I applied for this role in mid-January 2025. I received an invitation for an online screening call a week later, followed by an online interview with a couple of the senior analysts a week after that. This went well, as it was primarily an opportunity for the candidate to discuss their relevant experience and to learn more about the role, rather than focusing on the technical aspects.
I was invited to an on-site interview in mid-February, where I met with the analysts whom I had encountered during the video call. This meeting was much more detailed; they asked questions about GLP practices and inquired about my knowledge of techniques such as HPLC, dissolution, etc. Along with the typical interview questions, such as provide an example of how I managed under unexpected time pressures. They also provided an example data sheet and inquired about your analysis and proposed actions based on the information presented.
This interview also went quite well, as the interview itself surpassed the 90-minute timeframe as we had many friendly discussions. My interviewers were also very enthusiastic about showing me the labs afterwards, despite it being the end of the workday.
The analysts informed me that they were not involved in the hiring process and that I should expect to hear back in approximately 1-2 weeks. However, after two weeks, I had not received any updates. I reached out to the HR manager through the company portal, and they stated that the panel is still in the decision-making process and will provide an update when they have more information.
Another two weeks later, still nothing. I found it quite concerning that two months after my initial application and one month after my second interview, I had not received any communication regarding the status of my candidacy.
I am surprised that a professional company handled this situation in such an unprofessional manner. I might not have held my expectations so high had my interviewers not appeared genuinely impressed during our discussions, leading me to believe they were interested in having me join the team.
I asked for an update nearly 5 weeks after my second interview, which was very shortly met with "Whilst you were not successful on this occasion, we have recommended that your name be placed on our reserve register.".
I then asked for feedback, to which I received “Unfortunately we are unable to give candidates individual feedback following each stage of the process due to the volume of requests we continuously receive”
I am absolutely disgusted that I was in this application process for 2 months, and all I could get back was "we can't give feedback because we have too many requests". Considering how much of my and likely other's time was wasted waiting for a response and working on the application, they should at least offer constructive and detailed feedback at the bare minimum.
The HR manager was incredibly courteous and let me know that 'the panel' chose someone else with more relevant experience. Which is fair enough, and I have no frustration with my interviewers or the HR manager, as they were incredibly helpful and supportive throughout the process. However, I find it surprising that it took ‘the panel’ well over a month to come to that conclusion, which meant that I have now lost time that could have been spent searching for other jobs.
In all honesty, I feel as though I have dodged a bullet with Almac, as I do not believe this is the first time they have done something like this. They should respect their applicants equally regardless of whether they get the job.
I am obviously very disappointed with this outcome, as I really enjoyed the interview process, however, I am mostly frustrated and angry at the lack of respect and professionalism I have encountered at Almac.