Pharmacyclics Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was quite delayed and confusing, with the roles they were hiring for frequently changing. The entire process dragged on for 6-8 weeks, and even up to the final communication, they were still undecided about the roles. Ultimately, I was told they were seeking a more junior candidate to groom. The hiring manager had limited expertise in technical aspects, quality, and the domain itself, and frequently interrupted during the interview. However, the Associate Director I interviewed with was knowledgeable and understanding. It was beneficial to get a sense of the team.

Recruiter call was thorough but the recruiter seemed distracted, possibly handling other tasks during our conversation, making it longer than expected. I was then invited for an in-person interview. The company's focus for project managers is strictly on project management duties. They want to ensure you won't interfere with any projects. Your main responsibilities will be maintaining the project timeline, ensuring attendance at meetings, and making sure everyone is aware of milestones and their deliverables. They assess personality well; being too proactive can be a reason for rejection. They were upfront about this, stating that project management can differ between companies, and at this company, the role seems to be primarily about timeline management.

I saw the job on Indeed.Com and applied. A recruiter reached out within 2 days. The phone interview with him went well. Within a week, I had a phone interview with the hiring manager, which also went well. The onsite interview was scheduled for two weeks later. I met with 7 people, and they all seemed to have great personalities – smart, driven, and nice. I asked them about the company's poor Glassdoor rating. They acknowledged those issues happened but stated that their department was supportive and not part of the dysfunction, especially recently. The medical affairs leadership appeared competent and pleasant. I believe working within Med Affairs here would be great; my main concern is how many 'difficult people' I'll have to build relationships with. However, I think the new management is focused on improving the culture, and the next hires will make a significant difference.

The interview involved giving presentations and then speaking with several people, lasting a total of four hours in the morning without a break for lunch. Although I didn't get feedback from the manager, HR informed me via email that they had moved on to other candidates. Based on conversations with current employees, it seems like the scientists there have a lot of work to do.