Alcoa Interview Questions & Reviews
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Updated Feb 8, 2012 – Interview questions and reviews posted anonymously by interview candidates.
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Difficulty Rating [?] Based on 20 ratings 
“Average” Interview
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Interview Experience [?] Based on 20 ratings
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| 1–10 of 20 Alcoa Interviews | Sort by |
Metallurgical Engineer at Alcoa
Posted Feb 8, 2012
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed May 2011 (took 3 weeks)
I applied online and was contacted by an HR talent manager. The interview was pretty basic, asking questions about education, previous jobs, and just generally walking through my resume. That interview went really well and two days later the talent manager called to set up an interview with the hiring manager (which would be my boss). We had an interview that next week which also went very well. We talked about my resume, general behavioral, personality, and work questions. Also talked a little about the job, and the technical aspects, talked about the area and experience potential. That night I was contacted by the talent manager and invited for an on-site interview. Due to my location, it took a week to work out the details and get to the site.The night before the interview, the department head and a colleague picked me up and took me out to dinner. I had an all day interview that started out with the safety video, meeting the department head, and a plant tour. Then I had a series of 6 1:1 and panel interviews with lunch somewhere in the middle. Over all, it was a great experience and went very well. The interviewers were insightful and provided lots of great information. Flew home the next day and received an offer letter one week later. Two weeks after that I was in my new location and working a week after that.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Corporate Communication at Alcoa
Posted Feb 6, 2012
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in Pittsburgh, PA (took 6 weeks)
Invited to Pittsburgh for dinner with department leader and then interviews the next morning with others on the team. Treated very well and put up in nice, nearby hotel. The people and work culture seemed upbeat.
My complaint is that I was asked to provide five references BEFORE going to the on-site interview. I did not like having to call on my references in this way (making them fill out a lengthy, complex online SurveySkills form) before I passed the in-person interviews. Since I was not offered the position (perhaps due to a weak in-person interview result), I didn't like having to "tax" my references' in this way.
I would recommend to other interview candidates that they decline providing their references to SkillSurvey until Alcoa/HR has concluded that they still want you after the in-person interviews.
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Financial Analyst at Alcoa
Posted Jan 3, 2012
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jan 2012 in New York, NY (took 2 months)
received a call from the internal recruiter for a intial phone screening. about a week later i received a call to set up a second interview with hiring manager and a senior member of his team. then another call about a week later for a interview with the director.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.
More Alcoa Financial Analyst Interviews
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Business Analyst at Alcoa
Posted Nov 25, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Nov 2011 in New York, NY (took a day)
I met individuals from a range of leadership positions with a range of years with Alcoa. This was a second round interview. Everyone I met was very positive and provided helpful information. All interviews were very short. It appeared that they where scoring these short conversations to be used to determine who to extend an offer to.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Financial Analyst at Alcoa
Posted Nov 17, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Jul 2011 (took 2 weeks)
Phone interview with company recruiter, followed by 1:1 with HR, Manager, and Director. Was told that the final decison will be communicated a week later. Received a phone call from the company recruiter on the day specifies and was notified that I did not get a job. Very impressed with the recruiting and respectfull treatment.
Other Details
I Applied Online and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview and a 1:1 Interview.
More Alcoa Financial Analyst Interviews
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Database Developer at Alcoa
Posted Oct 25, 2011
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4.0
Difficult Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Sep 2011 in Fort Worth, TX (took 3 weeks)
it was long and drawn out. put you in a room and different managers would come and talk to you. and then they would talk some more. never really very comfortable with all the changing personalities. 2 hours of this could not get comfortable, just kept going on and on
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a Presentation and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Procurement at Alcoa
Posted Oct 21, 2011
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Neutral Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Aug 2011 (took a day)
Behavioral Interview
Competencies:
HIGH PERFORMANCE FOCUS (workload was heaviest, big obstacle to achieving goal, focus on achieving goal, communication unclear, significant accomplishment)
ANALYTICAL/STRATEGIC THINKING (situation where research/analytical thinking was necessary, difficult problem personally or on job, complicated problem in tight timeframe, confronted with unexpected problem at work)
DRIVE FOR CHANGE (creative idea, steps to control errors in projects, improve efficiency, identify small problm before it becomes too big)
ACCOUNTABILITY (time when goal wasn't going to be achieved, set high standards and stuck to them despite obstacles, time when not fully utilized, objectives for year)
LEADERSHIP (situation when you had to influence peer, leadership role, accomplishment, how do you motivate)
CUSTOMER FOCUS (respond to negative feedback from customer, extra effort to satisfy customer, elements of customer relationship building, time when you had to do something right for you but wrong for customer)
COLLABORATION (difficulty getting along with someone, personal goal you had to sacrifice, resolve conflict between team members, time when you didn't agree with decision or approach team took)
DEVELOPMENT OF SELF & OTHERS (able to learn something complex, keep up with changes in professional field, what are your strengths/weaknesses, opportunity to coach someone)
Interview Questions
Other Details
The interview consisted of a Group/Panel Interview.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Senior Instructional Design Specialist at Alcoa
Posted Sep 27, 2011
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3.0
Average Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Aug 2011 in Pittsburgh, PA (took 2 days)
Need 5 references including former managers. That was a pain. Otherwise, the recruiter was friendly and I heard back within 2 days.
