Benchmark Senior Living Interview Questions
& Process

So I applied in early April for the Development Director role, and after a few weeks, I had an initial phone screen with HR. It was pretty basic, mostly just going over the job description and checking if I met the qualifications. Then I had a quick, high-level virtual call with the hiring manager. It was informal, but didn't really tell me much about strategy, expectations, or the company culture. Right after that, they asked me to travel to Boston for a 'super day' of in-person interviews. They gave me very short notice because the hiring manager had personal travel plans. I had to rearrange things, drive a few hours, and do six interviews back-to-back with people from different departments like accounting, development, asset management, and construction. The in-person part, especially with the hiring manager, was where things got weird. Instead of a real discussion, he seemed insecure and unprepared, struggling to keep up. It felt defensive instead of strategic. It was obvious he wasn't ready to manage or work with someone with more experience. A week later, they asked me to visit and tour one of their properties with another colleague. I thought this meant things were moving forward. Then they asked for references, and I gave them some, thinking an offer was coming. After that, nothing. No rejection, no feedback, just complete silence. On top of that, they still haven't reimbursed me for my travel expenses, even though I submitted everything on May 27th and it's been over 10 days. I've followed up multiple times and they keep saying it's 'in process.' The one reference I did give also said they were never contacted. It's ironic for a company that talks about care and accountability.

I recently interviewed at Benchmark in Leominster MA, and the interview went really well. The head chef who interviewed me was fast to call my references, he did it the same day. Everything seemed to be going well. But then it had been almost 2 weeks without hearing back. I then miss a phone call on a Sunday morning from a lady who has upper management but I've never met her. She leaves a voicemail saying they want me to come in that same day in a few hours to fill out pre-hire paperwork. I was out of town and called back. When I talked to the lady who left the voicemail, she said the email they sent me bounced because they incorrectly input my email address.... when they could have easily verified it on my Indeed application, or the paper application I filled out when I had my interview. The lady said if I couldn't come in that same day, it was totally fine and they would set me up for another day. I said whatever day works for them, she says great and she'll give me a call back. I never received a call back and I left her a voicemail later that day and called multiple times only to be met with false promise of her calling me back from the receptionist. Finally, the receptionist on my 3rd or 4th call just said ya I'll let her know you called... right then I knew something was up. The head chef that wanted to initially hire me might have left the company because I saw his exact job title posted for hire about a week after my experience with the woman who never called me back. This was so unprofessional, and left a horrible taste in my mouth for this company. I wanted to work here truly and I feel like I was led on entirely. Be wary if you are applying for a dining room server position here.

I had an interview where I met with a few people who were really nice and helpful. After that, I had another meeting with the DON, who was very supportive. They asked me about my experience and how my previous roles, even if not the exact same position, prepared me for this one. They also asked about my strengths and weaknesses. I was also given the opportunity to ask questions, so I'd recommend researching the company and preparing some thoughtful questions. The whole experience was very warm and welcoming.

Right after initial contact, I had a recruiter interview, followed by an interview with the DVPoS. The company arranged my travel to Boston and back home since I'm an out-of-state candidate. I then met with the VP of training, EVPoS, and DVPoS. It was a great experience overall. I also met my potential peer, an RDO, who wasn't as pleasant, though cordial, and seemed resistant to the situation. Finally, I met with the DVPoS again, who seemed keen on hiring me and suggested a follow-up conference call with other RDOs in the field to learn more about the position. After that, there was silence for two weeks. When I followed up via email, I was told they were still reviewing candidates. My subsequent calls and emails went unanswered, and I wasn't notified when another candidate was chosen.