I applied through a recruiter. The process took 1 day. I interviewed at Abbott (Carlsbad, CA) in May 2012
Interview
Initial HR phone screening interview with standard experience questions: you'll go through your resume and ensure you meet the minimum qualifications per the job description. If you do not fit the job description to a tee, you will not pass this step--i.e. if it requires a PhD and you have a MS + 20 years of research experience you still will not pass.
Interview day: depending on your anticipated role, you may or may not be asked to give a research talk (45 min. presentation, 15 min Q&A). You will be notified of this well in advance.
You will meet with 4-5 individual interviewers during the day. No group interviews will be held (from what I know). The panel selected will certainly include your direct supervisor, most likely his/her superior, and one or two members of varying rank in the research group. Everyone will ask questions about your research experience. Some may be more technical than others. Some will stick mostly to culture questions/ask you things to get a better feel for your personality. Just be yourself! The interviews were very relaxed and the people here are extremely friendly. Everyone seems to want to know you as a person first--your skills and experience they can tell more readily through your education, work experience and job references, and seem to be less of a concern on interview day.
Good luck! Abbott is a great company!!
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Not that it was "difficult" per se, but as I was interviewing for a temporary position, I did not anticipate being asked about my "5 year plan" for my future. I felt I stumbled here, but was honest in that I did not look that far ahead due to the nature of the position, and said that my hope was that the contract would be converted into a full-time hire.
It was a lengthy process; I was invited to the interview one month after submitting my application. I was asked both general and complex technical questions. The interviewers were friendly and fostered a relaxed atmosphere.
Applied to a scientist position at Abbott Nutrition. Was reached out by a recruiter via email after couple of weeks. The email was short and just asked a few standard questions. I replied the email, but never heard back from them since then. Sent about 5 follow-up messages afterwards, but never got any response. A rejection letter came after about a month without any update.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Are you on OPT? Will you need visa sponsorship in the future?
The interview process was okay. There might be multiple rounds of the interview. The first round would be scheduling with the Talent Acquisition and then the next rounds will be with your team lead.