Phone Interview.
After posting my resume on MONSTER, I received a TEXT MESSAGE from a recruiter from the HR office of McMaster-Carr. She said she wanted to speak to me about opportunities at Mc Master-Carr after finding my resume online. After this conversation, which was a phone interview, I was scheduled for an in person interview.
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Scheduled Interview (various parts) – she said it was 2.5 hours long, they had me stay for almost 4 hours. Consisted of 2 interviews, a test, and 1 shadow (however they asked me to stay longer to do a second shadow). Filled out paperwork for 30 minutes with HR Clerk. 2 documents (Permission to Self-Identify Form & an Application.) The application asked for Supervisors names and contact phone numbers along with past salaries. It also went as far back as to ask what HIGH SCHOOL you went to, clubs you were in, HS GPA, Graduate GPA etc. Asked for interests and hobbies as well.
Interview 1, Interview 1 with Txxxx. Interview 1 was more surface type questions, going over what I did at my past companies. T was much more personable and warm in the interview process. She made me feel at ease and comfortable.
Shadow (approx. 15-20minutes). After my first interview, I shadowed someone in the TEXT department (they receive customer orders/complaints that need to be fixed all via TEXT or email. You don’t actually talk to a customer live.) You are switching through various windows to try and solve a client problem,( ie, wrong order number, client gave wrong part number) each problem takes 2-3 minutes, so you are answering email after email and are scored on efficiency
Tests. After Shadow, I was lead to a computer by the HR clerk to take 3 tests in regards to their online catalogue. The “emails” were printed on paper. You are given 30 minutes to complete all three: Use Mc-Master online catalogue to locate a specific product for a customer and email customer back. Prompt 1: “I am looking for a stapler, nothing too fancy, it can’t rust. I want this product number stapler #xxxxxx, but in a black.” Prompt 2: “I ordered these storage cabinets for my warehouse, however I did not receive two bins. I have a big inspection soon and I need these ASAP. Also I noticed that it is suppose to come with these “casters”. The product did not come with the “casters.” The prompt also asks you what you would improve upon on the webpage to make it easier for the customer and to prevent from further miscommunication. In the second prompt, you also have to write a summary or the transaction for an employee. Prompt 3: you are asked to listen to a conversation once between an employee and a customer and to take notes and solve the customer’s problem.
Interview 2 with Cxxxxxx (same person that phone-screened me). After my tests, I had my last face to face interview. Interview 2 was more deep diving. C, again, was quite dry. After asking her round of questions I was tested again. She had me use their physical 5 inch thick catalogue to locate a flashlight, and asked me questions about the flashlight. This wasn’t role play, she wanted to see how I navigated through the catalogue. The catalogue isn’t in alphabetical order, so use the “content page” on the back of the cover and so on. Questions asked: is it water-proof, wattage, battery life (hrs). After my Last interview with C. She scheduled me to do a second shadow for the phone department bc she said that they were actually interviewing for more than one position. The phone department was like a call center. Customers call in and you put in orders for them LIVE.
An HR representative told me, “ohh, you must have communicated well and come across well if she is having you shadow for both positions.” Annoyingly, I did not receive an offer. I got a rejection letter the next day that was very impersonal and was written by a recruiting manager that I didn't even met.