US Ecology Interview Questions
& Process

I applied online and got a call back within a couple of days for a phone interview. They seemed interested and said they'd get back to me within a week, which they did. Next, they wanted me to come in for an in-person interview where I met the Operations Manager and some Chemists, and they gave me a tour of the facility. They mentioned they'd let me know something ASAP. About four business days later, they called with a job offer, and I also got a follow-up email with an electronic offer. As expected with a larger company, U.S. Ecology requires background checks, drug tests, bloodwork, and a physical. I assume the bloodwork is to check for things like lead levels to make sure I wasn't trying to blame them for existing issues, and I think they said it's needed annually for monitoring, which is great. So far, it feels like a great place to work. Everyone seemed really relaxed and happy, even with COVID. It feels like a place where people don't leave often, which is a good sign. I feel lucky to get the offer and hope to start soon.

So I had 4 interviews total. First was a quick chat with the recruiter. Then I had hour long interviews with the hiring manager, the head of the department, and then some team members. They were super fast and made me feel like I was getting an offer. Then on Thursday at 11:30 AM, they emailed me saying I was one of the final two and asked me to do a marketing exercise. I could start it at noon that day or 8 AM the next day. The exercise took me 2 hours. After that, the recruiter totally ghosted me. I had to chase them down multiple times, and then they finally told me they chose someone else late last night. I felt really messed with and given false hope.

I got an email to set up a pre-screen interview. I talked to an HR rep for about 30 minutes. She actually did a good job with the interview, but as I thought, since I wasn't from the Dallas area, I didn't get a chance even though I was really qualified. I hope it wasn't because of my age because I've heard this company only hires younger people. It's a shame because this could have been a really good connection. I only applied because after reading the job description, I felt like if they even lived up to ten percent of their mission statement, it would have been a great fit. Too bad for both of us.

The interview process was super smooth and refreshing. First, I had a phone screen with a really nice, friendly HR person who set up the next step. Then, there was a panel interview with 5 people who were all really positive and made me feel comfortable. The final stage was another panel interview with 5 people, and I also had to give a presentation.