Michelin Account Manager Interview Questions
& Process

Started with a phone call with Manpower, then a Teams interview with a great HR person named Giovanna who was very nice and precise. The last step was on-site in Milan, where they cover the hotel but not the train, which they only told me a few days before – that says a lot already. In Milan, there's a group assessment with 10 candidates and psychologists who give some role-playing scenarios (an interesting experience), plus the internal HR and an area manager. This is followed by the final conclusive interviews. Even though they mention different work areas (center, northeast, and northwest), it's just a decoy; they want unconditional willingness to relocate (with a contribution of 90% the first year, then 80% the second, then 60%) and a commitment to stay in the role for at least 4 years. When I asked about the number of clients and territory size, they got annoyed and brushed it off. It's a shame because they seemed serious at first, but... another candidate I know who agreed to relocate wasn't selected (I suspect these positions might be fake, like in many companies).

In France, to become an account manager, you have to go through a very long process. There are three different stages: The first is a classic interview with an HR director in Paris. It wasn't really difficult: tell us about yourself, why you and not another, and some sales exercises, quite easy (I had to sell a tent). When you have passed the first stage, you have to go meet 4 people during a day at the Clermont-Ferrand headquarters (about a month after the first interview). Again, it wasn't really difficult: you just have to show your motivation, be honest, simple, and not try to play a role. The only difficulty is that you have to convince 4 people, so you have to be at your best throughout the day. After a week or two of waiting, you get the answer and start working. This is the beginning of the last stage, the trial period, which can be really difficult if you don't know the tire industry (some were not chosen because of their lack of research). These 3 months are more about learning than actual work, but this period is really necessary, so do like at school and learn everything you can.

The first interview is on a virtual platform where you answer 3 questions in 1 minute. Then, you have a 1-hour Skype interview with a recruiter. If successful, you spend half a day at Michelin meeting five employees with different backgrounds. You'll spend an hour with each to see if the company and you are a good fit. This recruitment process is well-structured, coherent, and interesting to discover. It's important to be yourself to align with the values of this family company with an international scope. An excellent experience to have.