Associate Principal Scientist applicants have rated the interview process at Merck with 2.9 out of 5 (where 5 is the highest level of difficulty) and assessed their interview experience as 60% positive. To compare, the company-average is 68.4% positive. This is according to Glassdoor user ratings.
Candidates applying for Associate Principal Scientist roles take an average of 31 days to get hired, when considering 10 user submitted interviews for this role. To compare, the hiring process at Merck overall takes an average of 36 days.
Common stages of the interview process at Merck as a Associate Principal Scientist according to 10 Glassdoor interviews include:
One on one interview: 21%
Phone interview: 21%
Background check: 14%
Group panel interview: 14%
Presentation: 14%
Skills test: 11%
Personality test: 4%
Here are the most commonly searched roles for interview reports -
I applied online. The process took 3 weeks. I interviewed at Merck
No offer
Positive experience
Average interview
Application
I applied online. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Merck (Jersey City, NJ) in Feb 2021
Interview
Smooth and very professional. All questions were to the point and very concise. I received the interview schedule well in advance which was great as I had time to prepare. It was a full day of interviews & meetings with people from the science labs all the way through the management team.
I recently went through two rounds of interview — first a technical round with the hiring manager, then a soft skills chat with HR. The technical interview was intense but fair; the manager asked a lot of detailed questions and spoke pretty fast, but it was a solid conversation overall. The HR round felt more polished and formal, and I found it a bit hard to get my points across naturally. I made it past the technical round, but didn’t move forward after HR. Still, a good experience to learn from.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
How do you plan to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration?
I applied online. The process took 1 week. I interviewed at Merck in Apr 2024
Interview
The hiring manager (Sr Director) called me directly instead of HR. It was a little bit strange. The interview went really well, and she asked for my references, which was a bit strange, too. I sent her my references and a follow-up email to make sure she received them. She didn't respond to my email. After a week, I sent another follow-up email, but no response again, sent another follow up email after 2 weeks, again no response. A month later I received an email from Merck HR saying that I was not chosen for this role.
A company at Merck level should not act like that. They could be more professional.
HR seems to screen for experience and keywords for the job description. Interviewing seems dependent on the department, whether it's a panel interview or a series of interviews. Interviewing is more behavioral based questions, technical skills, and responses to theoretical scenarios.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Describe a time you dealt with a difficult person.