CN Interview Questions
Updated Nov 11, 2023
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Interviews at CN
Interviews for Top Jobs at CN
- Train Conductor (15)
- Freight Conductor (12)
- Conductor (11)
- Railroad Conductor (8)
- Intern (4)
- Mechanic (4)
- Management Trainee (3)
- Analyst (2)
- Internship (2)
- IT Manager (2)
- Signal Maintainer (2)
- HR Manager (2)
- Senior Manager (2)
- Locomotive Engineer (2)
- Logistics Coordinator (2)
- Applications Developer (2)
- Laborer (2)
- Human Resources (2)
- Director (2)
- Customer Service Representative (2)
- Business Analyst (2)
- Track Maintainer (2)
- Composite Accounting Representative (2)
- Staff Accountant (1)
- Change Manager (1)
- Operation Supervisor (1)
- IT (1)
- Buyer (1)
- Market Analyst (1)
- Market Manager (1)
Anonymous Interview Candidate
I interviewed at CN
it was easy, it was process and screening questions, it was a pre-recorded interview and had five main questions. i am still in the process so I am unsure of everything but otherwise, was not very complicated.
- processing questions like whyyour major is, why work there, where do you see yourself in 5 years, why you're right for the role
Anonymous Interview Candidate in Montreal, QC
I applied online. I interviewed at CN (Montreal, QC)
After applying, I had a digital one-way interview with a few generic questions. Depending on the job posting, some questions may be in French, and they expect you to answer in French.
- 1. Why CN 2. Why your major 3. Where do you see yourself in 5 years 4. What are your 3 traits
What people are saying about CN
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Anonymous Interview Candidate
I interviewed at CN
Fast and quick, very quick, I had interview next day. Good job. I would consider work again. Nice environment. I need more time to consider. I made a decision quickly
- Why do you want to work for us
Anonymous Employee in Montreal, QC
I applied online. The process took 6 weeks. I interviewed at CN (Montreal, QC)
Recruitment process was a bit long with many interviews/meetings. There was nothing too challenging about the interviews, standard questions were asked about situations and your experience level. Involved a number of discussions with internal HR, leaders and clients.
- How have you handled a difficult leader who was resistant to change?
Anonymous Employee
I interviewed at CN
My interview at CN was very pleasant and I would rate it an overall good experience. The job was explained adequately and the interviewers were very approachable. They kept the questions relevant and light hearted which I believe to be important when interviewing.
- What are your biggest qualities/strengths
Anonymous Employee in Edmonton, AB
I applied through a recruiter. I interviewed at CN (Edmonton, AB) in Jun 2023
Upon selection, Recruiter sends invitation for live session and interview . upon accepting, interview is conducted after brief introduction of company, working conditions and job responsibilities. Upon selection, HR contact via email for the next steps, which is hiring process.
- 1. Are you aware of working conditions ? 2. Did you work in harsh weather conditions ? 3. Do you have any railway experience, if not, any other related work experience ? 4. Do you know about safety and safety measures applied at that workplace, if yes how do you know about those safety measeures and where ? 5. Did you work in highly paced highly safe environment ? 6. Have you ever get stressed during work ? 7. what make you stressful and how do you handle it ? 8. Are you aware of 'on call' job ? 9. What is you availability for this position ?
Anonymous Interview Candidate in Toronto, ON
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at CN (Toronto, ON) in Apr 2023
The interview process was very smooth. The recruiter was very approachable, polite and supportive. The hiring manager was very kind, made me feel comfortable and the strange thing was that it felt like a nice interaction than an interview. I also gave the second round with a senior HR leader of the organization, the overall interview experience was something which will always attract me to this company. Everyone is so respectful, understanding and has a candid chat about all the expectations. It was a great experience interviewing with CN
- Mostly about the role and prior experiences, handling difficult stakeholders, managing multiple priorities
Anonymous Interview Candidate
I interviewed at CN
It was a pre-recorded video interview with 4 questions. Each question takes 2 mins. 2 attempts are allowed for the first 2 questions and 1 attempt for the last 2 questions.
- Why do you choose your major? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Why would you like to work for CN? What are the skills that make you an asset for the position?
Anonymous Employee
I interviewed at CN
online - stick to conductor duties and keep pushing safety, in everything. Working a flexible schedule with regular and predictable attendance, in line with the 24/7 railroading environmentMeeting medical fitness requirements for the position, including those established by the Railway Association of Canada, such as the ability to recognize and distinguish between the colors of signals
- Working outdoors in varying weather and environmental conditions
Anonymous Interview Candidate in Brampton, ON
I applied online. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at CN (Brampton, ON) in Mar 2023
Got invited to interview on their online portal, submitting a few recorded answers to some questions they pose in real time. Questions were fairly basic and will be listed below for the role of "Intern, Optional Service and Analytics req9777 Brampton"
- -[TEST] "Count to 5." - "How is the weather in your location?" - "Why did you choose your major in university?" - "Where do you see yourself in five years?" - [1 TAKE] "Why do you want to work at CN?" - [1 TAKE] "Which skills will make you an asset to CN?"
CN Interviews FAQs
Glassdoor users rated their interview experience at CN as 55.9% positive with a difficulty rating score of 2.41 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty). Candidates interviewing for Signal Maintainer and Market Analyst rated their interviews as the hardest, whereas interviews for Track Laborer and Locomotive Engineer roles were rated as the easiest.
The hiring process at CN takes an average of 24.13 days when considering 34 user submitted interviews across all job titles. Candidates applying for Track Laborer had the quickest hiring process (on average 1 day), whereas Transportation Analyst roles had the slowest hiring process (on average 120 days).
Common stages of the interview process at CN according to 34 Glassdoor interviews include:
Skills Test: 14.29%
One on One Interview: 13.39%
Background Check: 13.39%
Phone Interview: 12.50%
Drug Test: 12.50%
Group Panel Interview: 10.71%
Personality Test: 8.04%
IQ Intelligence Test: 6.25%
Presentation: 6.25%
Other: 2.68%
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