Our Hiring Process

Recruitment practices

Our people are our most valuable asset

We’re upfront about who we are and the things we believe to help you assess if we’re the right organization to support your career goals. We’ve designed our hiring process to be flexible to your needs, and we’re happy to make reasonable adjustments to ensure everyone has equal opportunity to start their journey with First West.

Application

Your first step towards a career with First West is to submit an application online.
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Application

All applications are accepted through our online application system. If this is your first time applying for a role with First West, you’ll be instructed to create a profile for which you can import information from your LinkedIn or Indeed account or upload your resume. We’ll ask you for:

Contact details

You’ll be required to enter your personal information—name, address, phone number, email, among other details.

Experience

You’ll be asked to provide information about your work experience, including the name of your previous employer, job title, dates of employment, and more.

Education

There will be an opportunity for you to share your education information, including the level of education you’ve achieved, names of schools you’ve attended and when.

Licenses and certifications

We’ll ask you to specify the licenses and certifications you’ve achieved.

Work preferences

As a B.C.-based organization with an expansive branch network, we offer opportunities in various locations across our province, as well as options to work remotely from home. We’ll ask you to share your preferences relating to where you’d like to work.

Supporting documentation

There are several opportunities to include supporting documents with your application. Note our preferred format for attachments are Word documents and PDFs. Attachments cannot exceed 5MB.

Job application questions

You’ll be asked a series of mandatory application questions, such as “Are you legally entitled to work in Canada?”

Diversity information

We’re committed to cultivating a culture of equity, inclusion and diversity. We’ll ask you a brief series of questions relating to how you identify—whether you’d like to respond is voluntary. Your responses are not tied to your application but are instead used in aggregate form to help us identify potential barriers and measure the equity of our recruitment process.

Interview

This is your chance to assess if we’re the right organization for you.
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Interview

Your interviewer will ask a series of behaviour and situation-based questions, and inquire about the skills and knowledge you’ve attained through your professional experiences. We’re trying to understand if you’re qualified for the role and whether our purpose and values align. Depending on the requirements of the role you’ve applied for, you may also be asked questions specific to the type of work you’ll be performing.

Your interview is also a great time to ask questions about our organization—we understand you’re interviewing us just as much as we’re interviewing you.

You may be interviewing with one hiring manager, or up to three. We’ll disclose the individuals you’ll be meeting with in advance of your interview. Your interview can take place in-person, through online video conferencing technology or by phone. If there is an accommodation that would make your interview more accessible for you, we’re happy to make reasonable adjustments.

Assessment

We’ll ask you to complete a behavioural assessment.
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Assessment

We’re committed to providing a dynamic environment where everyone can be their best. For that reason, we’ve partnered with The Predictive Index (PI), an organization that is equally committed to improving the working lives of people.

During our recruitment process, PI helps us understand how you can fit into our broader business strategy and how we can best support you in maximizing your career potential.

After completing your first interview with one of our talent attraction specialists, we’ll ask you to complete a behavioural assessment. This gives us insight to better understand your individual needs and how you behave in the workplace.

Please advise your talent attraction specialist if you have a disability or other challenge that may present a barrier to completing either of these assessments.

Pre-employment

As part of the recruitment process, you’ll be required to complete several pre-employment checks and documents.
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Pre-employment

As a financial institution, we require a variety of pre-employment checks and documents in order to move forward with your application. Some of these can include:

  • Credit bureau record checks
  • Criminal record checks
  • An approved fidelity bond application
  • Court civil service checks
  • Education verification
  • Employment history verification (Professional references from a previous supervisor)
  • Performance reviews

We use third party providers such as Sterling Backcheck and Stabilization Central Credit Union to conduct required checks. All the information that we’ll obtain from you will be held confidential.

Meet our talent attraction team

These are the first people you’ll meet when you apply for a career with our credit union. They have a goal of finding professionals who are eager to make meaningful impact and inspired by our member-first philosophy.

Helping you prepare for employment at First West

We’re always looking for great people like you to join our team, and we’re here to support you through the application process. These commonly asked questions can help you navigate towards a career with First West.

Can you adjust the interview process to accommodate my disability?

If you have a barrier, we’re happy to make reasonable adjustments to our hiring process in order to adapt to your needs. We want to ensure fairness and equity for all applicants, and to help you show us your best! If you require an accommodation at any point in the process, from the application to the interview, please send an email to HRdirect@firstwestcu.ca outlining your needs.

What does onboarding look like at First West?

Your first few months are all about learning as much as you can. To start off, you’ll participate in our virtual orientation program, as well as e-learning and remote training experiences with your performance leader and colleagues. We want to ensure you have a smooth transition into your role at First West, which is why our onboarding is designed with tools and activities that help you stay connected and engaged in a supportive work environment, so you’ll feel ready and able to contribute to our organization.

How does First West support my continuous learning?

It’s our goal to provide you with an enriching team member experience and support you to elevate your career doing things that matter. Here at First West we empower you to continuously develop new skills though in-house programs that are inclusive and accessible, leveraging supportive technology or by funding for external learning experiences. We’re committed to team  member development which means we’re regularly updating courses to remain relevant, using multiple modes of learning and incorporating feedback to improve effectiveness and to support continuous learning.

My interview will be held remotely via online video conferencing technology. How should I prepare?

We regularly use digital platforms to conduct interviews. The following tips can help to guide you before, during and after your remote interview.

  • Test your technology. Make sure your internet connection and video conferencing program are functioning properly prior to your interview.
  • Dress professionally and ensure your surroundings are tidy.
  • Rehearse your response to key interview questions—just as you would for an in-person interview—and prepare your own questions for the interviewer.
  • Be personable and engage with the interviewer to demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role.
  • Remove all distractions, including your cell phone which should be turned to silent. Close all other programs on your computer to avoid unexpected notifications, which can come across as unprofessional.
  • Adjust your lighting. Avoid heavy shadows and ensure it’s not too bright.
  • Have a digital version of your resume readily available. The hiring manager may ask you to share it through digital channels during your call.
  • Don’t panic if technology fails. Remain calm, friendly and make sure you have the hiring manager’s email address or phone number on-hand, so you can contact them in case you’re not able to reconnect online.
  • Just as you would after an in-person interview, send a follow-up note after the interview, thanking the hiring manager for their time.
“It’s gratifying to know that the work I do has value to our members. I’m helping to simplify their banking and their lives. That’s a great feeling.”
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Alex Tirkanits, Senior Financial Advisor, Valley First