I applied online. I interviewed at Nestlé (Portugal)
Interview
My experience with RH's recruitment process was quite disappointing and revealed some concerning patterns about their organizational approach. It started normally enough with a standard phone screening where they asked the usual questions about my CV, and then they scheduled an in-person interview with the team leader.
The problems began the day before the scheduled interview when they contacted me to say they needed to change it to a Teams call, asking if I could still do it the same day. I agreed to be flexible, but just hours later they reached out again to reschedule once more. When the actual interview day arrived, the RH person contacted me yet again to move the interview to the following day.
The next day I joined the online meeting as scheduled, but both the RH representative and the team leader only appeared after 15 minutes had passed. By that point, I'd already formed my opinion about wanting to join this team. The interview itself lasted about an hour and was fairly standard, and they mentioned they would get back to me within a week.
Of course, a week passed without any communication. It wasn't until three months later that I finally received a generic email informing me they had decided to go with another candidate.
First round: Automatic recorded video interview, 5 questions, you have 3 trials, a couple minutes to prepare for the first one, and unlimited time to prepare for the 2nd and 3rd trials. Usually some time limit, 2-5min per question.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
- Could you share your journey with us? Introduce yourself and highlight the experiences that have shaped your passion for innovation and research
- What drives your enthusiasm for this role at Nestlé Research? Please articulate how our mission to create nutritious, safe, and sustainable products resonates with your personal values and career aspirations
- What unique strengths and perspectives do you bring to this role that will enhance our collaborative environment at Nestlé Research?
- Can you share one or two data quality issues you encountered in your previous experience, and briefly explain (in max. 2 minutes per issue) how you addressed them?
- Imagine you need to ingest a new data source into your data lake. Could you describe, at a high level, the steps you would take before loading the data into the lake?
The interview process at Nestlé was structured and thorough. It started with an online application followed by aptitude and psychometric tests. Next was a video interview focusing on behavioral questions and situational judgment. Finally, I attended an assessment center where we worked on case studies and had individual interviews. The overall experience was professional, with clear communication and constructive feedback at every stage. It was challenging but fair, and they really emphasized alignment with company values.
