Ad Hoc (DC) Researcher interviews, decoded.

I applied and got this take-home assignment that they said should take about 2 hours. From the assignment, I could tell the job listing was super vague and actually for a UX designer, which I don't know anything about or want to do. I didn't end up doing the assignment. Not sure if homework for a first interview is normal there, but it's not for me.

Got an email about a homework assignment, said it was for between the first and second rounds but I didn't even get an interview invite yet. Tried to follow up a few times, got another email saying they were swamped with applications and would respond late. Never got a call to schedule the first interview. Then got an email saying the job was filled. So disorganized, I wouldn't recommend them.

Applied online and then waited 1.5 months to hear back. Saw the job reposted, so figured I was out, but then got an interview invite. My experience with the recruitment team was smooth; they were fast and polite. First up was a 15 min call with the recruiter about the team, hiring plan, and salary. The next day, I had a 30 min video chat with the hiring manager, which was a bit awkward because it felt like we didn't click – she didn't seem super engaged with my responses and didn't ask many follow-up questions. So, I wasn't shocked when the recruiter emailed the day after the manager interview to say I wasn't moving forward.