This article will help job seekers who are looking at P&G for their career future. Included are the facts about the hiring process along with preparation tips for candidates at all stages of the process.
What Is P&G?
P&G stands for Procter and Gamble Company. The American company produces cleaning supplies along with hygienic products for consumers. It has approximately 101,000 employees worldwide and is a leader in the cleaning industry.
Proctor & Gamble Hiring Process
P&G receives tens of thousands of applicants each year, making the competition to get a job there extreme. Most applicants are screened out through the online application phase or the psychometric test phase, so be sure to put your best foot forward on every stage of the recruitment process. Whether you are applying for their graduate program, or for a more senior level position, the hiring process will be as follows: an online application, online aptitude tests, a first round interview, and a final interview. On average, the whole process takes about a month.
Application
The online P&G application will request your contact information, to list schools you have attended, to submit your resume, and to complete a questionnaire specific to the skills needed for the role. If you are rejected, you will need to wait 12 months to reapply.
P&G Assessments
If you pass the application screening, you will be asked to complete a number of online aptitude tests. The main assessments P&G candidates are asked to complete are the P&G PEAK Performance Assessment, the P&G Reasoning Screen Test, and the P&G Global Reasoning Exam.
- P&G PEAK Performance Assessment
The purpose of this test is to assess your work-related interests, attitudes, experiences, background, and compatibility with the P&G values. In a way it serves as a workplace personality test. It does this by asking you multiple-choice questions of what you would do in specific workplace situations and then assessing the answer you choose. It is very similar to the Situational Judgement Test that other companies require. Example questions are, “What type of coworker would you select when organizing a team?” or “What do you do when you are given a project deadline?”. The test is not timed, but generally takes candidates about 30 minutes to complete. You may also see this test labeled as the Success Drivers Assessment. - P&G Reasoning Screen Test
The P&G Reasoning Test is a multiple-choice test with 15 questions answered in 30 minutes, giving you roughly 2 ½ minutes to answer each question. The score is based off of correct answers only, so incorrect answers don’t count against you. Be sure to time the test where you are able to answer each question. This time limit is very stressful to many candidates, so it is best for you to practice similar questions beforehand to make yourself as confident as possible. The questions on the P&G Reasoning Screen Test will be assessing your figural reasoning by trying to see if you can identify changing patterns. The questions will show you either a 3×3 matrix of shapes or a series of figures with one shape/figure missing. You will be asked to identify the pattern and choose the missing shape or figure. These questions will be similar to questions on Diagrammatic Reasoning Tests. - P&G Global Reasoning Exam
After you complete the online assessments, you will be asked to come onsite to complete the P&G Global Reasoning Exam. The in-person test has 40 questions with 65 minutes to complete. You need a 75% to pass the test, which is 30 correct questions. The questions you will see on the P&G Reasoning Test will be assessing your numerical, logic-based, and figural reasoning. The numerical and logic-based reasoning questions are explained more below, whereas the figural reasoning questions will be similar to those described in the P&G Reasoning Screen Test section above. - P&G Global Reasoning Exam – Numerical Reasoning Questions
These questions will be word problems that will ask you to make various calculations such as distance, area, weight, and percentages. You will be allowed to use a calculator for these questions. There will be 5 options of answers for each of these questions. - P&G Global Reasoning Exam – Logic-Based Reasoning Questions
The logical reasoning questions are very similar to verbal reasoning questions. You will be given a short reading passage and then be asked to draw a conclusion from the text. All answers will be available in the reading passage, so no prior knowledge is required. There will be 4 options of answers for each of these questions.
How to Pass P&G Assessment Tests?
The P&G PEAK Performance Assessment is made specifically to look at attitudes you have that assessors may not be able to identify in a face to face interview. You may look at the test questions and think there are no definite right or wrong answers, but the P&G recruiters will be looking to see if you specifically fit the values they look for in a P&G employee. These are: Power of Mind, People, and Agility.
- Power of Minds
To show this value, show that you are always looking to learn more and create a better way. Show passion for your career and what you do, and how you can use your skills to create a more efficient business for P&G. Overall, show you can think outside the box. - Power of People
To show this value, show that you respect and utilize those who think differently than you and have strengths where you have weaknesses. Show that you are not afraid to ask for help or to contribute with a team. - Power of Agility
To show this value, show that you are serious about every problem you face and that you will attack a problem head on with no delays. They want people who are willing to make good things happen now.
As for the Reasoning Test, it is best to be prepared for the questions and the time limit, so be sure to take practice tests beforehand.
P&G First Interview
If you pass the assessment tests, you will be invited to have a one-on-one interview with a P&G recruiter. The purpose of this interview is to assess your interest and to verify your general qualifications for the role. They will most likely ask questions about your background and motivations to work for P&G. As this is the case, it will be most beneficial for you to do research on P&G beforehand, so you can have specific answers to the question “Why P&G?”. This interview usually takes place over the phone and lasts about an hour. Know that the recruiters will be expecting you to use this time not only to show that you are qualified for the job, but also for you to learn more about the company, so be prepared with thoughtful questions.
P&G Final Interview
The final interview at P&G will be very specific to the role you are applying for. You will be interviewed by either the manager of your future team, or a panel of senior employees in the business you will be joining. This interview should also only take about one hour. This interview will be mainly competency based and you should expect the interview to go more in-depth than the recruiter in the first interview. You’ll want to focus specifically on how your background sets you apart from other candidates and makes you uniquely qualified for P&G. Make sure to come prepare with thoughtful questions to ask your interviewers to show the extent of your interest.
Procter and Gamble Interview Tips
In order to excel in the P&G Interview, be sure to practice answering common P&G interview questions by highlighting the P&G core competencies. Some common P&G interview questions are:
- Tell me about a time when you had a deadline and couldn’t meet it.
- Tell me about a time when you took initiative.
- Tell me about a time when you had to think of an innovative solution to a difficult problem.
- Give an example of a time when you created something new.
- If you were given a challenging project, how would you ensure its success?
- What skills do you think you can bring to P&G?
- Tell me about a time when you had to make a split-second decision.
- Tell me about a time when you responded to constructive criticism.
Conclusion
Once you have finished all the steps of the P&G recruitment process, if all goes well, you will be given an offer from P&G! Along with the offer there is included some pre-employment paperwork that will include a request for work authorization and a background check. Overall, P&G is a very competitive company, so be sure to be prepared and at your best during every stage of the process. If you do this, you should be able to go into your interviews confident and ready to show P&G that you are the new employee they are looking for!
