I applied through a recruiter. The process took 4 weeks. I interviewed at Tesla (New York, NY) in May 2017
Interview
My experience was awesome. I was contacted by more than one recruiter on the same day I applied. Was interviewed by a recruiter and hiring manager at the Lathrop site, but was also contacted by a Sr Recruiter from the Fremont site. They ended up flying me to Fremont/Lathrop for four days/3 nights to interview for two jobs. Was interviewed by quite a few people who were both pleasant and professional. The questions were basic behavioral questions. The recruiter contacted me a week after my interview trip and told me I had the job. Great offer and great benefits!
I applied online. The process took 2 months. I interviewed at Tesla (Portland, OR) in Dec 2018
Interview
Was called on the phone from a recruiter/screener from corporate who ran down the position details and asked me questions about my experience. Her previous call went long, so she ended up calling me 15 minutes late into the 30 minute time slot. After apologizing for calling late and going over the specifics of the position, she started to ask me basic questions. Having gone through the interview process for lesser positions within Tesla a few months prior, I let her know my history with the application process to best utilize our time together. After giving her my previous employment history and interview history, she said she thought I would be a great fit based on my experience and passion for the electric future. She also thanked me for being so conscience and that she would be following up with me next week. It's been 2 months and haven't heard back from the recruiter or anyone at Tesla after sending her 3 follow up emails. Thought this would be a dream job for me, but I hope they learn that treating applicants with respect is crucial. I am someone who could be a great brand ambassador or future client (no matter what company I have interviewed with) based on how I have been treated during this process, job offer or not.