The interview process at Procter & Gamble is as follows:
First Round Interview
Second Round Interview
First Round Interview
This will be with one Senior Manager and will last 45 minutes - 1 hour. The interview will be entirely based around personal skills which Procter & Gamble define as "Success Drivers" (see Procter & Gamble application process). A section of the interview is likely to be competency based, but even these interview questions will be measured against the company's "Success Drivers". You should expect around 5 - 7 competency questions in your first interview.
During your interview it is unlikely you will be asked what you think of Procter & Gamble as a company, or why you have applied for a specific role or function, although you should of course prepare for these questions.
Questions previous candidates have been asked include:
Can you tell me a time when you've overcome a problem in a professional environment to reach success?
Tell me about a time you have successfully led a team in the past.
What skills do you think you can bring to Procter & Gamble?
What is your greatest achievement?
Tell me about a time when you had to make an important decision and how did it turn out?
Describe a situation in which you effectively developed a solution to a problem by combining different perspectives or approaches. (This is a favourite, was asked in both first and second interviews.)
Tell me about a time when you had to resolve a conflict with a client, customer, or user.
Tell me about a time when you took a big risk, and how you mitigated it.
Tell us about a time when you worked with a team to tackle a problem.
Tell me about a time when you had to take the initiative to solve a problem.
Tell me about a time when you had to teach or training somebody, how you did it and how it turned out.
Tell me about a time when you influenced other people and why.
Tell me about a time when you had to adjust yourself.
Second Round Interview
If you have been successful at the first round, you will be invited to return for another interview, this time with two Senior Managers from the function of Procter & Gamble you have applied to.
This second round interview will consist of further competency based interview questions and more taxing questions, specifically about the function you have applied to and what you think you'll be doing as a graduate trainee.
Questions previous candidates have been asked include:
Can you tell me about a complex problem that you solved? Describe the process you utilized.
Tell me about a time when you had to make a split second decision.
Tell me about a time when you set a goal and weren’t able to meet or achieve it.
Give me an example of a time when you used your expertise to solve a problem.
Tell me about a time when you responded to constructive criticism.
Describe a situation in which you were able to use persuasion to successfully convince someone to see things your way.
Tell me about a time when you had too many things to do and you were required to prioritize your tasks.
Describe a time when you were able to come up with a new idea that became the success of some activity or project.
Questions for the Interviewers
In each of your interviews, you will be given around 15 minutes to ask questions about P&G. Make sure you do your research and read as much as you can about the Company. Ask intelligent questions that demonstrate your passion to work for P&G and your willingness to learn more about the Company. Know the Company's Purpose, Values, and Principles (PVP), and some of their billion-dollar brands.
