Dendreon Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was great and the questions asked were appropriate for the job requirements. It wasn't a stressful interview, but it was focused and detailed. The interview included the manager, the lead, and HR.

I was contacted by an agency recruiter about a manager-level position and was phone screened on the usual issues; they then submitted me to Dendreon. I had a phone interview with one of their staff about a week later. That went well, and I was told they had additional candidates to review that week, and I'd hear from them on any next steps after that. Then nothing. Radio silence. Two weeks after the phone interview I contacted the outside recruiter to see if he'd heard anything. He said he'd check and get back to me. Nothing. A week later, which was then 3 weeks after my phone interview, I contacted the admin in that department who arranged my phone interview, and she said she would check. More nothing. A month after the phone interview and nothing. Two people promising to check on the status of my candidacy and get back to me, and both of them failing to do so.

I wasn't given a heads-up on how long this interview might take, so I blocked out two hours and got there 10 minutes early to find my contact. My contact person took me to a room where four people introduced themselves and pointed me to a seat. My contact didn't stick around as an interviewer. The intros were super quick, just names, no job titles. Everyone was dressed casually. The first question was 'So tell us about yourself?' The rest were short and focused on performance or personality, like 'give an example of a time you had a conflict with a coworker or customer and how you handled it?' or 'tell us about a time you were part of a team.' The whole thing with the four interviewers lasted only 15 minutes, even with my questions for them. I was told to leave my resume, references, and contact info with the 'contact person,' and they'd get back to me in two to three weeks. I sent thank-you notes to everyone on the panel and my contact. But, no call back after three weeks. It would have been better if they had said something like, 'You'll hear from the 'contact' person in two to three weeks if you're selected.' Also, the panel didn't seem very engaged during the interviews.

I was referred by someone who works there. I applied online and then had an initial phone interview with a recruiter, which was easy. I wasn't familiar with the cell processing role, and I told her that. About three weeks later, I flew in for a face-to-face interview. I met with three hiring managers, then two lead associates, and then two supervisors. The hiring managers were direct. The lead associates were okay, but made some weird comments. The questions felt more leadership-focused than entry-level, which was odd given my lack of experience. The supervisors were cool, but there was confusion about scheduling since the hiring managers and supervisors gave different information. Some comments made it sound like the role was beneath me. The next day there was an optional orientation class with group activities and a presentation about the company. Afterwards, I got a better sense of what they're really looking for. The office seemed clean, but the work culture and people felt different. I'm laid-back and productive, but the employees seemed idle and a bit unprofessional, maybe because the company is new. I'm looking for a career where I can grow.