Parfümerie Douglas Interview Questions
& Process

The whole thing took about 2 months from applying to hearing back. First, I met with the hiring manager and a team member to talk about the role's responsibilities and goals. The team member didn't really say much, seemed a bit shy or nervous. Then, I had a second meeting with the hiring manager and the HR VP. This one was meant to be more hands-on. They gave me a P&L to analyze. The HR VP asked a lot about 'Inventory' numbers, which was weird because that's on the Balance Sheet, not the P&L. When I asked, she pointed to 'Costs of delivery' and expected me to figure out an inventory issue from that. It felt like she had a specific answer in mind instead of testing my actual knowledge. It was a little disappointing since what they really need is help with data management, standardization, and automation.

I received a call from an employee to schedule an introductory meeting. During this meeting, I was asked a single, inappropriate and embarrassing question, which led me to unfortunately decline the job offer. To top it off, my lifelong work and studies were kindly belittled. I apologize for including my personal skills, work experience, and studies on my CV. Clearly, the person I spoke with only wanted to hear 'I can pluck hairs and use two machines.' Unfortunately, this is not Douglas's fault; the person in charge is clearly not suited for the job.

You have two interviews. The first one is a general intro with HR where they'll tell you about the role, company benefits, and general company info. The second interview is more specific, starting with questions about your academic background and previous jobs (if relevant to the role). Then, you'll do an Excel test with double-entry bookkeeping. They want to see if you can solve the test and if you know how to use Excel.

I interviewed first online and then in the HQ office for the second round, which took about 1h30. I got positive feedback and HR called saying "Good news! We are going to extend an offer!". After waiting a couple of days with no response from the recruiter, I tried to follow up via email. I got an automatic reply saying the recruiter was out of the office. Two weeks passed, and when I followed up again, I got a short, impersonal email stating I wasn't a good fit. It was a disastrous candidate experience.