will be assessed on your ability to draw information out of a written text. You will be asked questions that require you to draw conclusions, make inferences, and analyze text. Learn more about verbal tests.
• Logical Reasoning – You will be assessed on your ability to find patterns, relationships, and draw conclusions based on information presented in shapes or tables. This test measures your non-verbal skills in logical thinking and problem solving. Prepare for logical reasoning tests with us.

Advanced preparation for assessments will improve your scores on the test day.  You can present yourself as a strong candidate before you even meet the interview panel.