8 tips for interviewing at Allica Bank

You never quite know what’s going to come up in a job interview. Every company does it differently, meaning no matter the role – whether it’s your first job, or you’re in the running for CEO – there are some things you just can’t prepare for.

Now, while we can’t give away everything that’ll happen during the interview process at Allica, we wanted to help settle a few nerves by sharing some tips for those applying for a job with us.

Here’s our top eight tips for interviewing at Allica Bank.

1. Know how to pronounce ‘Allica’.

We’ve heard it all: “Alicia”, “Alka”, “Al-eye-cah”. There are plenty of ways to say our name wrong. And we don’t hold it against anybody for doing so – after all, Allica isn’t quite yet a household name like Apple or HSBC (“hssbuck,” anyone?).

But realising 20 minutes into an interview you’ve been saying the company’s name wrong the whole time can’t feel great.

So, to clear that up, it’s:

• Al – like in ‘Al Pacino’
• Ih – like in ‘Indigo'
• Ca – like in ‘California’

Al-ih-ca. Or, just to make sure, let me and my recruitment team colleagues Nick and Gianni show you...

2. Check your Microsoft Teams set up

The likelihood is that at least some of your interview process will take place remotely. At Allica, we use Microsoft Teams for remote meetings, so we recommend checking your Microsoft Teams set up is working as you’d expect before the call.

Also, be prepared to go on camera as we’d like to see your face, too.

3. Be ready for an in-person meeting

We fully understand that meeting in-person might not be convenient for everyone (especially for our remote roles). But, if possible, we’d love to get to know you face-to-face at one of the interview stages. We’ll also be able to show you around one of our offices, which are in Milton Keynes, London and Manchester.

4. Understand the process

At Allica, how you do something is just as important as what you can do. That’s why when interviewing for Allica it will often have three steps:

1. Screening call – intended to clear up any initial questions you might have, and for us to make sure you might be suitable for the role.
2. Skills interview – to explore your skills and experience.
3. Values interview – where we get to know a bit more about your values and approach to work to gauge if we're the right fit for each other.

The skills and values interview are both as important as each other. In fact, we often say the values interview is more important – you can learn skills, but values are different. They aren’t necessarily something you can teach.

It’s possible your interview will follow a different process, but the importance of both factors when assessing a candidate will always be the same.

5.    Learn Allica Bank’s values

As mentioned, our values are a core part of who Allica are and our interviewers will be assessing candidates on how much they fit our values along with their abilities to do the job.

You’d do well to have a think about how you can show you align with Allica’s values ahead of the interview. These are:

• Delivery
• Being straightforward
• Integrity
• Collaboration

6.    Know the dress code

We’re not really a suit-and-tie kind of bank, so don’t worry about that. We want people to be themselves and be comfortable. But we do expect people to make an effort to be presentable.

7.    Don’t panic if the unexpected happens

Maybe there’s some loud builders next-door. An unexpected delivery arrives. Your dog won’t stop barking. Or you spill your glass of water halfway through the interview.

Don’t worry, we’ve seen it all before, and it doesn’t matter. The most important thing is that you stay calm and just carry on.

After all, it may just make you that little bit more memorable. Allica’s head of HR Richard Whorton says he’s never forgotten one candidate who’s mum walked in half-way through their interview. Especially as they currently work for Allica!

8.    If you have a question, ask!

There’s plenty of other information about what it’s like to work at Allica, our benefits, our values, available roles and insights from the team on Allica Bank’s careers page. However, if you have a question – no matter how small or silly you might think it is – please do ask!

I hope that helps put your mind at rest ahead of your interview with Allica Bank. We look forward to meeting you!