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Background Check.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Human Resources Manager at Alcoa
Posted Sep 18, 2011
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2.0
Easy Interview
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Overall Negative Experience
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Interviewed and No Offer
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Interviewed Oct 2010 in Dover, NJ (took 3 months)
The only reason I am writing is that I saw the other posting for the interview process at Alcoa in Dover NJ and I thought I was reading about MY own experience. OMG - this must be their M.O. and I have to tell you that if it is - stay clear. My experience took months. Initally contacted by recruiter, job too low level. Then contacted again when they changed the specs a month or so later. I was glad because Alcoa is supposed to be such a great company. I had a very successful phone screen with some difficult behavioral questions with the HR person that was temporarily filling in for the positon. I was then scheduled to meet with HR and leadership team. I had to complete the application and all of the paperwork relative to the background check. I was reluctant to do this because it asked for your birth date. (In my previous job I would never ask for DOB prior/during the interview process and only asked for it after offer was made and I was about to conduct the background check) When I arrived I had a panel interview with 3 HR people, some behavioral questions but it was not difficult. I really liked the Director from out of State but the local HR people had no manners or social skills whatsoever. They told me that we would regroup and have lunch together. I I was then passed directly to the Site Manager to meet with him individually. It was a strange encounter. Nice guy, but he told me that he lives in fear daily of losing his job. I then met with the Leadership Team. Two of the Five took the lead and I felt that I was being bombarded with questions - none of them difficult but it was like an assault. Then it ws time for the plant tour. I told them that I did not see the Safety video so they stuck in a room to see it and they brought me some funky dirty wornoutt steel toe shoes to put on. When I was done with the video there was no one to be found. I 'wandered' around on my own until I found my way back to the HR Department where I found the HR team eating lunch. It was around 12:30 and I had been there since 9:00 and they did not offer me any lunch. I was then taken on the tour by one of their young HiPo's which I must say was the best part of the process. I was then returned to the HR Department and they told me that the HR person I was supposed to debrief with was on the phone. They had me sit with the HR Generalist who was newly hired at the time. Mostly small talk and I did not feel comfortable because all she talked about was her job progression and how shw was out of there if she did not get promoted in a short time. She was relocated and all I could think of was why weren't they able to find a local NJ HR Generalist in the economy???? I was then told by the HR person filling in for the postion that the HR person I was supposed to debrief with was not available. She did not offer me to sit with her or ask me if I had any questions. She then dismissed me and showed me the door. What a negative experience. VERY unprofessional and to be honest as much as I wanted a job I ran from there. These people had no social skills whatsoever. I was mortified. I decided I was much too professional to even want to be involved with that HR team. I later found out that they have had such a bad track record with hiring HR people that they are scared to make a selection and fail again. They have some HUGE problems at that plant and I also understand that it seems they have trouble with retention with HR and plant leadership. Hopefully the rest of the Alcoa organization is not like this but STAY CLEAR of the Dover location.
Interview Questions
Other Details
I got the interview through a Recruiter and the interview consisted of a Phone Interview, a 1:1 Interview and a Group/Panel Interview.
More Alcoa Human Resources Manager Interviews
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
Production General at Alcoa
Posted Aug 31, 2011
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1.0
Very Easy Interview
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Overall Positive Experience
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Received and Accepted Offer
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Interviewed May 2011 (took 2 weeks)
Hr interviewed me and reviewed my resume. General questions about availibility and work history. Nothing unusual.
Negotiation Details
Not able to negotiate.
Other Details
I applied In-Person and the interview consisted of a 1:1 Interview and a Drug Test.
Helpful Interview?
Yes |
No
Inappropriate?
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