Prepare for Airbus Assessment Center, Interview Questions, Hiring Process, SJT & Aptitude Tests – 2024
What Is Airbus?
Airbus is the largest aeronautics and space company in Europe and is among the top ten defense industry companies in the world. The company, established in 1970, specializes in aeronautics and spacecraft, defense and commercial aircraft, and helicopters. A multinational corporation, Airbus corporate headquarters are located in Leiden, Netherlands, while their main office is in Toulouse, France. This is not to say that Airbus locations are limited to Europe. Though their strongest presence is indeed in Europe, they also have several locations in Asia and the Americas, such as the US, Canada, China, India, Australia, and the Caribbean islands.
What Qualities Are Airbus Recruiters Looking For?
The corporate culture of Airbus is guided by six key principles: teamwork, integrity, customer focus, reliability, and creativity. As such, successful applicants will demonstrate the following qualities during the recruitment process:
- Self-motivated
- Passion for the aerospace industry
- Awareness of the commercial market
- Innovative
- Collaborative
- Driven to excel
- Desire for self-improvement
- Excellent problem-solving skills
What Benefits Are Provided by Airbus?
The specific benefits provided by Airbus to employees differs by location. Depending on national regulations and traditions, for example, employees in Spain or the United Kingdom may receive more paid leave than employees in the United States. However, all employees can expect benefits along the following lines:
- Health insurance
- Retirement plan
- Stock options
What Is the Hiring Process for Airbus?
Airbus has two main avenues through which potential employees may apply: the direct entry route and the Airbus International Graduate Program (IGP). Whereas direct entry applicants will apply for a specific job at a specific location, applicants to the Airbus IGP will apply to the program, then — if accepted — be assigned a role in whichever department has the greatest need for them. The IGP lasts roughly two years and consists of three rotations: participants will spend their first year in the program in one department, then rotate to a second department for eight months, followed by a final rotation to a third department for eight months.
Regardless of whether applicants apply via direct entry or via the Airbus IGP, the recruitment process follows the same progression.
- Online Application
Applicants to Airbus must first complete an online application on their website. At this stage in the recruitment process, applicants will provide their education information and employment history. The Airbus application also requires that applicants upload a copy of their CV. Applicants should also submit a cover letter as part of their application: this letter should demonstrate knowledge of Airbus’s corporate culture and the duties of the department to which they are applying. The online application may require applicants to answer specific questions about their approach to their work. Keep in mind when answering these questions that recruiters will want to see specific examples in each answer.
- Web-Based Assessments
Applicants are also required to complete several psychometric assessments early in the hiring process. In order to assess an applicant’s philosophical alignment with Airbus values, applicants will take a situational judgment test. Applicants must also complete a numerical reasoning assessment, a logical reasoning assessment, and a verbal reasoning assessment. These three tests help recruiters to determine an applicant’s cognitive aptitude for the position for which they are applying.
- Phone Screening
After reviewing online applications and assessment results, Airbus recruiters will contact potential applicants to schedule an initial screening. This screening may take the form of a video interview via HireVue, but the majority of screenings will take place as a phone interview. This interview will be largely focused on the applicant’s motivation for wanting to work with Airbus and in the specific position for which they have applied. The interviewer may also ask questions regarding the applicant’s approach to their work and other characteristics tested for in the situational judgment test (SJT). Take care that answers to these questions in the phone interview align with your answers on the online test.
- Assessment Center
Successful applicants will next be invited to schedule an interview at the Airbus Assessment Center. This interview will be comprised of three main parts: a group exercise, a competency interview, and a presentation exercise. Applicants to technical positions can also expect to participate in a technical interview.The group exercise will require several applicants to work together to analyze and address a given issue. The aim of the exercise is to determine how well each applicant works and communicates within a team. Recruiters will be looking for applicants who are respectful of others’ thoughts and are willing to build off of other’s ideas, while still being able to speak up and share their own opinion. The competency interview, of course, will center on questions regarding an applicant’s mastery of the skills they will need to carry out the responsibilities of the job to which they have applied. Interviewers may also ask applicants questions that are outside of their potential department’s purview. The purpose of this is to see how the applicant responds to an unexpected issue and how they come to a conclusion about how to address the issue.For the presentation exercise, which may also be referred to as the case study exercise, applicants will be given a set of materials pertaining to a hypothetical business scenario. Applicants must read through the materials, analyze the situation, and propose a solution for the given scenario. After developing a solution based on the information provided, applicants will give a 10-minute presentation of their proposal.
