Job Hub: Virgin Group Jobs and Culture

Today we highlight tremendous business analyst and post-consulting leadership jobs at Virgin Group. Virgin Group, a leading international group, is one of the most recognized and respected brands in the world. This group has a startling 300 companies in its portfolio in sectors ranging from travel, telecommunications, health, financial services, leisure, music, space travel, and renewable energy.

Enjoy!

History & Culture At Virgin Group

Led by visionary founder, chairman, and owner Sir Richard Branson, holding company Virgin Group gets around. The group’s travel-related operations, led by 51%-owned Virgin Atlantic Airways, are among its largest cash generators. Virgin Atlantic flies to 30 destinations around the world with a surprisingly small fleet of 40 aircraft, complemented by its Australian low-fare cousin, Virgin Blue, which operates a fleet of some 80 aircraft. Virgin Group also operates rail franchises in the UK and sells tour packages. 

Virgin Group was established in 1970, with offices in about 30 countries. The company now employs more than 50,000 people worldwide, and operates in over 50 countries. Their global branded revenues in 2012 were $24B.

Want to know what matters most to Virgin Group? It’s not the ordinary answer that most companies respond with. At Virgin Group, customers are not first, nor are the shareholders – the employees are!!! According to Sir Richard Branson, “Employees matter most at Virgin Group; they are our greatest asset”. He believes that it’s the quality of interaction that employees have with customers that encourages them to return. 

Besides some of the traditional benefits that most employers offer, like 401K and stock options, some of the additional Virgin perks are pretty cool – like being able to fly for free on their airlines, subsidized cost of other Virgin company services like mobile service, railway service, gym memberships, etc. Virgin even allows you to take an unlimited amount of vacation hours!!! Check out the video below to hear what the greatest perks for working at Virgin are, from none other than Virgin’s employees themselves.

Interview Tips & Tricks For Virgin Group

Virgin didn’t get to be a worldwide recognized brand by sitting around and doing things like any other company. It is where it is today because the firm saw what other companies were doing and producing and thought, “We can do better.” Like Virgin’s founder, Sir Richard Branson, Virgin is a company full of game changers and disruptors and that’s exactly the type of people the company wants to bring on board. Virgin is looking for people who are passionate about what they do, the people they serve, and providing an experience like no other.
There is not one sure way that leads your application to be accepted to go on to the interview process. You can apply for a position at Virgin in many different ways ranging from job fairs, staffing agencies, applying online, or applying in person, all of which have the same likelihood of getting passed on to the interview phase. We highly recommend you network into the business rather than going in with a cold application.

The typical hiring process from application to offer will vary largely depending upon the position that you are applying for, but you can expect the timeline to take anywhere from 2-9 weeks. After submitting your initial application, with your resume/CV, cover letter, and other supporting documents, HR typically will respond to your application within a couple of days.

Be aware that even if your application is rejected, it does not mean that this is the end of road. At Virgin, rejection is sometimes used as a test to see if you are really interested in the job or not. One applicant called HR to receive feedback on why their application was rejected, when, to their surprise, Virgin turned the tables because of the candidate’s persistence and asked them to come in for an interview. 

Once you get called in for an interview, bank on at least 3-4 interviews which typically consist of connecting with the recruiter for a phone screen, followed by a phone interview, and then two 1:1 in person interviews with either a panel or the hiring manager. Again, depending on the position for which you have applied the interview process can vary slightly. For some roles and offices, Virgin does an assessment day which is very enjoyable. If you get called in for one of those, it typically consist of team group behavioral exercises, a 1 hour test, and a 1-hour interview.

Virgin interviews have been know to be pretty easy, but don’t let that fact catch you off guard. You still need to be prepared when interviewing with Virgin, because the questions that you will receive are both behavioral like “Why Virgin?” or “Describe a time which put you under pressure and how you dealt with it, both academically and in the workplace?” and experiential (Context, Action, Result) like “Which personal event has had the biggest impact on your career to date?”, “What type of leader are you?” and “What motivates you?” They are also known to ask a lot of tough and interesting questions like “Why should I hire you?”, “What can you contribute to the company?”, or “Pepsi or Coke?” so be prepared with your hero stories! They might drill down on your experiences and role play with you, so don’t go in without preparation.

When interviewing for a job at Virgin, you are required to travel at your own expense to interview with them. It is also noteworthy to add that if Virgin likes you, they will do their utmost to find you a position, even if it is not in the original position you applied for. It is all about having the right attitude and willingness to work which will get you hired. 

Lastly, make sure you know the market value for the position in which you are applying. After you get an offer, even though Virgin is known to be pretty fixed and rigid with offers, there is room to negotiate if you know what the position is worth.
Virgin Group has a funky vision, a mission-driven purpose, a clean look, and an impressive culture. Check out key corporate opportunities today by visiting their Careers Page todayAs always, network, network, network, and ask the right questions to see if this is the next best fit for you.

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