Thermo Fisher Scientific Interview Questions
& Process

The interview was straightforward and primarily focused on behavioral aspects. While there were technical questions, they appeared to be somewhat biased. The interview felt less about assessing technical expertise and more about gauging conversational skills, asking things like how you de-stress or what you'd be if you weren't a scientist. It didn't give the impression they were actively seeking a scientist.

The interview process with the Talent team went well and moved quickly, followed by interviews with the hiring manager. However, after completing the interview with the hiring manager, I had to wait more than a month and a half to receive feedback from the company. The process has been frankly lamentable, with a tremendous lack of communication. I had to send several emails to the people responsible for the process just to understand the status of the position — a position that was republished in job postings while, at the same time, I was only informed a month and a half after the hiring manager interview that they were moving forward with another candidate. Honestly, this shows a complete lack of respect for candidates, considering the time, effort, and dedication we invest in these processes. Going more than six weeks without any communication after an interview leaves a very poor impression and speaks badly of the company’s professionalism.

Started with some screening questions like salary expectations and how I found the job, then a quick 10-15 min HR phone chat where they asked about my resume and company stuff. The main interview was an hour, split between two group leaders – one in molecular bio, the other in analytical chemistry. No one else was there. They were nice, but the questions were tough; I was surprised to get an offer. The offer came about a week later, though they said up to two weeks.

So the whole thing took about two weeks. Started with a quick chat with the recruiter, then a technical interview, and finally a panel with the hiring manager and a senior engineer. They wanted me to talk through actual troubleshooting situations, explain how I find the root cause, and do a quick role-play to show my customer service skills. Oh, and there was a small task where I had to look at some logs and figure out an escalation plan. The interviews felt pretty structured, they were clear about what they were looking for, and it was all about problem-solving, figuring out what's most important, and taking ownership. Honestly, it felt fair and professional throughout.