Interviews and assessments
Inviting you to an interview is all about giving you the opportunity to showcase your skills, experience and enthusiasm for joining our team at Sappi. We will do our best to make it both a fair and positive experience for you.
Our interviews are designed to be respectful and reflect our commitment to finding the candidates who can make the most of our innovative culture – and become a vital part of a talented and diverse workforce.
The interview process itself may include a combination of behavioural, technical and situational questions so as to allow you to demonstrate your expertise and potential. Our interviews also provide an opportunity for you to learn more about us – our mission and the role you might play with us.
We look forward to getting to know you better.
If you are shortlisted for an interview with us, what follows will depend on the type of job you have applied for.
Office-based employees
- The first interview is normally online or by phone. After that, there may be two to three panel interviews, some face-to-face and some online
- For some positions you may be requested to prepare a case study
- Psychometric assessments will be undertaken to determine your skills and culture fit
- An office tour will be offered, for you to get a feel for the workplace
Mill workers
- The first interview is normally by phone
- After that, there will be face-to-face interviews focusing on technical ability and how you might fit into the business
- There may be technical as well as psychometric assessments
- A mill tour can be arranged, for you to get a feel for your workplace
Phone interviews
If you receive a call from us, it means we liked your profile.
Some typical phone interview questions
- How did you find out about the position?
- What do you know about Sappi?
- What interests you about the position?
- What is your current career status?
Further questions will depend on the various roles we have and in which you may be interested.
We recommend
- For your phone interview, find a quiet and comfortable place with no distractions
- If you're using a mobile phone, be sure you’re in a location with good network coverage
Panel interviews
In these, we spend 45 to 90 minutes talking in detail about your expertise and the role itself. We will ask for specific examples of how you utilised your skills in the past to achieve results. Be ready to talk about each of your career experiences in detail.
We will ask you about Sappi, too. It’s important for us to understand how well you know us, and how serious you are about joining our team.
Depending on the role, we might provide you with a case study and ask you to prepare a presentation. This will be to assess your depth of knowledge about a topic as well as your presentation skills.
We recommend
- Use a computer with a reliable connection and access to email
- If you're using a mobile phone, be sure you’re in a location with good network coverage
- Have a copy of your CV to hand
- Make your own notes during the interview
- Come prepared with questions and issues – from job scope to team culture – that you would like to explore in detail
- Afterwards, if you need clarity on anything or have follow-up questions, feel free to reach out to your recruitment contact
Psychometric and technical assessments
For certain positions, Sappi will use technical and/or psychometric assessments to get a better idea of your skills and your suitability for the position. Most assessments are online.
For these, we partner with accredited assessment providers. Your recruitment contact will let you know if you need to complete a test.
Before we send you an invitation to participate, we will contact you to make the arrangements for the timing of the assessments.
We recommend
- Before your assessment, make use of the practice tests available on the assessment portal.
- Think about any questions you have and feel free to ask any additional questions you have before taking an assessment.
Office or mill tour
We believe that it’s important to get to know your future workplace. That’s why an office or mill tour can be arranged for you. We want you to get the feeling of the workspace, interact with some of our people and decide if you like the place and can imagine yourself building a career with us.
