Otis Elevator Interview Questions & Reviews

Interview Details – The interview process consisted of a phone interview with several members of the engineering team followed by an in person interview with those same members. The in person interview took approximately half the day. The people who interviewed me were easy to interact with and very helpful in answering any questions I had at the time.

Interview Details – Applied through University website and was asked to come to an on campus interview. I could tell she was not interested the moment I introduced myself. The interview lasted only about 10 minutes (including the questions I had asked her). The following week I received an email that I was not invited to the final round of interviews.

Interview Details – Applied for contract position and was called for interview. Went to reception area and waited for hiring manager. He gave me a tour along the way to his office. Asked me some safety and ACE related questions. "This company is very big on ACE". He had no clue about manufacturing concepts and had the set-up man and a buyer ask me questions. Final test was to build a small component from a drawing that you had to pick the right pieces from a box of extra and useless parts. If you can make a legit critique about the assembly, they are pleased with that.

Negotiation Details – They asked how much I was looking for and I asked them to throw out a number. Wound up meeting me near what I was looking for. Note that it was the contracting company that called me, not Otis directly.

Interview Details – College Graduate Interviews are very intense including at least one "Super Day" in which you interview with all managers within a region and also complete a presentation to all interviewers and interviewees. Other interviews include phone, in-person, etc.

Interview Details – Initial phone interview, followed by one on one interview with several people, following by a group interview and a luncheon with everyone on the team, followed by a background check and drug test. The phone interview and one-on-one interview were standard, run-of-the mill interview questions, but meeting with the team was different - in a cafeteria on site with your future coworkers... very socially awkward since they all knew each other and I didn't, plus we were all eating.

Negotiation Details – Sign on bonuses are available - you just need to ask. Vacation isn't negotiable, but working remotely is - many people work from home at least one or two days each week.

Interview Details – Initial contact through career fair. Recruiter followed up with phone interview, then 1:1 interview on location.

Negotiation Details – One-sided - company favorable.

Interview Details – Met General Manager at a Career Fair hosted by a Group I'm a member of. Spoke for a few min. and I gave a copy of my resume.

Within a week I received a ph. call from the Sales Manager letting me know I had been selected for a 1st round of interviews. I prepared for the interview & researched the position and focused on how my skill sets would be beneficial for the role. For this first interview I had a 30 min interview with the GM and then the SM separately. Interview was very easy, laid back and extremely positive.

I was then contacted and asked to come in for a 2nd interview w/the Regional Manager (who was flown in) and to go on a ride along w/a current sales rep. I met briefly with the GM and SM before I was taken out to lunch by the RM (very positive interview). We discussed my current exp. and how it would apply to "what I will be doing" with Otis once I began. I asked about the next step and was told that this was pretty much it, unless the General Regional Manager wanted to meet me also, but that it wasn't the case all the time. (Would require me being flown out to meet him in another st.)

Back at the office I waited for about 15 min. for the Sales Rep. I spent this time chatting with the SM (GM was gone). The rep arrived we left to some pre-set appts. Sales Rep was extremely personable, great energy, and provided great feedback about the company. The ride along went great. At this point I was extremely excited to be joining the team. Back at the office, I spent about 10 minutes going over the ride along with the SM and was told that everything was moving forward smoothly and would hear back from them very soon.

Sent my thank you emails, and the GM responded and proceeded to tell me that they were very impressed w/me and felt very comfortable moving forward in the process. I was asked if I would be willing to fly out to meet the General Regional Manager. The GM expressed that I should have no worries and that "unless I fell flat on my face" I would be contacted by HR with an offer a day or two after meeting the GRM. The GM also took this time to discuss salary and incentive pay.

I received a follow up email stating that I would be meeting with 2 people. The General Regional Manager, and another Regional Manager.

I was flown out early on a Monday morning (flight with a layover) and picked up by the General Regional Manager, around 12:30. I immediately picked up on the first negative vibe throughout the entire process. I maintained my positivity and made some sm. talk on the very short ride to the office. I was told I would meet with the RM 1st. The RM was nice and the interview lasted about 30 min, very positive interview, I was asked if I would need to give a standard 2-week notice at my prev. position.

