Freshfields Recruitment Process, Watson Glaser Test, Half-day Assessment Practice Guide 2024

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SUMMARY

Are you applying for the Freshfields graduate scheme or preparing for your upcoming Freshfields recruitment process? Find everything you need for your Freshfields assessment practice applicable across the globe including the US and the UK in this guide.

Our website provides scientifically validated practice assessment tests, interviews, and assessment centre exercises that can be used to practice and prepare for the recruitment and assessment process. 

Not sure if you should practice to prepare for the Freshfields recruiting process? According to research, 60-80% of candidates are rejected based on their aptitude test results. It is proven that practice increases your chances of getting hired.

IN A NUTSHELL

1. Fill in the Freshfields Online Application 

• Match your qualifications and skills with the job description. 
• Research Freshfields values and fill out the application accordingly. 
• Prepare an 850-word personal statement. 

2. Practice for the Freshfields Watson Glaser Test 

As your application gets selected, you are invited to the next stage of your Freshfields hiring process, where you will be invited to complete the Freshfields Watson Glaser Test.

You may get rejected already after your assessment tests. These tests sift out 50-80% of candidates. The only proven way to get to the next round is to practice.

3. Prepare for the Half-day Assessment 

The last stage of your Freshfields recruitment process will be the Freshfields half-day assessment where you will be required to sit through various assessment center exercises aiming to assess your analytical skills. These exercises are: 

1. Written Exercise
2. General Interview
3. Analytical Interview

For your final interview, practice with our video interview platform and record yourself answering the interview questions using the STAR+R method.

Continue reading to get answers to these critical questions:

1. What is the Freshfields recruitment process?
2. What is the Freshfields Watson Glaser test?
3. How to pass the Freshfields assessment centre?
4. How to pass a Freshfields interview?
5. What are Freshfields’ graduate programmes?

Looking into assessments with Freshfields, click on the table below to practice assessments relevant to your assessment process!

Before we dive into the assessments, let’s discover more about Freshfields first.

Who are Freshfields?

Freshfields is a British multinational law firm, headquartered in London, England. It advises nations, multinational corporations, financial institutions, and governments. Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, popularly known as Freshfields, holds 28 offices in 17 jurisdictions across Asia, Europe, Middle-East, and North America and has approximately 4,900 employees.

Freshfields receive thousands of applications each year. But where in Freshfields do the applicants apply to? 

Let’s find out the key fields and job functions you can apply to below.

Freshfields Careers

What job functions does Freshfields provide?

Freshfields lawyers can practice in various areas of law, some of these are listed below:

To apply to these roles and prove to be a great fit, make sure you keep in mind Freshfields’ values, as this will help you understand the work culture at Freshfields and align your interests with the company’s expectations. 

What are these values? Let’s check these out below. 

Freshfields Values

What are Freshfields’ core values?

The core values of Freshfields are as follows:

1. Embracing challenge: Freshfields believes in seizing challenges as opportunities to grow. They believe in working together as one team and overcoming obstacles and delivering great outcomes.
2. Promoting collaboration: Freshfields offers an unparalleled service and experience through our collegiality and by proactively bringing together their global and diverse talent. 
3. Redefining excellence: Freshfields seeks to push the boundaries of what excellence means in everything they do.

It is important to understand Freshfields and these values to maximise your upcoming personal statement and impress the Freshfields recruitment team for your upcoming interviews.

Below, we have mentioned some more pointers that will give you a head start on your research.

How to Research for Freshfields

1. Understand the Key Practice Areas: Identify the Freshfields’ main practice areas mentioned above. Understand the sectors they focus on and the types of legal services they provide. This will help you tailor your application to align with their areas of expertise.

2. Read About Notable Cases and Deals: Research recent high-profile cases or deals that Freshfields were involved in. This information is often available on the firm’s website or through legal news sources. Knowing about their recent successes demonstrates your genuine interest. For example, the Comcast-Sky case.

3. Understand Freshfields’ Work Culture: Understand the firm’s work culture by reading employee testimonials, reviews on employer review sites, or any articles discussing the firm’s work culture.

4. Know their Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives: Research Freshfields’ initiatives related to diversity and inclusion. Be aware of Freshfields’ five-year diversity targets and their commitment to these important areas of society.

