Cadence Interview Questions
& Process

The HR person confirmed the pay was within budget in the first interview. They weren't clear on what they were looking for though. I had 7 interviews in total (HR, 2 managers, 2 associates, COO, and CEO). The CEO tried to lowball me at the end and I had to decline. I was told I need to do more than what's on the job description. The CEO tried to offer me less than minimum wage, which is crazy because they claim to offer competitive salaries.

The interview process started with a video recording shared via email, followed by an HR discussion where I had to turn on my camera, but couldn't see the HR. Then there was a round with the interim CFO, leading to a long assignment. After submitting the assignment, I had another discussion with the CFO to go over it. The final round was with CEO Matt, where he asked some random questions. Ultimately, I received a rejection email without any stated reason. It's frustrating when salary expectations don't align with the budget, leading to a waste of time. Companies seem very professional about time nowadays.

This was similar to exhausting interview processes at Big 4 organizations in banking, finance, and consulting. 5 total interviews in three main rounds. It appears their expectations are good for an ambitious recent grad, but it's telling that the only people who have survived the Associate program are folks with ~3 years of professional experience, which is why this salary range is fine for an entry-level role, but not for people with corporate, non-retail experience in a major city other than Chicago. It was harrowing to learn that some associates left as early as a few months in, but radically transparent that they shared that later in the process. Folks have to let other teammates know they are running to the restroom because when you're on at work, you're on. The process involved: recorded questions, panel interviews in two parts (behavioral and case studies), and meetings with the CoFounder & Cadence Employee. Met with Matt and discussed career fit and overall job expectations. Met later in the afternoon with another Cadence employee but they were so new that it was mostly a check-in that didn't seem to add much to the process.

My interview experience with Cadence was really good. Everything felt easy, clear, and complete. For me, the whole thing took over a month from applying until I got the offer. There were a few interview stages: 1. Video Application - Around 10 questions in total, covering things like introducing yourself and explaining what an IPO is. You get 3 tries for each question recording. 2. (Optional) Coffee Chat - A quick 15-minute Zoom with Matt the CEO. I found this really useful to learn more about the job and Cadence. It was super casual, and Matt was great about answering everything I asked. 3. Case Study - I was given some real-life associate situations and had to solve problems in a set amount of time. I think they wanted to see my thought process more than if I got the 'right' answer. 4. Behavioral Interview - They focused on my past experiences and how my skills would fit the role. During the case study and behavioral interview, I met some Cadence team members. I was nervous initially, but all the interviewers were so nice that I could relax and be myself. It felt like they were genuinely trying to get to know me beyond just the interview questions. 5. Career Fit - We talked about job expectations, the company vibe, and possible career growth. Matt was really upfront about the good and the tough parts of the job. They were also super open to feedback and always got back to me quickly on emails.