I applied for a bioassay-related Quality Control position at Novartis in February 2025 through Workday. After a three-week wait, I was contacted for an HR screening call, followed by three 30-minute interviews with the Bioassay Manager, prospective direct manager, and interim Head of Quality. While the AI-driven scheduling process was efficient, the overall experience was disappointing due to poor communication and lack of follow-up.
The HR screening call was adequate but lacked depth, featuring standard questions like, “Why do you want to work at Novartis?” with minimal details provided about the role or process. The interviews, conducted in March/April 2025, were engaging and conversational, focusing on relevant technical aspects of the role rather than feeling like a quiz. Each interviewer indicated they would follow up, leaving me optimistic. However, I’ve received no updates despite multiple follow-up emails to HR. My application remains “under consideration” on Workday, but the position was recently reopened, leaving me confused and uninformed about my status and Novartis’ intentions.
Pros:
> Efficient AI-driven interview scheduling.
> Engaging, conversational interviews with relevant technical discussions.
Cons:
> Poor communication from HR and hiring team post-interview.
> No response to multiple follow-up emails.
> Lack of transparency about application status and reopened position.
> Minimal guidance provided about the process or expectations.
Advice to Management:
Novartis should prioritize clear and timely communication with candidates, especially after interviews. Responding to follow-up inquiries and providing updates on application status, even if negative, would improve the candidate experience. Transparency about why positions are reopened and clearer expectations during the process would demonstrate respect for applicants’ time. Given Novartis’ use of AI for scheduling, implementing an automated email system should be straightforward. For example, a message like, “Dear candidate, we are experiencing hiring delays due to reasons beyond our control, but you are still being actively considered and can expect a response within X weeks,” would reduce uncertainty and show respect for candidates.