5. Attend Events: Find out if Freshfields conducts any seminars or events where you can understand the company’s culture better. Meet the professionals and interact with them to get an idea of the firm’s expectations and reach.

Now that you know all about Freshfields, let’s jump right into the Freshfields recruitment process.

Freshfields Recruitment Process

What is the Freshfields recruitment process?

The Freshfields recruitment process consists of various assessment stages which will evaluate you on the basis of your critical thinking, cognitive skills as well as your personality traits. The three stages of Freshfields recruiting process are:

1. Freshfields Online Application
2. Freshfields Watson Glaser Test
3. Freshfields Half-day Assessment

Let’s get into the details of these stages of the Freshfields application process, starting with the online application.

Freshfields Online Application

What is the Freshfields online application?

The Freshfields online application is a typical workday system application. This first stage of your Freshfields recruitment process will require to provide the following information here:

1. Personal information 
2. Contact information
3. Educational qualification 
4. Work history 
5. 850-word personal statement 
6. Resume

During your Freshfields application, you will also be required to write an 850-word personal statement. So let’s see how to give your best impression in your Freshfields personal statement.

How to Write the Freshfields Personal Statement?

To impress with your Freshfields personal statement, don’t miss our following tips.

Top 7 Tips to Write a Good Freshfields Personal Statement 

1. Structure Your Personal Statement: Start with an introduction that grabs the reader’s attention. Clarify your motivation for pursuing a career at Freshfields. Follow this with short and well-organized paragraphs talking about your experiences, skills, and how they relate to the firm.

2. Demonstrate Your Legal Interest: Express your genuine interest in the legal profession and highlight specific aspects of law that intrigue you. Discuss any relevant coursework, internships, or experiences that have contributed to your passion for law.

3. Showcase Relevant Experience: Detail any legal or related experiences you’ve had, whether through internships, volunteer work, or academic projects. Highlight specific achievements, responsibilities, and skills gained during these experiences.

4. Link Your Experiences to Freshfields: Connect your past experiences and skills directly to what Freshfields is looking for in a candidate. Demonstrate how your unique qualities make you a good fit for the firm.

5. Highlight Your Analytical Skills: Since Freshfields places a strong emphasis on analytical skills, discuss instances where you have demonstrated critical thinking, problem-solving, and attention to detail. Use specific examples to illustrate your abilities.

6. Address Your Career Goals: Clearly articulate your career goals and explain how joining Freshfields fits into your long-term plans. Showcase how the firm’s resources and opportunities align with your professional aspirations.

7. Proofread Thoroughly: Carefully proofread your statement to ensure it is free of grammatical errors and typos. A well-written and error-free document reflects positively on your attention to detail.

If you want more tips to prepare for your Freshfields application process, don’t miss our following short video: 

Once your resume gets selected by the Freshfields, you will be required to complete the Freshfields Watson Glaser test. Keep reading as we uncover the details of this assessment.

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Freshfields Watson Glaser Test

What is the Freshfields Watson Glaser test? 

The Freshfields Watson Glaser test is designed to assess your ability to digest and understand situations and information. It is often used by Freshfields for roles where the ability to critically consider arguments or propositions is particularly important.

Law firms such as Freshfields often use the Watson-Glaser test to assess your cognitive abilities as well as inference-making abilities.

How much time does the Freshfields Watson Glaser test take?  

The Freshfields Watson Glaser test is divided into 5 sections each of which will contain several questions. There will be up to 40 questions to be completed in or under 50 minutes.  

What does the Freshfields Watson Glaser test consist of?

 The Freshfields Watson Glaser critical thinking test is divided into the following 5 question types within their sections:

1. Inference
2. Recognising assumptions
3. Deduction
4. Interpretation
5. Evaluating Arguments 

HOW TO PASS THE FRESHFIELDS WATSON GLASER TEST

To boost your performance in your upcoming Freshfields Watson Glaser Test, don’t miss our following expert tips and tricks! 

Top 5 Tips to Pass the Freshfields Watson Glaser Test

1. Practice Makes Perfect: The best way to familiarise yourself with the questions of the Watson Glaser Test is to practice. Practice critical thinking tests to gain a better understanding of the real Freshfields test.

