Colgate-Palmolive Manager Interview Questions
& Process

HR reached out on WhatsApp and shared the interview schedule and some prep tips. The interview kicked off with a group case discussion where being clear and confident was key. We had 30 minutes for discussion and 15 minutes for presentation. This was followed by two casual one-on-one chats. There was a surprise after the assessment! HR updated me two working days later on the process. Even though I didn't get an offer, it was an insightful and pleasant interview.

I had 4 interviews over the course of a month, all of them were virtual. The first interview was with the hiring manager, then I had an interview with another manager, followed by an interview with the Global Director, and finally with the HR partner. I didn't get any feedback after they decided to decline my application. I received an automated email on a Saturday stating that I wasn't selected. This is pretty poor interview processing, especially after a month of interviews.

The interview process took about 6-7 months and had 3 rounds: a 1-on-1 with HR, then two conference calls, one with the HR director for Africa and another with the General Manager for the region of Africa you'd be based in. Colgate is looking for Africans educated in the West with a Master's degree and no more than 3 years of experience for this role. Honestly, the whole interview process felt shady, confusing, predatory, and totally disorganized. It left me feeling like Colgate-Palmolive doesn't really value African applicants. I don't know if other groups get treated better, but that was the general feeling among the applicants I spoke with. The first round was in NY and was supposed to be a 2-day event with a networking thing the night before, a Saturday. But the networking event on Friday never happened, and we didn't even get an email saying it was cancelled. We all traveled from across the US, paying for our own flights, hotels, and food. I don't expect them to cover our expenses, but I do expect them to respect our time and money. Some of us even took a day off work. Then, on the interview day, there were only two HR people for a lot of candidates who were invited. Some of us had scheduled times, but others didn't. They couldn't interview everyone who showed up, even though they were all invited and expected to be interviewed. People traveled from all over the US. I personally know two people from Indiana who were asked to go home after waiting for 6 hours. The job itself is an 18-month rotational program that could lead to a permanent position based on performance. The program details were really vague. The HR folks couldn't really explain what the job entailed, and it seemed like they were making up the program as they went along. One HR even admitted it was their first time setting up this kind of program for Africa and recruiting people from abroad. After going through it all, it seems like this is mostly a sales/marketing job. If you're already working in the US, this job might not be for you. Even if you're an international student graduating with plans to return home, this position might not be a good fit either. The annual salary is less than $10,000 a year! Yes, less than $10,000! It's incredibly low and frankly insulting. They'll tell you they can only pay 'local' salaries to avoid issues with local employees, but some will just call it capitalism. I call it servitude! Why recruit from abroad if you can't offer more than local salaries? Whoever thought that was a good idea? Most of us who came to the US to study or work are looking for better opportunities. If you can, just skip this. If you're desperate, maybe take it, but remember your US education cost way more than that salary, and if you have experience, you can get a much better salary back home. Benefits are non-existent, except for medical aid. They also won't pay for your flight ticket if you accept. Living on less than $10,000 a year is tough. In the country I was supposed to be based in, a decent place in a good neighborhood costs at least $800 a month. My whole experience was just disappointing. A company that treats its applicants poorly likely doesn't value its employees. Based on my experience and others', they definitely don't value African applicants. This whole process was a complete waste of time!