I applied through university. The process took 3 months. I interviewed at 3M (Saint Paul, MN) in Dec 2013
Interview
Start with on-campus interview, which was more general and more about spreading the message that 3M does Rapid Recruiting every December (so wait for that). Later got a phone call asking me to apply for the online position starting with "RR" (for Rapid Recruiting), and got the on-site invitation after two days. The on-site interview was very fun, well organized and very impressive. It somewhat feels like a conference since I got to meet other candidates (non-competitive) and listen to their presentations. Got the offer one day after the interview.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
What do you see you can contribute to the company, given all the information you have collected? (has to talk about detailed ideas)
Interview consisted of a research talk, during which they would ask technical questions regarding the information presented. At the end, they asked more questions and then asked if I had any questions.
I applied through other source. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at 3M (Saint Paul, MN)
Interview
I was able to have a 1-hour interview with some managers to get my foot in the door. Two weeks later I was given a 3-hour coding test. A month after that, I had the usual (in this group) candidate interview: a 1-hour presentation on my background, followed by a day of 30-minute discussions with people of various roles and titles. It was always conversational and pleasant. I got an offer one week later.
Hello,
Thank you so much for your review! We are so happy to hear that you had a positive experience, and that you accepted your offer! Welcome to 3M and thanks again for sharing your feedback.
Applied online. After a month heard back about phone interview: 20 minute research talk. Two weeks later asked to come for an on-site interview. Had dinner night before with interviewers. Day started with 45 min research seminar, then five 1-on-1 interviews. Mostly talked about research and answered technical questions. Seem to require a very particular personality match.