Sky Assessments – Career & Interview Preparation Guide
Sky is a great place and a very popular choice for people wanting to work, especially as they have 6 programs to apply from – so you’re spoilt for choice. With that being said, you just know that the competition out there is tough, so being prepared when you go into the application process is a key part of your success.
Sky is owned by Comcast and is the largest British Telecommunications Company. The headquarters is in Isleworth, the UK with offices in seven other countries.
Sky is a growing company, so they have several different teams with various roles needing to be filled. It also offers a graduate programme as well as apprenticeships and summer internships.
If that wasn’t awesome enough, they were awarded the Most Inclusive Employer of 2019, and one of the TIMES Top 50 Places for Women. Also, Sky offers its employees amazing work packages.
Sky employee benefits and incentives:
- Health packages
- Sick pay
- Pension plan
- Bike to work schemes
- Free Sky tv package
- Sharesave plans
Table of Contents
Sky’s Recruitment Process
The recruitment process is straightforward and contains program-dependent questions and tests based on what you’re applying for, but the basic structure of all of these is the same.
1. Application
You can search for available positions online through the Sky Careers website. You can search by team, location, job title, or just a general search of all the job postings.
Your application form must be submitted online, and you can make a profile so that you can save any job listings that interest you.
You need to include your CV when you submit your online application, and you’ll have a few questions you’ll need to answer in a limited number of words.
Once that’s done the recruiting team compares the information from your application form with the requirements of the job you applied for, and if you’re a good match you’ll be moved to the next step!
2. Online Aptitude Tests
The next step in the Sky application process is a whole bunch of Psychometric tests, also known as Aptitude tests. But first; Sky has a core set of behaviours that they want applicants and those already working for them, to have.
If you want to succeed, you’ll be expected to demonstrate these behaviours throughout the entire application process, so that you’ll be considered for a position in their company.
Sky’s Competency Framework
- Clear direction – you and everyone else know what you/they are doing and why.
- Change and improvement – always looking for better ways to do things.
- Feedback and development – learning from experiences and feedback to move forward.
- Collaboration and teamwork – the goal is to work together to achieve more.
- Empowerment – trusting each other to do your best.
- Do the right thing – having integrity is vital to keep the trust and respect of customers and colleagues.
Sky’s Psychometric Tests
Digital assessments and aptitude tests are fast becoming standard procedures in the recruitment process. Once you have submitted your online application, you will take a series of online aptitude tests.
Most aptitude tests are directed toward those applying for the Finance, Software Engineering, Strategy and Marketing teams. The Software Engineering team has their own coding exercise, but all the other programmes use aptitude tests designed by SHL.
Not all applicants have to take every test, but the routinely given online tests are:
Sky Situational Strength Test
Applicants for most teams will have to take this online assessment, as it is used to measure your strengths and talents in dealing with day-to-day workplace situations. It is a Situational Judgement Test.
In this test, you are given work-related situations in which you rate which actions reflect best how you would handle each scenario. It is multiple choice and will be specific to the position and assesses your problem-solving skills.
Sky SHL Logical Reasoning Test
This online assessment test your ability to think logically without using words or numbers. It deals with abstract thinking and concepts. You’ll be shown patterns and shape sequences that become progressively difficult as you determine their relationship to each other. In the Logical Reasoning test, each question may be more difficult than the last.
Sky SHL Verbal Reasoning Test
This is one of those aptitude tests that require quick thinking and is one of the most commonly given tests. In the Verbal Reasoning Test, you are given several paragraphs to read and respond to, to show that you can understand, process and analyse verbal information.
Your choice of answers are “true”, “false” and “can’t decide”. You have 20 minutes to complete 30 questions. It’s a question of how well and how quickly you can process information under pressure. This is similar to a multiple-choice test.
Sky SHL Numerical Reasoning Test
The Numerical Reasoning Test assesses how you analyse and interpret numerical data. It is specific to positions such as Finance that need you to be skilled in numbers and formulas. The information is presented in charts, graphs and tables, and you are allowed to use a calculator to assist you.
