Keyence Sales Manager Interview Questions
& Process

I got an invitation quickly. First, there was a 10-minute phone call. Then in the second round, there was an info meeting via Zoom. Then in the third round, there was an interview with two different recruiters. This last selection round would have been the assessment center at the company for me.

I never write reviews, but I want to make an exception this time so you can form your own picture beforehand. I'll try to phrase my impressions as neutrally as possible. Here's how it went in my case: I was contacted via LinkedIn and made aware of the position. After a few preliminary discussions, I decided to apply to Keyence to find out if it could be something for me and if the position fits my long-term goal. The process takes a few weeks. The first step was an info session with a company presentation and a short Q&A. Clear conditions regarding location choice and working hours were communicated transparently here. The first participants could already drop out here. Then there was a new appointment with a role-play. After that came the appointment for the Assessment Center, the "Talent Day". Beforehand, you had to complete a personality test which is supposed to give insight into suitability. And now for my feedback. Positive: What I find very positive is the transparent communication. You have to be willing to accept overtime, and with all conditions, you have to be clear that there is no room for negotiation. A lot of effort is also put into organizing the entire recruiting process, and it's also great that you get to meet the sales managers personally. All the HR staff did a great job too. Negative: "We are looking for sales talents and will train you to be a sales professional." It's not necessarily "talents" they are looking for, but from my impression of the Talent Day, rather a certain type of "sales talent." And that's a subtle but crucial difference. The way the process is set up, it seems a bit like a "'take it or leave it' principle" to me, good performance at any cost, but please don't question anything. The question I ask myself then is whether this logic is also applied to customers or colleagues, and I find that a bit questionable... especially because it speaks very much against the culture presented by the company. You are supposed to be able to ask the question "Why" and not make "assumptions." Conversely, assumptions are made based on data points about the applicant, and the matter is not investigated sufficiently. And because of this, potentially good "talents" are lost from my point of view. Keyence, of course, also knows what kind of talent they are looking for, and therefore all of this is probably justified. But if you invest 24/7 of your working hours in a company, then as an employee, you must know who the people behind it are, and the mission between the company and the applicant must align. These things unfortunately did not come through in the process, or were missing for me, which is why I mentally opted out on the TD. The rejection was therefore mutual. Who is the experience suitable for in my view? • You are still not sure if Sales is really your thing? Then you can dare to go through the process to find that out for yourself. For me, the TD was a key moment and showed me that I want to work in Sales, despite the somewhat questionable impression. • You absolutely want to work in Sales at Keyence and are willing to give everything for it, culture is not important to you, you want to sell at any cost? Then go for it, they will love you! • You don't think much of "take it or leave it" and want to create real added value for your customers, thus contributing to the long-term success and reputation of the company? In that case, I'm not sure if another employer wouldn't be a better choice. Just find out for yourself. It also depends on what kind of sales professional you want to be trained as. In any case, the experience is worth it. And that's why I'm giving a positive review. Good luck!

The interview process seemed like a casting show. It started with a company introduction to about 20 young people in a virtual meeting. Then there were two short recruiter calls, which were not on time, making candidates wait in the chat. The morning started at 8 AM and by 12:30 PM, the first candidates were eliminated. Those who remained had to wait hours for the next step. I was almost promised a job but had to wait until 3:10 PM for someone from a higher position, and I was allowed to leave the room. Around 2:30 PM, I heard the person I was supposed to meet say I had to wait longer. Around 3:30 PM, two women appeared and asked me some questions. In a role-play, I didn't answer exactly what was expected for a JUNIOR position, even though the job ad was for recent grads with NO experience. After making one mistake in 8 hours, I got a dismissive rejection. I was the last one left, and I wonder why I was put through so much. I've never felt so humiliated. The company promises great starting salaries and benefits but has this casting process. I advise everyone not to apply.