Katoen Natie Interview Questions
& Process

So I didn't really apply for this job, someone recommended it to me and I was recommended the company. After seeing the ad I told this person that with my Bachelor's and postgrad in ELT, I wasn't sure I was a good fit (since they wanted someone with a Bachelor's in Economics). But the person insisted I apply, saying I and my skills were exactly what they were looking for. So I applied. The call to schedule the interview: The only question that mattered was: "What salary would you NOT work for?" Like, how low do you think we could go? The interview itself a few days later: I got to the main office, but no one was there to open the door, it needed a keycard. Luckily, an employee was outside smoking and let me in. I walked into this huge room that looked like a garage or appliance store, with tables and computers and about a hundred people. An employee took me upstairs. Upstairs was even more like a construction site. It all winds around a big open space where you can see everyone downstairs like mice in a cage. On my side, where I waited, was just a table and some plastic chairs. On the other side of the hole, a few more tables, maybe a makeshift canteen. That employee was the only decent person there. And I'm calling everyone "the employee" because no one introduced themselves. In the interview room, which was similar to downstairs but smaller, with tables pushed together for a conference table, three interviewers sat on one side. They told me to sit opposite. The first question from one of the women was "Who are you?" Then she asked, "Why didn't you use a template for your CV and why isn't it more professional?" I explained that it was done as instructed in university. It was clear she hadn't read my CV at all. She also thought I'd worked at my university. They were all so unprofessional and insulting, acting like the company is your last hope. They asked me to prove my English, and when I said I'm an English teacher (C1 level), they said, "Well, not everyone with your degree speaks good English." The interview continued in English, suspiciously, with only one interviewer actually speaking it, and not well. They asked personal questions, like who recommended the job. They sort of answered my questions but seemed clueless about what the company actually does. When I asked about the salary, which should have been in the ad by law (and the ad was just marketing anyway), I was rudely told, "We haven't gotten to that point yet." implying they hadn't offered me the job yet. And I never said I'd accept, especially with the missing and "generalized" info. Then they asked my salary expectations, and after I mentioned what competitors offer (who don't require a BA/BS like this company's ad stated), they said, "Well, we don't need your university degree. We'd like it if you had one, but it's not necessary." So why was it in the ad? I could go on, but basically, it was unprofessional, possibly illegal (never stated starting salary), and the interviewers needed NLP training. The working environment also seemed like a health and safety hazard. I'd rethink joining this company; from what I saw and heard, it offers nothing, neither learning nor earning.

The interview process kicked off with an initial meeting at Coffee Bean Jurong Point, primarily with HR. This first stage was mainly about assessing compatibility and having a casual discussion about your resume and Katoen Natie's business. The second round took place a week later at the Katoen Natie site. Here, you'd be given a tour of various warehouses and offices by senior management trainees, followed by a presentation to upper management (four individuals plus HR). I'd suggest choosing a topic that highlights your leadership experience or something you're really passionate about. While they were friendly, the process felt a bit disruptive, like questions during the presentation, comments (not negative though), and even someone taking a phone call mid-presentation. It was quite unfair considering the 10-minute limit. It was interesting to visit Jurong Island and see the place.

It was the first initial phone call interview, the recruiter was a few minutes late to call. We coordinated through LinkedIn surprisingly. The phone call lasted 7 minutes... but let me tell you why. They asked me if $60k salary was okay before we interviewed I said yes, they started the call with asking if I needed a sponsored visa if I was eligible to work in the U.S., and then after that, we went into the actual discussion of the role. She described that there would be late nights and international travel (to Mexico) every now and then and if I was okay with that, I asked how those 2 things were reflected in the salary as that sounds like a lot of overtime, and she said it is not reflected? The position was salary, so it seems like the $60k is to include the additional OT. I didn't like that and explained I appreciated more of a work-life balance and asked how that was reflected in the company culture. She said it wasn't really prevalent and that's a red flag to me so I told her that's not something that aligns with what I'm looking for. So she said she didn't think we needed to continue the conversation and I agreed, she wished me well on my search and I did the same and that was it. Overall the actual interview was alright but the role itself didn't match what I was looking for.

It was a really unprofessional experience from the start. I was recommended for the role and honestly wasn't sure I was a good fit given my background (Bachelor's and postgrad in ELT) compared to what they wanted (Bachelor's in Economics). But the person who recommended me pushed me to apply. When they called to schedule, the only question was, "What salary would you NOT work for?" which felt like they were fishing for the lowest possible number. The actual interview a few days later was something else. I got to the main office, but no one was there to let me in, so I had to wait for someone to come out for a smoke break. Inside, it was a huge space, like a garage, with tons of people at computers. Someone took me upstairs, which was even more like a construction site, with a big hole in the middle overlooking the main area. I waited at a small table with plastic chairs. The employee who took me up was the only decent person there; no one else introduced themselves. The interview room itself was just tables pushed together, with three interviewers on one side. They asked me to sit opposite them. The first question was "Who are you?" Then they asked why my CV wasn't professional and didn't use a template, which I explained was how my professors taught us, and it was clear they hadn't actually read it. They also seemed to think I'd worked at my university. They were unprofessional and insulting, acting like the company was my last resort. They questioned my English skills, even after I told them I teach English at a C1 level, saying, "Well, not everyone with your degree speaks good English." The interview continued in English, though only one interviewer really spoke it well. They asked personal questions about who recommended me and seemed clueless about what the company actually does, even though they answered my questions vaguely. When I asked about salary, which should have been in the ad, they said, "We haven't gotten to that point yet." Later, when I mentioned competitor salaries, they casually said, "Well, we don't need your university degree. We'd like it if you had one, but it's not necessary," which contradicts the job ad. Overall, it was unprofessional, possibly illegal (they never stated the starting salary), and the working environment looked like a health and safety hazard. I don't think this company offers any growth or good earning potential.