Applied using their website - the cover letter equivalent being a rather short 200-word max summary . Following this, I almost immediately received an email inviting me to perform an online recorded "interview". Through further questioning, I discovered this meant responding to 3 motivational questions within a minute time limit for each.
As this was a rather foreign concept to me, I preferred not to do be interviewed this way, but fortunately the contact at the office offered me the opportunity to essentially skip this step and come in for a face-to-face interview. I can only assume that the recorded interview step is really intended for the presumably more subscribed positions at the London office and that it was a bit superfluous for applications to the HK office.
At the interview, I was asked far more personal questions than I had expected - I would say that over half the time was dedicated simply to discussing myself, when I had really expected to spend most time responding to more standard aptitude-based questions, which were covered far more briefly. I now understand that this is probably because AlphaSights are fairly meticulous in their recruitment, with a 3 stage process that, if you are successful, proceeds:
1. Informal, personal/motivational based interview
2. Meet more members of staff, so they can get a feel for you. Also, to conduct a presentation on one of the company's previous projects.
3. Meet one of the two MDs
I have yet to hear back, after a little under 2 weeks, but I understand AlphaSights operates a policy of getting back to all candidates, even those that are not successful.
