This was a long and exhausting interview process for a contract position at a large pharmaceutical company through the staffing agency. It started with a phone screening from 1 recruiter at the staffing agency, followed by a second phone screening with a second recruiter, who was also the hiring manager/supervisor at Lancaster. I did not feel that either person had a good understanding of the position they were hiring for. The first interview was behavioral, with all the typical questions (describe yourself, describe a time when..., best/worst qualities, etc.). The second phone screening was about my experience, asking technical questions about my resume and job experience. I then had a THIRD phone interview/screening with the client (large pharma company), prior to which the Lancaster recruiter fed me technical topics to "brush up on." This was rather brutal: the client (who would actually be my boss at this job) asked very detailed questions analytical chemistry and biochemistry questions (not in the job posting!). All three phone screenings lasted about 1/2 hour to 45 min. I did not find out much about the job itself, not much time to ask questions here. Over a month later, I was finally invited on-site to the pharma company, which they referred to as a "meet and greet," since clients can't technically interview you. This was about half a day, meeting with approximately 15 people in groups of 2 or 3, all "clients," and the Lancaster recruiter/supervisor was present and taking notes. The Lancaster recruiter really tried to "sell" me on the job. The clients asked even more pointed technical questions, and were not particularly friendly or welcoming. Some clients did not even show up to the interview time slots, so the recruiter filled in the time with telling me more about the Lancaster Eurofins staffing agency. Ultimately, I didn't get an offer, but I wouldn't have accepted it anyway. The job did not fit the job posting AT ALL, and I felt very misled. There also seemed to be significant disadvantages to working at this particular pharma company as a contract employee through a staffing agency vs. full-time (far less benefits, great divide between 2 groups).

Had an initial screen with a recruiter for a Senior Scientist role that I applied for. A few minutes into the call they let me know that it was for a Junior Scientist role. They let me know the compensation for the junior role (was high school job level pay) and asked if I was interested. The recruiter told me that the company "has bills to pay" when trying to explain the low compensation... Based on my experience and background I thought it was a lowball offer, so I withdrew. I've seen a lot of reviews about low compensation/little growth from workers at this company, so I'd be well aware of that when taking an interview.