I received an unsolicited text message from a McM employee, who'd seen my profile on a job site. The employee asked me if I'd be available for a phone call in the near future. I did a quick online search for information on the company, and I decided that I'd hear what the employee had to say. The employee sent an email to me with attachments relating to the position. Surprisingly, the information was VERY vague and was not position-specific
The employee called me a few days later. We spoke about the company and benefits (essentially the same information that was in the email attachments). The bulk of the phone interview dealt with me explaining my duties in previous positions and what I was looking for in a job. I asked about the typical career path with the company and if there was realistic room for movement into supervisory/management positions. The employee said that there were (facilitator, supervisor), but because of what I'd read online, I was skeptical. I agreed to visit a location for an actual interview. I was told that I'd need 30 minutes to fill out the application and 30 for the interview.
A few days later, I drove to the warehouse. The front area was very nice and the music was pleasant. I filled out the application and an employee escorted me to one of the small conference areas for an interview. Again, the interview was basically a re-hashing of my career history and duties. The interviewer told me that the company was very selective with recruiting and that someone with my background could be a great fit. The interviewer asked me what I was looking for in a position. I told the interviewer that, among other things, I wanted a position that had opportunities for career growth. The interviewer told me that there were opportunities to grow and to be involved in more complex projects, but there wasn't a rigid pecking order (assistant manager, manager, district manager, regional manager, regional vp, etc.). The interviewer said that most moves were lateral. I found that the word "lateral" was used quite often. The interviewer told me that a supervisor would give me a tour of the warehouse, shook my hand and left. 45 minutes had passed.
After 5 minutes, the supervisor arrived. We walked through the warehouse, and the supervisor explained that efficiency and accuracy were top priorities in the warehouse. As we walked, the supervisor explained basic information about the different roles (pickers, fillers, etc). There were only a few questions. They were mainly used to guage whether or not I'd enjoy the repetitive nature of the job. We walked back to the same conference room, and I was left to wait for the next interviewer. Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes had passed.
The third interviewer arrived. Once again, I was asked questions about past roles and duties. I was told about the lateral nature of growth (this time, more in depth). The interviewer went more in depth with my past experiences, asking about past challenges, experiences with co-workers/sub-ordinates and what past supervisors would say about me. I asked a few questions as they came up, but I'd already been through 2 interviews that day, and I didn't have many questions left. After 30 minutes, the interviewer wrapped it up and told me that the next interviewer would be in shortly. Nearly 1 hour and 45 minutes had passed.
The next interviewer entered the room. This interviewer was the most personable and interesting. The interviewer once again asked questions about my resume, but the interviewer also had a list of questions prepared. Some were business-based. Some were about my personal hobbies and aspirations (we were both basketball fans). By this point, I was somewhat depleted and had very few questions. When prompted, I expressed that my questions had been answered in previous interviews. The interviewer seemed understanding and simply asked me questions from the list. After approximately 45 minutes, the interviewer walked me back to the initial waiting room, thanked me for coming, told me that I'd hear from someone within a few days and wished me a good day. I was in the warehouse for over 2.5 hours.
In the end, I walked away still unsure about the company. It seemed to me that the interviewers were attempting to represent the position as something better and more engaging than it is. It's a simple warehouse/order processing position that recruits highly educated workers and pays high wages because of it. They justify filling the warehouse with an educated workforce and with experienced managers by claiming that they want an engaged and critical workforce that's capable of dealing with "curveballs." If I received an offer, I'd have to think about it.
EDIT (11/28/11):
I received a rejection letter in the mail. I usually don't interview with random companies that contact me from job boards. The lengthy interviews and inconvenient locations are reasons why. Oh well.