Pretty standard interview process. First there was a screen call with an HR rep. Then a longer phone interview with the hiring manager. Then lastly an in-person panel interview consisting of the hiring manager, the lead engineer, and an HR representative which included a shop walk to look at the processes and some questions on them to test your knowledge. Mix of old machines and fairly cutting edge technology. I'd been through the facility a few years earlier, and they had continued to grow since then. Honestly, I was very excited about the opportunity. But...
I would highly recommend that you are very careful about discussing salary prior to taking your personal time to interview. Before setting up the in-person interview they specifically asked me about salary expectations due to the high cost of living in the Asheville area so, in their exact words, "They aren't wasting their time." I asked what the salary range was for the position and they told me, so I gave them my existing base salary because it was just over the middle of their range and told them I wanted to be at that or better. They said this was perfectly acceptable based on my experience level. However, when the offer came it was THIRTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS LOWER than my current salary (the very bottom of the pay range), didn't even have the same basic benefits package discussed prior to the interview, I was expected to pay for my own moving expenses (currently live across the country), and was to submit for drug testing within 24 hours in Asheville (again, I'm on the other side of the country). I thought it was a mistake, meant for somebody else who lived locally without 20-years experience. I asked the HR contact about it and was scheduled for a follow-up call with the manager to discuss it. In it, I asked if my experience was just not up to standard hence the low salary and I was told, "No, but that is all I have in my budget as I need to hire three people" and then told me that "Somebody else just accepted the same offer" like that mattered to me. He said he could "probably" get some relo assistance and change the drug requirement. (We never even addressed benefits.) He then repeatedly asked me for my bottom dollar and, since I'd already stated that prior flying out for the final interview, I repeatedly told him I couldn't answer that without knowing what the relo package would be and the remaining non-monetary benefits. He told me he would see what he could do. Followed up two weeks later and was told he was still working on it and would let me know. Never heard from them again.
So, overall, awesome potential with the company, fast paced, new processes and developments, exciting product, and in a absolutely gorgeous location but in the end utterly disappointing in how they ended up completely wasting my time even though they were the ones who were concerned about me wasting theirs.
