Mercedes-Benz USA Engineer Interview Questions
& Process

This involved questions about your job area, your engineering skills and knowledge, questions about your work experience and how it would benefit the company, and questions about your technical skills.

This has been the most unusual interview process in my 40 years of working. It's very one-sided, as if they're really scared of hiring the wrong person and see all candidates as the enemy. It starts with a structured phone screen where they ask standard, vague questions like 'Describe a time when...'. You only get about 5 minutes to ask about the job, and it still feels unclear. The next step is an on-site, but instead of a more in-depth interview to learn about the role, workplace, and company, it's called an 'assessment center'. This is where it gets really strange. You're grouped with other candidates in rooms for a whole day of role-playing exercises. They assess how you handle group tasks, problem-solving, and then reporting as a team, all while being watched by reviewers. There's also an exercise to sort through a complex story problem with lots of information. Afterward, you present your findings to the panel. They also give standardized intelligence and character tests. Plus, you have to give a self-presentation that you prepared beforehand. Oddly, none of these exercises had any technical aspects or relevance to the engineering job; they seemed more suited for business or management roles. By the end, they still didn't understand my ability to do the job any better than at the start. What's more, after the 'assessment center,' they just send you away with no chance to ask about the job, meet potential colleagues, or see the work area. They just assume you want the job and the only question is if they want you. The whole process is also very long because they need enough candidates to run the 'assessment center'. My phone interview was in November 2017, and the 'assessment center' was in February 2018. By March, they still hadn't decided, likely still gathering candidates and putting them through this lengthy process before making a final decision.

It started with a basic call with HR. Then there was a Wonderlic test (easy, practice online). Next, a test with 55 Excel questions and 55 PowerPoint questions (not too hard, but you need some knowledge). After that, a Hireview Online interview. It was a bit intimidating with 3 STAR questions and 4 technical questions. Staring at yourself with a countdown timer can be nerve-wracking, but it's a breeze if you know your stuff. Finally, an onsite interview where I met the hiring manager, CFO, and an HR rep for standard questions. This company has been a Fortune 100 Best place to work for five years straight. I'm looking forward to being part of their comeback and their new $100 million campus.