Arconic Staff Scientist, Optimization & Data Analytics interview questions

I went through a three-round interview process, and overall, it was unnecessarily long and frustrating. 1. Initial Screening: The first round was a 30-minute phone screening with a recruiter, mainly focused on reviewing my background and checking alignment with the job description. 2. Technical Interview: The second round was with two team members, including the team lead. They asked about my technical skills and requested a high-level explanation of a mathematical problem. The discussion itself was reasonable. 3. Onsite Interview: The final round was an onsite interview that included a company tour and multiple sessions with different team members. I was also required to complete a fairly involved project that included coding, analysis, and presenting results. I spent around three full days working on this assignment—developing multiple solution approaches and preparing a presentation that was understandable for both technical and non-technical audiences. The expectations were high, and I delivered well beyond a basic solution. Major Issues: Extremely slow process: Each stage took at least 3 weeks to schedule or move forward. The entire process dragged on far longer than necessary. High effort, low respect: Candidates are expected to invest significant time (including travel and multi-day project work), yet the company does not match that effort in communication. No meaningful feedback: After completing all rounds and waiting weeks, I had to follow up myself—only to receive a generic rejection message with zero feedback. Overall: The interview process is demanding and time-consuming, but the lack of communication and feedback shows a clear lack of respect for candidates’ time and effort. If you expect candidates to invest days of work and travel, the minimum expectation should be timely updates and constructive feedback.