I applied through a staffing agency. I interviewed at Abbott (Mumbai) in Jun 2023
Interview
Abbott is endeavoring to establish its IT operations in India and is actively seeking to fill leadership positions. Recently, I had the opportunity to interview for a managerial role, tasked with setting up a team in India and leading them both functionally and technically. The prospects seemed promising. However, there was an unexpected turn of events during the interview process. Surprisingly, my interview was conducted by two individuals from the United States who appeared visibly apprehensive. Rather than posing questions related to my resume or my introduction, they relied solely on conventional managerial queries found through basic online searches. Regrettably, I received feedback indicating that I was not deemed technically skilled. I found it astonishing that they neglected to ask even fundamental technical questions, instead focusing solely on my past experiences. Upon reviewing their professional backgrounds on LinkedIn, it became evident that their combined experience did not even match half of my own. This realization led me to understand their nervousness. It seems as though they had no intention of recruiting anyone from India, and this bias could adversely impact their workforce in the United States. Consequently, they might present a case stating that there is an insufficient talent pool in India. Ultimately, they may outsource the responsibility to a third-party service company, thereby safeguarding their own positions while assuming vendor management duties. If any skilled professionals join Abbott India, these two individuals seated in the United States will likely face unemployment. In summary, there appears to be a lack of alignment between the Talent Acquisition (TA) team, the Human Resources (HR) department, and the hiring team. According to insights gathered from consultancy, it has come to my attention that all candidates have been consistently rejected for the past month, with not a single successful selection. This is an issue that the Abbott India head should urgently address. Furthermore, I find it peculiar that despite currently holding the position of Director, I am expected to assume the role of a Manager and report to a Senior Manager who possesses only nine years of experience. Initially, I presumed that their LinkedIn profiles had not been updated. However, after participating in the interview, I couldn't help but feel a sense of insecurity. Abbott requires assistance in rectifying this situation if they intend to successfully establish their IT division. Entrusting such crucial responsibilities to unreliable hiring managers will undoubtedly impede progress.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
Conventional managerial questions found in online search