I applied through college or university. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at HSBC (New York, NY) in Feb 2011
Interview
First there was a basic quantitative test before the initial interview. Interviewed with the managing director at my school and the interview lasted around 30 minutes. The questions were behavioral and fit questions mostly and he asked about what deals I followed recently from HSBC. Second round interview was the super day at the office in New York, which I was offered a stipend to take a flight or bus for. I had a 2 on 1 interview where they asked basic fit questions and basic questions about the market, IPOs I followed, and where I thought the economy was heading. I thought that they were very stern but also had a relatively relaxed attitude at the same time.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Can you tell me of recent events that happened in the market? Any upsets or interesting things going on?
I applied online. I interviewed at HSBC (Hong Kong) in Dec 2012
Interview
An hour phone interview call from UK headquarters. Interview was very structured, with many questions asking regarding my knowledge of the current economic market and how it relates to HSBC. It aims to see whether I have a good understanding of market conditions.