C. H. Robinson Worldwide, established in 1905, is a logistics powerhouse. They are one of the biggest third-party logistics (3PL) companies in the world, and they help businesses all over the world with all of their freight transportation and logistics needs. Here’s a quick overview:
With annual revenues of over $20 billion, C.H. Robinson is one of the largest third-party logistics (3PL) companies in the world. They provide freight transportation, warehousing, and supply chain services to over 119,000 customers globally.
Landing a job at C. H. Robinson can be very satisfying, but you need to be ready for their tough interview process. These are some tips on how to deal with the most common C H. Robinson interview questions.
Company Overview
CH Robinson was founded in 1905 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The company has evolved from a wholesale produce business into a Fortune 500 global provider of multimodal transportation and logistics services.
They put businesses that need to ship goods in touch with carriers that can do so by truck, rail, air, and sea. Beyond just freight brokerage, C. H. Robinson also offers supply chain consulting, freight consolidation, customs brokerage, and warehousing services.
The company operates via a network of over 15000 employees in offices across North America, Europe Asia, South America, and the Middle East. Their diversified services allow them to meet evolving customer needs and ensure efficient, cost-effective shipping.
Preparing for the Interview
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Research the company – Go through their website, press releases, annual reports, etc. to learn about their services, values, growth strategy, and competitive advantages.
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Understand the role – Carefully read through the job description and think about how your skills and experience make you suitable for the role.
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Refresh your knowledge: Learn more about the basics of logistics and supply chain, as well as the software and tools that were asked for in the job posting.
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Practice interview questions – Rehearse your talking points related to behavioral and situational questions.
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Review your resume – Be ready to expand on all aspects of your resume and provide specific examples that highlight your accomplishments.
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Prepare questions to ask – Asking thoughtful questions shows your engagement and interest in the company/role.
General Interview Questions
Q1: Why do you want to work at C.H. Robinson?
Tips: Highlight your admiration for their global success and network, interest in the role/industry, eagerness to develop your skills by working with top logistics talent.
Q2: What do you know about our company?
Tips: Demonstrate your research into their history, evolution, services, values, leadership, competitive differentiation, and future growth plans.
Q3: What makes you a strong fit for this role?
Tips: Match your skills/experience to the role requirements, share relevant accomplishments, discuss your eagerness to take on new challenges and ability to deliver quick results.
Q4: How would you describe your work style?
Tips: Emphasize key attributes like self-motivation, teamwork, adaptability, effective time management, problem-solving, communication and analytical skills. Give examples.
Q5: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Tips: Share your career goals and aspirations while demonstrating plans for growing with C.H. Robinson through expanded knowledge, leadership roles, etc.
Situational Interview Questions
Q1: A customer complains about late delivery. What do you do?
Tips: Listen calmly, apologize, gather details on the situation, contact the carrier to investigate, update the customer, take steps to improve processes.
Q2: You notice discrepancies in inventory records. How do you handle this?
Tips: Notify your supervisor, investigate root causes, verify inventory physically, update records to resolve discrepancies, implement checks to prevent future issues.
Q3: A key shipment gets held up due to improper documentation. What next steps do you take?
Tips: Contact the customer to notify delay, work with carrier to understand documentation issues, resolve problems, expedite documents, provide status updates to customer.
Q4: A team member is struggling with a task. How do you support him/her?
Tips: Meet to understand challenges, provide training/resources, offer encouragement, check-in regularly on progress, assist with workload if needed, involve manager if issues persist.
Q5: You have several urgent requests from customers. How do you prioritize?
Tips: Assess level of urgency, consult manager if needed, validate timelines with customers, delegate if possible, prioritize based on deadlines/importance, communicate plans with transparency.
Behavioral Interview Questions
Q1: Tell me about a time you struggled to meet a deadline. What actions did you take?
Tips: Share a real example, explain the challenges faced, describe your actions like getting help from others, putting in extra hours, communicating delays proactively, etc.
Q2: Describe a time you had a conflict at work. How did you handle it?
Tips: Provide a real example, keep emotions out of it, focus on actions taken like listening first, finding common ground, collaborating on solutions, involving manager if needed, following up after resolution.
Q3: Tell me about a time you made a costly mistake. How did you handle the situation?
Tips: Share an example honestly, own up to your mistake, highlight lessons learned, emphasize actions like notifying your manager promptly, documenting the lapse, implementing better checks/training.
Q4: Describe a time you provided excellent customer service.
Tips: Provide a detailed example, share skills like active listening, understanding needs, resolving complaints, following-up, exceeding expectations, building rapport with client over time.
Q5: Tell me about a challenging work situation and how you overcame it.
Tips: Choose a real example, explain the challenges, outline specific actions like problem-solving, getting help from others, improving processes going forward, etc. Emphasize a positive resolution.
Technical Interview Questions
Q1: What transportation management systems have you worked with previously?
Tips: Discuss your level of experience with common platforms like Oracle, Manhattan Associates, Blue Yonder, SAP, etc. based on the role requirements.
