BNY Mellon · Primly Community

BNY Mellon recruiter phone screen: what they actually ask, from someone who's been on both sides

mobile_mara · 5 replies

I've been through the BNY Mellon recruiter screen as a candidate in 2024 and have also worked alongside BNY recruiting partners in a previous role. The screen is pretty consistent regardless of the tech team you're targeting.

Here's what they're genuinely trying to figure out in 30 minutes:

1. Can you explain your background coherently? They'll ask you to walk them through your resume. Don't read it to them. Tell the narrative. Why did you move from X to Y. What was the thread. Two to three minutes max.

2. Why BNY specifically? This is where most candidates tank it. "I'm interested in financial services" is not an answer. Know something about BNY's actual technology bets: they've been investing in digital asset custody, tokenization, AI/ML for compliance and fraud, cloud migration off legacy mainframes. Pick one that connects to your background and say something real.

3. What are you targeting in terms of role and compensation? Be honest and give a range. They use this to determine whether you're in band before spending 6 more hours on you. If you're currently at $175k base and they're looking at a $140k budget, better to know now.

4. Timeline and logistics. Are you interviewing elsewhere. When could you start. Are you open to NYC / Pittsburgh / Jersey City (their main hubs). Work authorization status if applicable.

5. Brief tech background. Primary languages, what kinds of systems you've built. Not deep, just calibration.

The recruiter will usually end with a description of next steps. Listen carefully here: they often give you a sense of how many candidates are in the pipeline and what the timeline looks like. Ask directly if they don't offer it: "What's the typical timeline from here to an offer decision?"

One thing I want to say clearly: the recruiter screen at a place like BNY is a gate, not a formality. Recruiters here are trained and have been around. Coming in unprepared or dismissive because it's 'just HR' is a mistake I've watched people make. The feedback does flow into the hiring team's file.

Be professional, be specific, be brief. The whole thing is 30 minutes.

5 replies

newgrad_neil

This is incredibly helpful. The 'why BNY specifically' part is what I've been most nervous about. Do you think mentioning their digital asset custody work is seen as genuine interest or kind of buzzword-y given that everyone mentions it?

director_dee

The topic is fine, the depth is what matters. 'I read that BNY launched a digital asset custody platform and I'm interested in the custody infrastructure layer specifically' lands differently than 'I'm excited about crypto.' Connect it to something you actually know or have worked on.

tired_recruiter

The point about recruiters not being a formality is one I wish more candidates internalized. At a firm like BNY the recruiter screen feedback can actually kill a candidacy before the loop starts. I've seen it. Be engaged.

ds_dmitri

Did they ask anything about technical domain on the phone screen for a data or analytics role, or was it purely background and logistics?

corp_refugee

Seconding the comp transparency advice. I lowballed my range on my first BNY screen because I thought I was negotiating. The recruiter came back later and said they'd put me in a lower band than I should have been. It caused problems downstream. Just give your real number.