2. Develop Analytical Skills: The Freshfields Watson Glaser test assesses your ability to draw logical conclusions from the given information. Practice breaking down complex information, identifying key points, and understanding the relationships between these points.

3. Evaluate Arguments: A significant part of the test involves evaluating arguments. Practice identifying the strengths and weaknesses of different arguments, understanding the evidence presented, and assessing the overall validity of the reasoning.

4. Read the Instructions Carefully: A key skill measured in this Freshfields assessment is your attention to detail. Make sure to read through the instructions at the start of each section carefully and check through the passages and statements twice to make sure you capture the important details. 

5. Manage Your Time: To stay on top of the 50-minute time limit, spread your time evenly to ensure you complete as many questions as you can. If you get stuck on a question, take an educated guess and move on.

If you get selected at this stage of your Freshfields assessment, you will be required to attend the next stage of assessment, i.e., the Freshfields half-day assessment or Freshfields assessment centre. 

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Freshfields Half-day Assessment

What is the Freshfields half-day assessment? 

The Freshfields half-day assessment also known as Freshfields assessment centre is designed to assess your skills, competencies, and suitability for the role. To assess these, you will be required to go through various assessment centre exercises. 

The Freshfields assessment centre exercises typically include: 

1. Freshfields Written Exercise
2. Freshfields General Interview
3. Freshfields Analytical Interview

Keep reading to discover more about these three Freshfields assessment centre stages. 

1. Freshfields Written Exercise

What is the Freshfields written exercise? 

Freshfields’ written exercise will evaluate your attention to detail skills because a lot of work for Freshfields’ clients is done in writing. However, this Freshfields written exercise does not test your technical or legal knowledge. 

This written exercise is an important and most predictable stage of your assessment, all you need to pass this exercise is to be fully prepared. How can you do that? Let’s see. 

HOW TO PASS THE FRESHFIELDS WRITTEN EXERCISE?

Passing the written exercise at Freshfields requires a combination of analytical thinking and effective communication. By considering the following tips, you can achieve some of these objectives. 

Top 5 Tips to Pass the Freshfields Written Exercise 

1. Organize Your Thoughts: Take a few minutes to outline your response before starting. Organize your response and make sure to maintain a logical flow. For example, if you have to write about a case, structure your response accordingly: introduction, facts, issues, arguments, analysis, decision, impact, and conclusion.  
2. Answer the Question Directly: Address the key issues raised in the exercise directly. Ensure that your response is relevant and directly addresses the question posed.
3. Balance Detail and Conciseness: Provide enough detail to support your arguments, but try to be concise in writing the details. Practice one-word substitution to fit in more information in less data to keep your writing clear and focused.
4. Adapt to the Firm’s Style: Familiarize yourself with Freshfields’ writing style by reviewing any available materials, publications, or sample documents. Ensure that your writing aligns with the firm’s writing style and tone.
5. Consider Practical Implications: Think about the practical implications of your advice or analysis. How would your recommendations play out in a real-world scenario? Consider the broader context and consequences.

Once you have completed  your Freshfields written exercise, you will be required to sit for two interviews one of them being the Freshfields general interview. Read on to find out more. 

2. Freshfields General Interview

What is the Freshfields general interview? 

The Freshfields general interview will be a conversation with two of your interviewers, usually a partner and an associate. This interview will be an hour long and will require you to reflect on your resume and be prepared with some examples from your prior experience. 

The Freshfields general interview will assess your behaviours in several situations as well as see if you are a good fit for the organization. This interview will also focus on your past experiences through competency-based questions.

This is a crucial stage where your interviewers get to know you and therefore you must put your best self out there. How to do that? Let’s see. 

HOW TO PASS THE FRESHFIELDS GENERAL INTERVIEW?

Top 7 Tips to Pass the Freshfields General Interview 

Consider the following tips and tricks to understand how you can enhance your performance in the Freshfields general interview: 

1. Review Your Resume: Expect your resume and personal statement to be discussed during this interview, so check through these thoroughly and consider how you can showcase the mentioned skills during the interview.

2. Conduct Mock Interviews: Conduct mock interviews with a friend, mentor, or career coach to simulate the interview experience. This can help you refine your responses and get feedback on your performance.

