Completed the online application (general details + three written answers on 1. Why BASF? 2. Why I want to leave my current place of employment? 3. Have I ever been unemployed, if yes, for what reason?
I waited about a month before getting a call from HR to schedule a first round interview. There's usually a phone interview before this step, however I went straight to the first round interview. The interview was scheduled 2 weeks out, and HR did an excellent job of providing me all the details regarding location and who to contact when I arrive. The interview itself was very warm and welcoming, with the two panel interviewers having more of a conversation with me, than a scripted questionnaire. The interview lasted about 2.5 hours, with me having the chance to ask questions at any time. Since the position was for a new, growing team, I was asked questions about 1. What ideas I had for improving certain processes 2. How my skills would benefit the team and other parts of the organization 3. What additional skills I have that would make the team shine as a whole. At the end of the interview, I was told I would likely get a call back for a second round interview.
I waited about a week from then, and received a call from HR on Monday at 9am with an invitation for a second round interview. This time I'd be meeting with the hiring manager and two directors from the US and Canada. The interview was about an hour, with only the directors asking me questions this time. All questions were behavioral at this point, as the hiring manager had already finished asking the technical questions during round one. Some questions were:
1. What skills do you have that aren't shown on this resume
2. What skill do you feel you're strongest in
3. What skill do you feel you have to work on the most
4. What's your work style
5. What type of team environment do you function best in
6. Do you like a stable work load, or one that fluctuates
7. How do you decompress after a long day's work
8. Tell me about a time a project almost went offtrack, and what you did to fix it
I completed the interview and within an hour, received a call from HR with an offer. I received the full offer letter and background check an hour from then.
Points to note:
1. Send thank you emails after each interview. I sent them out and received an email back the same day, saying thank you for taking the time to come out. BASF is unique in that they value authentic personal interactions, so small gestures like thank you emails go a long way.
2. Learn up about the company. As a joke, I was asked what BASF stands for, what their slogan is, what was their recent acquisition, what was their revenue last year -- and luckily I knew those answers, as I felt it showed that I was really interested in joining the company.
3. BASF values safety and team work above all else, so stick to those two themes when answering questions.
4. I was thoroughly impressed by how warm and welcoming everyone on the BASF team was--right from HR to the hiring managers to the directors. I received emails back within 24 hours (even though I was just a candidate), and they stayed in perfect communication through all stages of the interview.
