Without a doubt, this has been the most terrible application process I have ever gone through. As a former employee of L’Oréal and Unilever, and having had numerous interviews with other FMCG companies, I have a good sense of comparison. The peak performance test/games that they use are frustrating, as only a few people manage to pass them, and they do not provide any feedback. It is particularly irritating because if you fail, you cannot reapply for a year. Even though I passed, I never received any results or feedback, only an invitation to interview. Additionally, the test can be discriminatory against people with learning difficulties, such as ADHD. If I had not spent days practicing, I would not have passed. The interview process was also the worst I have ever experienced. Before an interview, it is crucial to research the interviewers so that you can connect with them and understand their position within the company. However, the email inviting me to the interview listed the interviewers but also stated that the interviewer might change. Moreover, I had applied for a bilingual position, and the email did not specify the language the interview would be conducted in, leaving it up to the interviewer's preference. This was frustrating, as I needed to know which language to prepare for. During the call, I found out that it was a panel interview with two international senior managers. Nobody had informed me of this before, and I felt it was unfair. The interview process was the worst part because they were only interested in the KPIs of my projects. Although I explained the metrics we used for specific projects and how we assessed success, they kept pushing for exact numbers. When I told them that I could not recall the exact numbers, they marked something on their paper. This was unfair since they were asking for random situations from my work history spanning three years and expecting me to remember all the numerical details. While I understand the importance of data-driven thinking within a corporate setting, it is unfair and discriminatory to expect someone to quote exact data from years ago, and to penalize them for not doing so. This type of interview approach is also discouraging to people who do not naturally think in a data-centric way. My experience and skills were no less valid just because I could not recall the exact KPIs. Their constant pushing caused me to experience extreme anxiety during the interview, something I have never encountered with other major FMCG companies before. Overall, this was the worst process I have ever been a part of.