- Pre-Employment Checks and Onboarding
The final stage in the hiring process at Airbus is the onboarding process. At this phase of the hiring process, Airbus may contact applicant references or perform a background check. Provided that Airbus is satisfied with these inquiries, successful applicants will complete onboarding paperwork to finalize their employment with the company.
Airbus Assessments
Situational Judgment Test
The situational judgment assessment applicants take during the Airbus application process tests the applicant’s moral and philosophical alignment with the core values of Airbus. Each question on this test will present the test-taker with a hypothetical situation. Paired with each question will be a series of possible responses to the given scenario. Depending on the format of the assessment, you will provide your answer in one of two ways: you will be asked to choose the most appropriate response from the set presented, or you will be required to rate each response from the least appropriate response to the most appropriate response. While there are no right or wrong answers for these questions, be aware of the qualities recruiters are looking for in a candidate. Successful applicants will choose responses that align with Airbus’s values.
Numerical Reasoning Assessment
The numerical reasoning exam consists of 37 questions to be completed in 12 minutes, designed to test the test-takers aptitude for analyzing data and drawing conclusions based on that evidence. Each question will present you with a chart or graph, then ask you to choose the strongest, best supported conclusion out of the options provided. In order to determine the strongest conclusion, test-takers will need to perform simple arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, etc.), determine ratios, and calculate percentages. Keep in mind that though you will be permitted to use a calculator on this assessment.
Logical Reasoning Assessment
Airbus job seekers must also take a logical reasoning assessment as part of the hiring process. This exam assesses the applicant’s aptitude for identifying and extending patterns. The assessment is comprised of 12 questions that the test-taker must answer within 12 minutes. Each question will present you with a series of 5 images consisting of a set of shapes. Your first task will be to determine the pattern expressed in this series of images; second, you will be required to identify which of the image options provided would come next in this pattern. It is important to note that the majority of the patterns you will see will be based on the size, arrangement, color, and movement of the shapes.
Verbal Reasoning Assessment
Finally, the Airbus verbal reasoning assessment will determine the test taker’s aptitude for drawing evidence-based conclusions from written information. This exam consists of 49 questions that you will have 12 minutes to answer. Each one will present a short passage of text, followed by a concluding statement. Your task will be to decide based on the evidence in the text whether this conclusion is true, false, or if that cannot be determined from the information provided. Keep in mind that the validity of the statement must be determined based on the text alone, not on any other information on the topic that you may have learned from other sources.
What Questions Might Be Asked During the Interview?
The questions asked during the competency and technical interviews may differ, depending on the position for which you have applied. These questions may also vary according to the location in which you have applied. However, applicants can expect questions similar to the following:
- Why do you want to work at Airbus?
- What do you know about Airbus Defense and Space?
- Tell me about a situation wherein you faced a problem, and tell me how you handled it.
- How have you grown in previous positions?
- Tell me about your most significant achievement in your current role.
- Discuss a time when you were part of a team that worked well together.
- How would your friends describe you?
- Would you do something illegal if it was to help someone?
How to Prepare for Airbus’s Assessments?
All aspects of the Airbus hiring process will require your preparation. For the assessment phase of the recruitment process, taking practice tests similar to the exams you will take as part of your application is the best way to ensure you are prepared. These practice assessments will give you the opportunity to preview the way questions will be worded on the Airbus psychometric assessments. You will also have the benefit of practicing the analytical and computational skills you will be required to use on the Airbus assessments. It is important to note that you should not practice only the cognitive assessments; you should practice taking the situational judgment assessment, as well, to get a feel for the types of questions that you will encounter on the Airbus situational judgment test.
Airbus Interview Tips
Before your interviews at the Assessment Center, take time to prepare possible answers for your interview. Consider the possible interview questions listed above and think of specific examples of times you have encountered the situations they present to you, so you will be prepared to discuss them during your interview. You will also want to be sure you review your CV before the interview and prepare a list of specific instances when you have used the skills listed on your CV. Finally, research the core values of Airbus, the department, and the industry you will be working in.
