Toyota Recruitment Process, Tests & Interviews Online Preparation [2024’s Guide]
What Is Toyota?
Toyota is the second largest auto manufacturer in the world. The Japanese auto manufacturer consistently ranks as one of the top companies to work for worldwide due to the nice salary, decent benefits, and respectable work-life balance. They provide American employees with a range of benefits that include the following:
- Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Life insurance
- 401k with company matching
- Work from home availability
- On-site nurse, pharmacy, and gym
- Food provided on Saturdays
What Is Toyota’s Hiring Process?
Toyota has a relatively standard hiring process. There is some variation depending on the job, but it all looks mostly the same. The steps involved include the following.
Initial Application
All applicants to Toyota begin the process by applying on Toyota’s job portal. The job portal allows applicants to upload a resume, a CV, and answer a few basic questions. This portion allows Toyota to quickly filter out applicants that would not fit at Toyota.
At this stage, Toyota is looking for relevant experience and the most basic qualifications.
Psychometric and Skills Testing
Applicants at Toyota may have to take a series of psychometric and skills tests to advance through the hiring process. These tests all occur online and filter out the majority of applicants – these tests are difficult for those that are unprepared.
- Toyota Mechanical Reasoning Test – Those applying for engineering positions at Toyota will have to complete a mechanical reasoning test. This assessment tests the applicant’s knowledge of various mechanical and engineering principles relevant to designing cars. The applicant will also have to apply these principles to hypothetical scenarios presented on the test.
- Personality Test – The personality questionnaire is meant to determine if the personality of the applicant matches what Toyota wants for that position. Toyota desires certain personality traits in certain positions and a personality test is a great way to quickly determine that.
- Situational Judgement Tests (SJTs) – The situational judgment test (SJT) given by Toyota will present difficult scenarios with potential responses. The applicant must choose the best response and the worst response. Many applicants struggle with this test as all the potential responses look suitable, but Toyota has specific traits they are looking for in an applicant.
Phone Interview
The phone interview does not always happen – it depends on the hiring manager and the position. If it does occur, then it’s fairly standard HR questions about why the applicants left their previous job, why they want to work at Toyota, etc.
Live Interview
The live interview is with the team the applicant would work with at Toyota. It serves to find out if the applicant would be a good fit for the team. The applicant should expect some questions about how they work in a team, their previous experiences in similar roles, and some technical questions.
Assessment Center
The assessment day is a one-day, paid on-site series of individual and group assessments. The individual assessments are usually skills-based while the group assessments are meant to test the applicant’s ability to work on a team.
Job Offer
Applicants that pass all the interviews and assessments will receive a job offer from Toyota via email. The job offer is still not the end as all new hires must go through an orientation to fully understand the work culture at Toyota.
Common Interview Questions at Toyota
Toyota has a reputation for having a relatively difficult interview process for engineering and management positions. Hiring managers do not typically ask technical questions during interviews as the mechanical reasoning test ensures that the applicant has a solid grasp on engineering.
Instead, Toyota prefers to ask personality-based questions during interviews. Here are some interview questions you may encounter during an interview with Toyota.
- What makes a good engineer?
The hiring managers are looking for a response that demonstrates excellent communication skills and an ability to work on a team. Remember, Toyota has a heavy emphasis on teamwork, so they want to hire great engineers that can work well on a team. - How can we make innovations to Toyota products?
Toyota has a reputation for reliability and innovation. This question focuses on innovation, but the hiring managers are really looking to see if the interviewee has some familiarity with Toyota products – it makes engineering easier if the engineer already has experience with the product. This question also tests the interviewee’s engineering knowledge as some innovations sound great but are not feasible from an engineering perspective. - What do you do to stay up to date with technology?
The automotive industry changes quickly and manufacturers that do not adapt to changes will suffer. Toyota needs engineers that stay up to date with new trends. The exact response to this question is not super important. The hiring manager just wants to see that you do something to stay up to date with technology in the automotive industry. - Can you work in a fast-paced environment?
Auto manufacturers have a reputation for having a relatively fast-paced environment. New cars are released every year, and they have minor upgrades from the previous year, so the deadlines can be tight. The interviewer may also ask about previous experience working in a fast-paced environment to see if you can handle it. - Why are you a good fit for this position?
This question is multi-purposed. The interviewer wants to see that you fully understand the role and they want to see how you can benefit the company. Use this question to demonstrate any skills you have that may benefit Toyota. And make sure to fully understand your role in the company.
How to Prepare for Toyota’s Assessment Tests?
Preparing for Toyota’s psychometric tests is important as Toyota uses them as one of the main ways to filter applicants. It’s strongly recommended to take multiple timed practice tests as preparation for them.
More importantly, applicants should fully review the explanations for the answers on the practice tests to ensure they understand how to reach the answer rather than simply memorizing an answer.