I applied online. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at Safelite AutoGlass (Columbus, OH) in Jun 2014
Interview
The process took nearly 3 months (which was ridiculous), mainly because the HR Rep did not follow up on phone calls and/or emails regarding dates and times. She was frequently 'out of the office' and often apologized for delays. I had concerns at times that the hiring team may have wondered if I was the cause of the delays.
The process involved 1 phone call from HR Rep, 1 phone interview with hiring manager, 1 face to face interview appointment with 6 individuals, another appointment for a 'role play' and presentation in front of another 7 individuals, followed by very positive and lengthy calls to my references. I ultimately received a call 3 weeks later with an explanation that my management skills were not a fit for this position.
From the start I was told that there were concerns about filling the position because the last manager had been fired. They needed the right person to replace him. My credentials and experience were no problem and I also currently manage 12 direct reports.
This was the most involved and drawn out interview process I have ever been involved in, especially for a mid-level management position. Late in the process, I was told that the other prime candidate had dropped out. I wondered if it was due to delays or the never-ending interview demands. I do not think Safelite knew exactly what they were looking for to fill this position.
Interview questions [2]
Question 1
Safelite requested a 'role play' interview where I interacted with an individual who was acting as an employee. I was given no other information until the day I showed up. The day of the meeting, I was given 30 minutes to study a packet with mock details about the employee and then told to encourage the employee to move into a leadership role.
I have no acting skills and have never auditioned in an improvisational setting. I was observed by 7 individuals during my interaction with the fake employee and critiqued on my management skills. I was focused on memorizing the details in the packet and what I was saying in the acting session. The process became more of an acting evaluation than a management skills critique. Ironically, if I could have described a real life scenario like the one I was put into I would have had an exact example. I recently hired an employee for my team who I felt had the leadership skills I needed to fill a position. I convinced the employee to apply for the opening and she has been an exemplary employee.
I was asked just 2 days before my role play interview if I could also make a 15 minute presentation to a panel showing a time I helped improve a situation in my work experience. The HR Rep apologized for the last minute request and the presentation became part of the role play meeting. I worked on the presentation over the 4th of July weekend and the result was a very positive presentation, complete with outlines and power point presentation.