The Hershey Company Brand Manager Interview Questions
& Process

Started with a background verification call, and the interviewer was 5 minutes late. She was typing the entire time and seemed really disinterested. Then, I had an hour-long interview with two brand managers. They kept looking at each other when I answered. Ultimately it went well, as I was asking to final round interviews in person. I was also given the advice to not over-answer the question, and allow assessors to ask probing questions should they want more information. Finally, I went in person to Hershey in PA for a full day of interviews with several different assessors. I followed the interview advice I was given and completed all three interviews. It was an exhausting day. I received a generic email that I was not selected for the position one week later. It was incredibly rude and highly disappointing. When I asked my final round assessor for feedback, he said he had to ask too many probing questions........... so this company is NOT aligned on what they want from interviewees. I was given feedback, implemented it, and then told that feedback was wrong. I also don't think this is a reason not to hire someone. At least now I know it is not the place for me. To add to it, I have still not been reimbursed for my travel (including mileage and hotel) after almost 2 weeks. No response from the recruiter at all. Generic email, and then no response from the interviewer who gave me feedback when I emailed him to say I hadn't been selected. Overall, I am very disappointed. There are some nice people at the company, but the treatment showed my their true colors.

The goal is to assess the candidate, not impose the recruiter's opinions on their company's strategies. Stay respectful. You can hire or reject, but going beyond that isn't good. I could critique their marketing strategy, but it's unprofessional to rudely comment without context. The candidate's knowledge might be limited, but the recruiter (Ankit Desai) questioned my company's spending, yet I've barely seen any Hersheys TVCs despite their GM being a 'know-it-all.' I've only seen a billboard. I didn't even know about 'Jolly rancher.' Mr. Ankit Desai, a real egomaniac, not only doubted my knowledge (which is fine) but also questioned how agencies and partners work, possibly because his own knowledge is restricted. This is unprofessional and offensive, showing how unwilling he is to learn new things.

It was a four-step process: first, a phone screening with an outsourced HR person, then a pre-recorded interview, followed by a phone interview, and finally an onsite interview. They flew me in, booked my hotel, and covered my transport and food. The interview itself was 4 hours long, with 4 people interviewing me per hour.