BetterUp Customer Success Manager Interview Questions
& Process

The whole thing took about two months and was a mess. Recruiters gave me conflicting info on the number of rounds, and one virtual interview turned into an in-person one out of state with an executive, even though the CSM job was in NYC. I did like talking to everyone though. It was the most prep, research, and interview time I've ever put in. The hiring manager was super invested and even prepped me for the final interview with the co-founder. That last part felt like overkill for a non-leadership CSM role, especially after 5 rounds. I didn't get an offer, which was a shock since I felt prepared for every interview. For the future, I'd suggest 3-4 stages and a quicker timeline to respect candidates' time.

The whole interview thing took about 2.5 months and involved 8 interviews. They actually gave me feedback after each stage until the very last one. On the plus side, most of the interviewers were super thoughtful, except for that one executive who was the last person I talked to. The Chief Customer Officer was my 7th interviewer and he was really experienced, smart, and direct. Honestly, he would have been awesome to work for, but it's weird he's not the one making the final hiring decisions. He's new to the company though, and with all the craziness going on, I doubt he'll stick around. On the flip side, the final interview was with a 'founding member,' which they say is typical. This person worked under the CEO and showed up late. You could tell he was trying to be super probing and throw me off balance (or maybe he's just naturally a jerk). The interview got really tense when he saw I was well-prepared, which was totally unnecessary. He made some belittling comments, and even though I felt uncomfortable, I tried to brush it off as the typical 'bro-ish' behavior I often encounter as a woman in tech. He didn't leave any time for me to ask questions and just ended the call abruptly. Despite his attitude, I figured he was just one bad apple and sent him a follow-up note, which he didn't even bother to reply to. In my opinion, he was a really poor representation of the c-suite. If you check out the reviews, it seems like employees feel the same way about the C-suite. My advice is, if you're smart and capable, seriously consider avoiding BetterUp. I was initially drawn in by their talk about culture, but it doesn't seem genuine or reflected by the people at the top. It feels like the final interview is just a way to put you down or find reasons to reject you so the CEO or founders can say no. That said, if you're curious, applying doesn't hurt, but don't put your other job prospects on hold, because they clearly don't care about taking 2.5 months of your time, including time you spend on presentations. Also, seriously, read the Glassdoor reviews. I didn't pay enough attention to them, and it really came back to bite me.

The interview process was really long but super well-thought-out, one of the best I've experienced. I met with about 10 people, including a 3-hour virtual onsite where I met 5 people back-to-back and had to do a presentation based on a scenario. The interviews weren't too hard because they sent a ton of resources to prep with, and everyone was really nice and genuine, so it felt quick. Even though meeting so many people was a bit tiring, every interview was unique and well-designed, so I never repeated myself or answered the same questions. My recruiter was friendly and prompt with feedback and setting up the next steps.