24 Hour Fitness General Manager interviews, decoded.

This was the worst interview experience ever. It involved multiple phone screens, five Zoom interviews, and a three-hour job shadow spread over six weeks. The communication was extremely poor and untimely. Promises about when I'd receive a response were broken. Despite a strong industry track record and working at a much better company, I was shocked by the company's dysfunction and lack of talent. It seems they prefer hiring inexperienced individuals, possibly from retail backgrounds, and upper management may feel threatened by skilled candidates.

I had a phone screening with the HR recruiter, then a phone interview with the District Manager. After that, I did a one-hour job shadow with another General Manager. Then I had to present a "gameplan" for what I expect to accomplish in the first 90 days in the role. Finally, there was an in-person interview with the District Manager & human resources manager.

The interview process was smooth and genuine. It was clear and upfront, and I felt they really cared about the people they were hiring. They asked good questions and didn't waste time with small talk like I've found at other big companies.