Hormel Production Supervisor Interview

Interviewed May 2011 in Austin, MN (took 3 weeks)

I initially applied online and about 5 months later got an email to fill out their official online application and submit a copy of my transcripts. I did the online app and got an email about 2 days later to set up a phone interview for later that same week. That phone interview was pretty easy and included the recruiter explaining the nature of the position and asking three fairly standard behavioral based questions. She was incredibly friendly and at the end of the call let me know that if I was moved on to the next step, I would be invited out to Minnesota for all day interviews. I got a phone call just over a week later letting me know I'd been invited out for interviews and to contact them to make my travel arrangements.

My interview day was scheduled for 2 weeks after I called them to set up travel plans. I got to MN late on night, interviewed all day the next day and flew home that same night. The interview day consisted of meeting with about 6 different corporate people, touring their plant and a brief meeting with the recruiter I spoke with on the phone. I felt like I had interesting conversations with everyone I met with, though I must note, I'm a younger female and I definitely got the vibe that it's a male dominant company. Almost everyone I met with during the day have been with the company 20+ years and I think they were all from the mid-west (they all asked how I felt about relocating from California one day and I think they weren't convinced it wasn't an issue). I thought the day went pretty well, but I did get asked "what's your management style," which is a difficult question to answer when I'm straight out of college and haven't really had time to establish a "management style".

I got an email about a week following my interview letting me know I wouldn't be offered a position. I think they were looking for someone with a more agressive/dominant personality and if I had any advice to offer to others interviewing for this position, definitely make it known that you have a strategy for dealing with managing people who are a.) older than you b.) set in their ways or c.) union employees.