Business for Social Responsibility Associate Interview Questions
& Process

This was a pretty intense interview process. It started with a phone interview, then there were two panel interviews, and also a writing test. The company seemed eager to hire quickly, so they scheduled the interviews really close together. I had to rearrange my own schedule to fit it all in, which was fine because I was really interested in the role. After I finished all the interviews, they went silent for about three weeks. I didn't hear anything at all. I reached out to the HR person, and after a few days, they sent a very short reply saying the position wasn't being filled anymore. I asked for more details, but they didn't provide any. It was a really disappointing experience and definitely a red flag for anyone else considering applying.

The interview process for the Associate role at BSR was quite long and took up a lot of my time. It felt unprofessional and disrespectful, not matching the company's stated values. It started with a 30-minute video call with HR where I had to go through my work history chronologically. Then, a Director interviewed me, asking similar questions plus a couple of practice ones. After that, I was asked about my availability for a two-hour assignment, with the company saying they were moving fast. I suggested the next day at 2 pm. Without confirmation, I got an email at 2 pm saying I had two hours to create a PowerPoint, which was unexpected since they hadn't mentioned it before. For this assignment, I had to pick a company and present its key sustainability issues. The next week, there were two more one-hour interviews with typical questions about self-introduction, research methods, project management, priority handling, managing managers, and colleague conflicts. Then came a supposed 'final interview,' another 30-minute session with the first Director, acting as a practice run for presenting to a finance executive. I had to outline my research, stakeholder engagement, presentation content, and how I'd address a sustainability-skeptic CEO. Two days later, there was a 'last chat' with another Director, lasting an hour and covering similar ground. This whole process, spanning a month and a half, involved me being available on short notice for every step. After the last interview, I heard nothing for a week. I followed up via email but still haven't heard back, even after three weeks. I later found out through LinkedIn that they hired someone else but never informed me.

This was a terrible experience with BSR for an Associate role in Singapore. I invested a lot of time over 4 months doing 3 rounds of interviews and a written test. The interview scheduling was automatic, but getting any response from HR took many follow-up emails, and their replies were vague. I haven't heard back, so I'm dropping this prospect. While I get they might want to keep the process opaque for fairness, it's basic to have active follow-up or at least quick replies to my emails. This lack of communication reflects poorly on the company and suggests issues with their work culture, especially regarding HR matters like reviews and promotions, given it's a different market from their US HQ. Other reviews online also seem negative. It's ironic that a consultancy focused on corporate social responsibility and ESG would have such a process, especially given their management consulting work. The interviews with senior consultants were nice, but not enough to overlook these management red flags. To management: sustainability is a big deal now with many companies entering the field. If you want to grow and attract talent, start by treating candidates better!