Church & Dwight Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I got the first interview really fast, HR got back to me in a couple of days after I applied. I kind of ignored that they didn't offer health insurance or really any benefits, but I interviewed out of curiosity. The first interview was with my potential manager and it felt off from the start. It was supposed to be 30 minutes, but they were almost 20 minutes late and barely apologized before jumping into experience questions. The meeting still ended on time, and they didn't seem to care if I had other commitments. I got the vibe the company is really short on cash and that standard functions like CMI are missing. They kept saying how 'lean' they are and that I'd need to 'hit the ground running' (which I think means they're understaffed). It was also weird when I asked the hiring manager what they liked about working there, and they basically said 'nothing' with a bunch of vague answers. Then, the next day, HR emailed saying the manager wanted me to move on to the next stage. This involved coming to their office AFTER 5 PM to give TWO PRESENTATIONS, each lasting 40 minutes and 20 minutes respectively. One was about a product I managed from start to finish, and the other was about a potential new product for Church & Dwight. (This felt like they were mining ideas for free!). The craziest part? They wanted me to do this THE NEXT DAY, giving me less than 24 hours to prepare two strategy decks. It was late afternoon when I got the email, and I was supposed to drop everything, work all night, and then come in after 5 PM. They were pretty firm on the timing, like 'deal with it'. I withdrew my application immediately. The whole thing felt disrespectful and unhinged.

The interview process was absolutely terrible. I had an initial phone screen with a recruiter who seemed like a backup, was monotone, and couldn't answer my questions. Her questions felt scripted and inauthentic. I moved on to talk with the hiring manager and three other stakeholders. After that, I was ghosted by the recruiter even after following up multiple times. They seem to struggle with efficient and proper recruitment and follow-up. I'd recommend avoiding this to save yourself the trouble.

The whole interview thing, from the first call to the offer, lasted about 12 weeks. It was for a brand new position, so I guess that's why it took so long. I talked with a bunch of people, including some higher-ups. My HR person was great, always letting me know what was happening and what was next. Each interview round had me talking to several different people one-on-one. It was good to meet different folks to get a feel for the team and the office, helping me decide if it was a good fit. This whole experience just made me more sure about taking the job.