Q2: What data analysis tools are you familiar with?
Tips: Share your knowledge of tools like Excel, Power BI, Tableau, Alteryx, etc. Talk about how you’ve used them to gather business insights.
Q3: What experience do you have with transportation regulations and compliance?
Tips: Demonstrate your knowledge of regulations for trucking, air freight, ocean freight, rail transportation, customs clearance etc. as relevant to the role.
Q4: How would you go about optimizing a distribution network?
Tips: Discuss factors like maximizing delivery efficiency, minimizing costs, geographic location analysis, contingency planning for disruptions, inventory placement strategies, etc.
Q5: How do you stay updated on the latest logistics and supply chain trends?
Tips: Reading industry publications, attending webinars and events, networking, social media channels, blogs, forums, taking additional coursework/training, and more.
- Research C.H. Robinson’s services and culture to showcase your fit
- Highlight your skills/experience aligned to the role requirements
- Provide detailed examples that demonstrate your abilities and achievements
- Ask insightful questions that show your engagement and interest
- Stay confident and friendly throughout the interview process
With thorough preparation using these tips and sample questions, you can have a winning C.H. Robinson interview and take the next step in your supply chain career!
What is the salary for freshers in C.H. Robinson Worldwide?
Similar to the interview process, exact salary information for freshers at C. H. Robinson Worldwide isn’t advertised on their careers website. Here are ways to get a better idea of the range:
- Salary Websites: Explore salary websites like Glassdoor or Indeed. Search for “C. H. Robinson Worldwide” and sort the results by “entry-level” or “freshers” jobs in the area you want to work in to get an idea of the range
- Salary Negotiation: Be ready to talk about your pay when you get an offer, especially if you have relevant experience or a good education. Find out about salary ranges ahead of time, and use your skills and experience to support the amount of money you want.
Tips:
- Research C. H. Robinson Worldwide: Find out what the company does in logistics and supply chain management, how big it is, and how they run their business. This demonstrates your genuine interest during the interview.
- Showcase Skills and Experience That Are Relevant: Make sure that your resume and answers to questions in the interview show off skills and experiences that are relevant to the job you’re applying for. This could include (if relevant) experience with logistics, good communication and analytical skills, and a love for international trade (which is nice, but not always necessary).
- Get Ready for Behavioral Questions: You will be asked questions using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to show how well you can solve problems and what you’ve done in the past that is relevant to a business setting.
If you follow these steps, you’ll have a better idea of how the interview process works and what the salary range might be for new employees at C H. Robinson Worldwide. Remember that for entry-level jobs, your willingness to learn, strong work ethic, and relevant skills can help you get hired.
Top questions Asked for freshers in C.H. Robinson Worldwide
C. H. Robinson Worldwide, a top third-party logistics (3PL) company, has great job openings for recent college graduates (freshers) in many areas, such as sales, customer service, transportation management, and logistics coordination. Here are some general questions you might encounter, along with some specific examples depending on the role:
General Skills and Logistics Industry Knowledge (Basic is Okay):
- Tell me about yourself and your interest in C. H. Robinson. (If you’re interested in business or supply chain management, mention skills like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, analytical thinking, and the ability to work with others.) Mention what interests you about C. H. Robinson’s ability to do business all over the world, their focus on technology and new ideas in logistics, or a certain area like freight forwarding (if applicable)
- Tell me about a time when your communication and people skills were really great. (Think about how you worked with others to reach your goal.)
- Tell me about a time when you had to work well with others on a project. (Showcase your teamwork abilities and communication skills).
- What are your strengths and weaknesses? (Be honest, but highlight strengths that are useful for logistics, such as accuracy, attention to detail, a willingness to learn quickly, and a good attitude.)
- Why do you want to work at C. H. Robinson?) Say that you want to learn more about the logistics industry, international trade, or working in a fast-paced environment. You can also mention C. H. Robinson’s company culture or their commitment to sustainability in transportation).
- Do you have any questions for us? (Always be ready with well-thought-out questions about the role, the company culture, or the new employee mentorship programs at C.) H. Robinson).
Additional Questions (May Vary by Role):
- (For Logistics Coordinator Roles) How would you go about finding out about freight rates and shipping options for a client’s package?
- (For Sales Roles) How would you describe the advantages of getting C H. Robinson’s logistics services to a potential client?.
- For people who work in customer service, how would you answer a question from a customer about the status of their shipment?
- For Data Analyst Jobs: Talk about a time when you analyzed a lot of data (if it’s related to your course work).
Tips:
- Show that you’re excited to learn and willing to do so, even if you only know the basics about the logistics industry. C. H. Robinson emphasizes providing excellent customer service and utilizing technology effectively.
- Draw attention to the fact that you can work quickly both alone and with others.
- Show that you can think of ways to solve problems and that you are interested in international trade (if applicable).
C.H. Robinson
FAQ
How does CH Robinson currently recruit new talent?
Why should we hire you?
Why should we hire you as a bus driver?
