Have you ever been employed through a company merger or acquisition? If so, tell me about your experience.
Mergers and acquisitions are not uncommon among large companies and/or conglomerates. Your interviewer wants to understand your attitude about changes in a corporate environment. When your work history includes employment with large companies and/or conglomerate corporations, there's a likelihood you've experienced a merger or acquisition of some sort. Talk to the interviewer about your experience.
"I went through a merger in 2010 with Company ABC. The transition during their mass-layoff was not handled as professionally as many would have liked; however, I believe that the leadership team did the best they could. I was lucky enough to stay on board with the company and my experience during the transition was eye-opening. I learned a lot through the process."
"I have been fortunate enough to have had very few disruptive changes in my previous places of employment. With that said, I believe that some mergers and acquisitions can be beneficial to the company culture if the transition is completed in a smooth and mindful manner."
Exude objectivity. Omit emotional details. Describe the situation, what unfolded, and your understanding of why. If you haven't experienced this, offer your understanding of why they'd ask this question, your insights into what that may look like, and ask clarifying questions.
Maintain a positive attitude. Avoid speaking negatively about previous employers. Change is a part of life, and exhibiting a mature understanding of this goes a long way. Also, ask them if there are any mergers or acquisitions on the horizon that you should know about, and how they might affect the position you're applying for.
Community answers are written by other candidates practicing this set. Reading how others frame the same question is one of the fastest ways to sharpen your own.
Anonymous Answer
In one of my previous roles. I used to work for ______ company in Saudi that sold Cummins generators, then Cummins Arabia was formed and they formed a JV. The transition was hard and many were laid off. Getting used to new systems and moving from local Saudi culture to an international company culture was challenging for many and a lot of people resigned. However, it was a great and eye-opening experience for me and I consider it a positive change.
Cindy's Feedback
Wow, great that you have had this experience. In your revision, explain how you experienced the merger as well as discussing how others experienced it. Did you encounter challenges, personally, and how did you work through them?
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