I then met with the GRM (same person that picked me up at the airport), this interview was almost 100% negative. My resume was torn apart, I took this as an interview technique and proceeded to interview to the best of my ability. This interview lasted just over 40 minutes and after that I was simply told that that was it and that they would contact me. I was then asked if I needed to use the RR before being taken back to the airport (rude). Ride back to the airport I still attempted to make small talk even though at this point I knew this person was not in favor of hiring me. I was dropped off at the airport about 3 hours before my flight. I wasn't offered lunch (not that it matters, just pointing out the fact that it was clear I had flown all morning and picked up immediately after my flight landed).

Before flying back home (on an earlier flight thankfully) I emailed both people I interviewed with thanking them again for their time and consideration. I also emailed both the GM and SM back home letting them know I was finished interviewing and on my way back. Once I landed I had an email from the SM asking me to call when I landed. I did and we briefly discussed "how did it go?" At this point I knew there had been communication between the two offices because I could sense the tone. I was told that they would be in contact with me by the end of day Tuesday.

Tuesday came and went and nothing, by Friday morning I was a little anxious and I emailed the SM asking for an update. I received a phone call from the SM towards the end of the day on Friday where I was informed that they were not going to be moving forward and would not be extending an offer. I also received an email confirming this (as if the phone call was not enough) I asked for feedback, and expressed my disappointment in the decision due to all the positivity I had been given up until the very end. My response was short and didn't say much else. That was my entire experience from start to finish. I still am disappointed, I feel I deserved the position and would have done really well for them in this role. Oh well, on to the next one. I'm am now interviewing for another company.

Interview Details – Contacted about interview, went to supervisors, then back to managers, then offer.

Interview Details – My first interview with Otis, to join the company, was 1993. The last interview process was in 2000, when I was transferring from one office to a higher position in another office. During my time there Otis seemed to hire one of two types for their Account Manager positions. Either business school graduates (MBA) or people who had experience in elevator sales from other elevator companies. Rarely did I see candidates come, and succeed from any other backgrounds.

I entered from a MBA program so the process involved, interviewing, at my university, for a summer internship, then later interviewing for a position with the company. Ultimately Otis is about sales and new hires who wish to advance, need to spend time in the local offices where the sales are generated.

Typically, candidates will be brought in for a day or two of interviewing at the local office where there is an opening. This will have followed a phone interview with the location manager, and HR manager, and maybe the regional GM. Usually this takes a day, but in larger metro areas there may be several offices in close proximity and multiple positions available. In this case you may spend two days and visit several offices.

On the interview day, the local office will have scheduled anywhere from 4 to 6 meetings/interviews for the candidate. These would include: the Location Manager, Sales Manager, Superintendent, Manager of the department with the opening, HR manager for that area, one or two sales reps from the department and possibly the Regional GM. Basically they try to have everyone on the team have a look at the candidate. There may be fewer interviews at smaller offices.

Typically, the interviews will last 30 minutes to an hour. You will probably attend lunch with several of the people you have spoken to during the day. If things are going well, you may also have dinner with someone from the office, if you are coming from out of town to interview. Depending on schedules, the candidate may be taken on a tour of the area, or ride along with one of the other sales reps.

Generally, the questions are standard fare, and you will have it down pat, by the 4th interview. They want to know your history, your education, your knowledge of the product, sales, and how you get along with people. Probably, above all they want to see, how you handle and interact with people; both potential customers and the Otis team. Nothing happens successfully in Otis without the efforts of a team players; sales reps. mechanics, superintendents, engineers, corporate support, etc. so it is important that the candidate be able to work in this environment.

One challenge to candidates with strictly white collar backgrounds, is the field component of Otis. Sales reps work along with a blue collar workforce of technicians and superintendents that do the actual hands on installation and maintenance of the elevators. You will find that the most direct and in your face interviews will come from the Superintendent. They do not mince words and are not too interested in political correctness. They want to know if you are capable, a team player and can be trusted to do what you say. If you do not have your superintendent's respect, (they don't have to love you) you will not be very successful at Otis.

By the end of the day, you will have a good feel for where you stand. You may have an offer, but that typically comes a few days following your interview; after all the team members have had a chance to share their impressions of the candidate.

Negotiation Details – Have a clear idea of what you have to have and do as much research as possible, about what the position offers. There were set ranges of salary for each position. There may be some wiggle room regarding relocation expenses. One must remember that Otis is a large corporation with standard policies and procedures.