First contact was made by a recruiter via email. The recruiter expressed interest in pursuing my candidacy and scheduled an initial phone interview for the following week. The interviewer was very personable and friendly. The interview itself, which was expected to last 30 min but went nearly an hour, was quite informal and laid-back. I was asked four separate (albeit related) questions, all of which were behavioral. I was also given the opportunity to ask several questions. I'd say the breakdown was about 70/30 in terms of the time spent answering vs. asking questions. Some tips for the first round:
- Find a list of commonly asked behavioral-based interview questions. These lists can be very extensive and will include both positively- and negatively-framed questions. Narrow down that list by selecting a small handful of questions (maybe around 6-10) on which to focus.
- When formulating your answers, it helps to use a "storytelling" approach (structured in the STAR format). Not only will this help when it comes time to recall answers to specific questions, it will also make those answers more engaging from the perspective of the interviewer(s).
- Be sure to include an even mixture of the positively- and negatively-framed questions. Try to select questions that demonstrate/highlight your experience with typical, yet important, aspects of most jobs, such as leadership, dealing with conflict/adversity, working as part of a team, meeting deadlines, etc.
- Rehearse but don't try to memorize your "stories." If you have just a couple of relatively significant experiences (professional or otherwise), you'll likely find that they're applicable to a wide variety of potential questions.
Second contact by the recruiter occurred the day after the phone interview. I was informed that it went well and that I'd be moving on to the next round, which was an onsite. The onsite took place less than two weeks after the phone interview. All communication, including the pre-onsite planning process was very straightforward and streamlined. All travel costs, with the exception of out-of-pocket expenses (which were reimbursed), were covered upfront by General Mills. I was responsible for selecting/scheduling my flights, while General Mills handled hotel accommodations and all local ground transportation.
The onsite day started at 8 AM with an IQ/intelligence test. The rest of the day was spent in four separate interviews (2 one-on-one, 2 two-on-one). Each interview lasted about an hour, consisted of about 4-5 behavioral-based questions and ended with a short Q&A session. I found the overall environment (people, office, work culture) to be very welcoming and comfortable. While each interview had a somewhat different tone, all of the interviewers were friendly and easy to talk to. Their enthusiasm for General Mills was quite clear, and they all seemed very happy and proud to be part of the team. There was a one hour group lunch and plant tour halfway through the day. The group lunch provided an opportunity to ask candid questions to current employees and was not considered part of the interview process. At the end of the day, I met with an HR representative for a debrief and wrap-up. I was told that a final decision would be made and communicated within the next two weeks. I ended up receiving a verbal offer the next day, with the official offer coming through about a week later. Some tips for the final round:
- First round interview tips apply here, too. Practice telling stories about your various experiences. You'll be asked the same type of behavioral questions.
- Try to pace yourself throughout the day. While I didn't find the actual questions to be that challenging, the amount of talking/concentration required was quite exhausting. By the time I reached the last interview, I was very tired and felt as though the quality of my stories/answers had somewhat diminished. I'm not really sure if/how the fatigue factor can be avoided but just be aware of it.
- Have plenty of questions prepared that require some thoughtful consideration on the part of the interviewer. This is important. While their questions help them determine whether you're capable of handling the job, your questions help them determine if you're right for it.
- Don't be afraid to admit mistakes and/or failures if a particular question touches upon it. How you handled it is much more important (and revealing) than the failure/mistake itself.