Diehl Interview Questions
& Process

The final selection round happened in the HR department's modern meeting room, with drinks provided. The meeting lasted about 1.5 to 2 hours and included HR, the team lead, and other project managers from the department. It was a pleasant atmosphere. After introductions, there were technical questions and some case studies to assess my approach. Communication was open, and they explained the potential of DEP. Compensation was also clearly explained, and I got a brief look at the (still old) production facility. Ultimately, I didn't receive an offer because another candidate seemed to have a better fit in terms of personality. There were no technical differences, and the feedback on the rejection was open.

First, there was a get-to-know-you interview where they presented the department and the open position, and I presented my career path. Then, an onsite interview followed. I presented the results of a task I had worked on beforehand. We discussed the results and they communicated the contract details. Unfortunately, the rejection was automated without feedback, even after a friendly follow-up. Usually, the communication has been more personal.

I had an interview for a trainee position in IT management and digitalization. The interview was conducted by HR staff, one of whom was a former trainee and explained the general structure of the trainee program. Overall, the interview was very good and informative, as the HR staff talked extensively about the company, their own activities, and the trainee program. Although the interview started promisingly, I ran into problems when asked about the specific activities. In particular, I had to explain the digitalization aspect in manufacturing to the HR staff, which still wasn't entirely clear after two attempts. Unfortunately, no specialists from IT management or digitalization were present, so I couldn't ask specific questions about the position's tasks or challenges. Instead, I was confronted with a question that was irrelevant for me as a trainee in this field: "Do you want to be responsible for an area and lead personnel in the future?" In my opinion, the focus of a trainee role should be to get to know the company, go through different departments, and build a network to start full-time after the trainee phase and gain valuable experience. One can think about taking on responsibility and leadership roles after this phase, but in my opinion, it's too early to ask such questions at this point. Overall, I believe it's important for subject matter experts from the relevant field to participate in interviews for specific positions. This would allow applicants to discuss their technical skills directly with someone who is familiar with the topics and can better assess the position. The decision of whether a candidate is recommended for the specialist department should not be made solely by HR staff who may not have a deep insight into the technical requirements of the position. Overall, I perceived the company and the trainee program as promising, but I hope that improvements will be made to the application process in the future to ensure a fairer and more informed assessment of candidates.

The interview started with introductions of the interviewers (an HR person, the department head, and the project manager), the company, and the position. I then gave a detailed presentation of myself and my career path. The atmosphere was very pleasant and friendly, with engaged interviewers. It felt like an equal footing. Even though I didn't get the job, I received constructive phone feedback explaining their decision, and they handled the applicant process very well.