Toyota Boshoku America Interview Questions
& Process

First interview in 'portunhol' with an HR person, it was quick and good, no problems. However, the interview with the area manager was terrible! She asked me details about my current workplace, even which clients they had, completely off-topic, she hardly wanted to know anything about me. Finally, I was sent the wrong document by email with a spreadsheet listing the finalists and the reason.

I applied online, and HR reached out about two weeks later for an onsite interview with the hiring manager and HR. They asked me to walk through my resume, and they asked some specific questions during that. The hiring manager talked about the company and the department. We didn't talk about anything else except when I could start. They said I'd hear back the next week. Later that day, HR emailed to ask if she could call the next day about HR items. I was confused but gave her my availability. The next day she called and said the hiring manager wanted to offer me the job. We discussed pay, benefits, vacation, etc. HR also mentioned a background check was required.

I applied for the job via a recruiter, sent in my resume, and then had an in-person interview. This is apparently unusual for the company, as they're growing fast and usually have a more involved hiring process. I got an application and background check form to fill out and bring. When I got there, the lobby was busy with other candidates. The HR people were nice. I waited about 10 minutes past my interview time. The first interview was with the HR Manager, who was really nice despite interviewing all day. After about 10 minutes, I went back to the lobby to wait for a second interviewer, who was also from HR. This second interview felt rushed, like they wanted to finish quickly. After talking to the company reps, I met with the staffing agency people. They asked for my feedback and said they'd update me in a few days. I didn't get the job, but they did let me know in a timely manner.

The first interview was a panel with about 1.5 hours. Attendees included an HR Manager from a different location, an HR/IT person from Japan, the plant manager, and his boss who oversees multiple plants. They were assessing my ability to perform in a demanding, fast-paced setting. They mentioned upfront that mistakes would be corrected publicly due to their open-office layout, where everyone's workspace is visible and conversations audible, even the plant manager's. They were particularly interested in my manufacturing experience and asked many questions about it. The second interview happened months later, as they hadn't hired anyone yet. The plant manager's initial comment was, "what are you doing back here?". The rest of this second interview was similarly intense, creating a very stressful experience. They critiqued my background, suggesting it wasn't a good fit for their operations. I never heard back from the company. During the initial interview, I was informed that women face challenges working with the Japanese due to traditional male preference in management roles, and that women need to work harder to gain their approval. The plant manager came across as arrogant, seeming to enjoy the praise from others in the room. The Japanese representatives appeared pleasant during the interview.