3. Expect Behavioral Questions: Behavioral questions assess your soft skills and interpersonal qualities. Be ready with a few examples which highlight skills such as leadership, teamwork and collaboration. Use the STAR+R method to structure your answers.

4. Brush up Your Legal Knowledge: Brush up on your legal knowledge, especially in areas relevant to Freshfields’ practice. Be prepared to discuss recent legal developments, cases, and any other pertinent topics in the legal field.

5. Showcase Teamwork and Collaboration: Emphasize your ability to work collaboratively. Law firms, including Freshfields, value candidates who can work effectively in a team environment. Provide examples of successful teamwork experiences

6. Emphasize on Cultural Fit: Showcase how your values and work style align with Freshfields’ culture. Discuss any initiatives, values, or aspects of the firm’s culture that resonate with you.

7. Break Down Your Response: To familiarise you with your job, you will be asked challenging questions based on scenarios. For these, break down the question and your response into steps. If you are unsure, express your willingness to learn and adapt.

Now, using the above tips, let’s try and answer the following Freshfields interview questions. 

FRESHFIELDS GENERAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Good Answer: 

• Yes, during my previous role at XYZ Company, I had the opportunity to be part of a corporate tax audit that involved a thorough examination of our financial records and tax filings. 

• One of the key takeaways from this experience was the importance of meticulous record-keeping and documentation. It highlighted the significance of maintaining well-organized and transparent financial records.

• Additionally, I learned the importance of proactive communication with tax authorities. Throughout the audit, we maintained open lines of communication, promptly addressing any queries and providing additional documentation as needed. Being well-versed in the relevant tax codes allowed us to anticipate potential areas of concern and address them proactively.

• Overall, this corporate tax audit experience reinforced the importance of a proactive and collaborative approach to tax compliance and the necessity of staying informed about evolving tax regulations.

Good Answer: 

• If brought on board at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer LLP, I would prioritize client trust through open communication, reliability, and a deep understanding of their needs. 

• Actively listening to clients, providing transparent updates, and delivering high-quality legal services would be paramount. Seeking and incorporating client feedback regularly, coupled with a commitment to exceeding expectations, would demonstrate a dedication to their satisfaction. 

• Additionally, I would aim to develop a personal connection by understanding their business context and industry challenges. This, combined with a proactive and responsive approach, would contribute to building strong, lasting relationships based on trust and collaboration.

Good Answer: 

• Situation: During my internship at XYZ Legal Services, I was assigned to assist in a case where the client suggested an approach that seemed ethically questionable.

• Task: To ensure we remained within the legal standards, I had to balance the client’s objectives with the relevant ethical considerations.

• Action: To address this, I engaged in open communication with my supervisor expressing ethical concerns. I researched and proposed the best alternative strategies that aligned with legal standards and the ethical guidelines, encouraging the importance of sustaining the firm’s professional integrity.

• Result: Having discussed the strategies with my supervisor, we implemented a course of action for our client that ensured we met legal and ethical standards whilst also focussing on our client’s goals. 

• Reflect: This challenge gave me the opportunity to take the initiative to overcome obstacles whilst maintaining integrity. This opportunity also demonstrated the importance of open collaboration to deliver outcomes that satisfy all concerns to an excellent standard.

The next interview at Freshfields will be the Freshfields analytical interview. Let’s find out more about this Freshfields interview. 

3. Freshfields Analytical Interview

What is the Freshfields analytical interview? 

During the Freshfields analytical interview you will be given 30 minutes to read an article. After this, you will have an hour-long interview with two different interviewers. This interview does not test your legal or technical knowledge, only your commercial awareness and ability to think on your feet.  

The two interviewers in the Freshfields analytical interview may be a partner and an associate, and they have no information whatsoever about you prior to the interview except your name. 

As well as the above tip, you can do a few more things to ensure you are ready for the Freshfields analytical interview. Let’s find out more below.

HOW TO PASS FRESHFIELDS ANALYTICAL INTERVIEW?

To be completely prepared for what’s coming, make sure you don’t miss the following expert tips.

