I applied in-person. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Merck KGaA (Sydney) in Nov 2018
Interview
Initial phone screen, followed by an interview of 1hr 30-45 mins, consisting of a 15 min article presentation, 10 min 90 day plan and then standard interview questions. The third interview were further questions, mostly behavioural type and experience questions with two other internal stakeholders.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
All bar one question were standard. But the exception made me uncomfortable, and it was asked twice, in two separate occasions: “How do you feel about working in a team of women?”
I applied in-person. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Merck KGaA (Sydney) in Nov 2018
Interview
Started off with a phone screen, then second phase was a 15 minute paper presentation, 10 minute 90 day plan followed by 45-60 minutes of general interview questions. Third phase was another interview of ~30 mins by memory with another two stake holders over the phone.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Standard, plus behavioural.
But I was asked the same, very same question, on two separate occasions, which I felt was weird if not borderline improper: ‘Can you work with a team of women?’
As a man it felt rather uncomfortable, and that when I didn’t get the job due to not quite enough commercial experience (despite setting up a biotechnology company and running a restaurant for a number of years), that I had no chance anyway and that they were looking for female. I don’t know if that’s who they went for in the end yet, but it didn’t feel right. Plus the number of months I committed to the interview process.