Normally there are 18 questions which you have between 17 and 25 minutes to answer. This depends on the difficulty of the test.
3. The Interviews
If you manage to get yourself this far you can pat yourself on the back as you have beaten countless other job seekers to the line. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves – we are not at the end yet.
In the interview stage of the recruitment process, dependent on the position you’ve applied for, you may have several interviews. These are normally either phone interviews, video interviews (Skype) or face-to-face.
Phone or Skype interview
This is a brief, 20-minute interview clarifying the information on your application and for the Interviewer to get a sense of your personality. You might be asked why you want to work for Sky and why you’ve chosen that position.
You can also use this time to ask the Interviewer any questions you might have.
The Sky interview questions normally focus on your ability to work in a team, whether you can come up with a creative solution for problems, work under pressure, and work with customers.
Face-to-Face interview
You might also have an in-person interview with up to two Sky employers in a formal setting. You’ll have to answer questions similar to those of the phone/skype interview, you’ll be able to give examples of how and when you’ve displayed the behaviours they’re looking for.
Sky Interview Questions
The Sky interviewer will be asking you two kinds of questions, namely General Interview questions and Competency-based questions. Most questions in the general category are similar questions to those asked in other companies.
General questions
These are normally about your work history and experience, your education, qualifications and future plans – all the more better to get to know you! These can be:
- Tell me about yourself
- Why did you choose to work at Sky?
- Why should we hire you?
Where do you see yourself in (x) years?
Competency-based questions
These questions sometimes seem challenging but think of them like a verbal reasoning test where you need to figure out what the interviewer is looking for in your answer. These can be:
Tell me about the time you were part of a successful team
This question is often used to determine your leadership skills, collaboration, communication and work behaviours in one go. It is helpful to use the STAR method in answering so that your answers are simple, straightforward and easy to understand.
Describe a time when you got excellent customer service
Your answer to this question will show them what you think excellent customer service looks like. Sky wants to know this so that you can apply the same in your own work.
The Final Stage
Congratulations! When you make it to this stage you really have almost hit the big time! One last hurdle and the job could be yours.
Sky Assessment Centre
The final stage of the whole practice is when successful candidates (that’s you) are asked to take part in various activities at the Assessment Centre at the Sky offices. The format of these activities on the day depends on the position you applied for.
Even though you took and passed your online psychometric tests, you might be asked to take them again at the centre on assessment day just to verify the original results.
If this is the case, they will tell you closer to the time which ones you’ll have. Here is a list of possibilities:
Icebreaker activities
Everybody gets to introduce themselves, meet the recruiters and discuss the day’s activities. You can also ask whatever questions you might have about the assessment centre.
Group discussion exercise
This group exercise is designed to show how you interact with others and do teamwork. The group will be given a business scenario or something work-related and then asked to solve a problem. This is one of the real tests.
During this discussion, the assessors watch you in the context of the group. They will be looking at your contributions and how you handle the discussion whether in being domineering, aggressive, subservient or shy, etc.
Individual interview or interviews
Here’s where you get to make a good impression in the flesh. Your positive experience of this interview will vary depending on what research and preparation you’ve done.
Programme/ business specific exercise
This exercise is specific to the position you applied for. It will be based on the type of work you would do in that position at Sky. You will be given all the information you need to complete this exercise on assessment day at the centre.
Final Thoughts
We recommend JobtestPrep. They have all the resources, such as online tests, practice tests, and sample questions for the psychometric test that you need to help you refine your knowledge, practice, and prepare you for test day!
Build your confidence with our sample situational judgement assessment tests in preparation for the real tests in your online assessment. This way, you get to stay ahead of the rest!
Sarah is an accomplished educator, researcher and author in the field of testing and assessment. She has worked with various educational institutions and organisations to develop innovative evaluation methods and enhance student learning. Sarah has published numerous articles and books on assessment and learning. Her passion for promoting equity and fairness in the education system fuels her commitment to sharing insights and best practices with educators and policymakers around the world.