Top 5 Tips to Pass Freshfields Analytical Interview:

1. Understand the Firm’s Values and Culture: Familiarize yourself with Freshfields’ values and culture. This will help you tailor your approach to what Freshfields are looking for.

2. Develop Your Commercial Awareness: Stay updated on current legal and business news. The ability to apply legal knowledge in a commercial context is crucial for a law firm like Freshfields. Understand the impact of decisions on business operations.

3. Practice Case Studies and Scenarios: Practice analyzing the problems to example scenarios and providing structured solutions. Focus on identifying key issues, considering relevant precedents, and proposing strong arguments or solutions.

4. Practice Critical Thinking: Develop your critical thinking skills. Practice analysing complex information from news articles, identifying key points, and making logical connections. The ability to think critically is essential for success in the Freshfield analytical interview.

5. Use Specific Examples: Refer to the article in your answers. Use any relevant data to support your points to show your understanding of the topic. Ask your interviewers questions if unsure of if they are looking for anything specific from your approach.

We also recommend asking your own intriguing and thought-provoking questions at the end of your interview. Here are some questions you may ask your employer: 

Once you are done with this last Freshfield recruitment stage and pass this, you will receive an offer letter after a week or two, once the employment checks and other formalities are done. 

If everything gets approved, you will be joining your dream job at Freshfields. Congratulations!

But wait, before you go!

Are you a student looking for opportunities to kickstart your career with Freshfields? We have got you covered! Below are some of the entry-level career opportunities available at Freshfields. Read on to find out more. 

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Freshfields Early Careers

What early career opportunities does Freshfields offer? 

Freshfields offers various opportunities for students as well as fresh graduates to kickstart their careers in the consulting industry. These career opportunities offered by Freshfields are as follows: 

1. Freshfields Graduate Programme
2. Freshfields Solicitor Apprenticeships
3. Freshfields Vacation Scheme

Let’s discuss each of these opportunities in detail below. 

1. Freshfields Graduate Programme

What is the Freshfields graduate programme? 

As a part of the Freshfields graduate programme you will move and work every three months in a new department of the business during your two-year placement at Freshfields. Through this programme, you will gain wide exposure to legal disciplines.

The Freshfields graduate programme job functions and subsidiary programmes are as follows: 

1. London-Asian Trainee Programme 
2. The City Consortium Solicitor Training Programme
3. Qualifying Work Experience

Now to apply to these Freshfields training programmes, you should apply as soon as possible because the applications have started and the exact application dates of Freshfields graduate programmes are given below. 

Freshfields Graduate Programmes Application Deadlines 

1. Winter Application: Open from November until Mid January
2. London-Asia Trainee Associate Programme: Open from October until January 
3. Summer Applications: Open from Mid June until August. 

Next, let’s talk about another Freshfields early career opportunity, i.e., the Freshfields solicitor apprenticeship. 

2. Freshfields Solicitor Apprenticeship

What is the Freshfields solicitor apprenticeship? 

The Freshfields Solicitor Apprenticeship is a six-year programme that will combine cutting-edge work and study, and the apprentices will gain a law degree and SQE qualifications before qualifying as a solicitor. 

For more details of this Freshfields solicitor apprenticeship, you can visit the Freshfields careers website. 

Next, let’s discuss the Freshfields vacation scheme. 

3. Freshfields Vacation Scheme

What is the Freshfields vacation scheme? 

The Freshfields vacation scheme is a three week summer vacation scheme that is a paid placement which allows you to engage in real tasks, group exercises, and events with partners and associates of the company. 

How to apply for Freshfields Vacation Scheme? To be eligible to apply to Freshfields vacation scheme you must fulfil some basic eligibility criteria that is mentioned below. 

FRESHFIELDS VACATION SCHEME ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

1. Students must be in their penultimate year of undergraduate degree or in the second year students of a four year degree. 
2. As this is a paid placement, students must have a work permit to be able to work in that country. 

The assessment process for the Freshfields vacation scheme is the same as the assessment process of the Freshfields experienced hire. 

When can you apply to the Freshfields vacation scheme? 

With this, we have provided you all the information to help you get into your dream company. Refer to the following FAQs section to gain more insights into the Freshfields recruitment process. 

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Freshfields Recruitment FAQs