The interview was a half day process. Met with different members of the team. Interview questions ranged from being asked about previous experience to general technical questions. Application process took several months.
Interview questions [1]
Question 1
In your previous/current position, describe what your typical day would be.
I applied in-person. The process took 2 weeks. I interviewed at Genentech (South San Francisco, CA) in July 2011
Interview
I was already a contractor/temporary employee, and I applied for the regular/full-time position with the same responsibilities. The hiring manager was already the supervisor I reported to, and I've worked with several of the people I interviewed with in the 1.5 years I was on-site. There was a phone interview with the HR recruiter, who basically chatted with me about my resume, past experiences, what I was looking for in the company, hiring process, and benefits the company offered. I had 3 more in-person 1-on-1 interviews after that, one of which was with the director of the group. There was also a panel interview and another phone interview with other people in the group.
Know what the company/group is looking for. For my position, they emphasized more on the ability to recognize issues, problem solving skills, and creative thinking. There were technical questions, but they weren't the majority. All the interviewers were really friendly, and most of the interviews flowed well. They were more of a conversation or discussion versus one-ended question/answer format.