CB Insights Interview Questions
& Process

A recruiter contacted me about a week after I applied. We had a 30-45 minute chat about the company, recent changes, the team, and the role, then talked about my career path and relevant experience. Pretty standard stuff. The next interview was with the hiring manager for about 30 minutes. They gave a quick intro about themselves and the company, then dove into specific industry questions, essentially checking my knowledge and ability to analyze and present my viewpoint. They talked a lot about company culture, independence, and the freedom to explore intellectual interests. After that, there was a writing test with two 500-word sections: (1) writing/extracting insights from given data with a white paper example, and (2) industry expertise/client communication using a provided deck. Both had high-level prompts and assessment criteria, plus partial data sets, which seemed a bit off. It was also weird that the industry info in their deck was basically copied from ChatGPT, especially since they have their own database. I was told not to use outside info, just what they provided. About 4 days after I sent the writing, I got feedback that my 2 x 500 word assessments weren't what they were looking for. The process ended there.

So the interview process was pretty good, the recruiter got me set up with a phone screen and then just went over the role and the KPIs. After that, I had to do a project which I finished and sent in. I passed that and then met the hiring manager for just 30 minutes, which wasn't really enough time for my questions. I told the recruiter and she was super helpful, asked me to send my questions over email and she'd make sure they were answered in the final interview. I was told it was just me and one other person left. My final interview went well and they did answer my questions, which was great. I thanked the recruiter and asked about what's next and when, but never heard back from her or anyone at CBInsights after that. It's been over 2 weeks. I just feel like if someone makes it to the final round and they're one of two candidates, they at least deserve a formal rejection, not to be ghosted. It's a bad way to treat people and I'm honestly glad I don't work there.

The interview with sales leadership was great, they seemed to care about the team and setting AEs up for success. I felt they answered all my questions well and CB seems like a good place to interview. The recruiting experience, however, was not good and was why I didn't accept the offer. I first worked with a 3rd party recruiter who was responsive and thorough. Then I connected with the internal recruiter. It got complicated working with two people who had different info. I asked upfront about things I wanted to know, and was told they'd be covered at the offer stage. When the offer came, it was different. The recruiter wanted me to start without giving notice, and I had to push to get my questions answered. I was told my start date was already negotiated and I was lucky they accepted it, and that CB doesn't counter offers. She also mentioned CB sometimes withdraws offers if candidates make it difficult, which seemed unlikely given how sales leadership treated me. Sales leadership did step in to clarify things and give me a fair chance, but we still ended up back at the same point with the offer details. My main concern was benefits and lack of detail in the offer, like not sharing the comp plan due to confidentiality even with an NDA. The salary was okay, but benefits were below average for the industry. I might have accepted despite the risks of a growth company, but the ongoing recruiter dialogue made me feel like they were hiding something or just trying to meet metrics. I suggested a small signing bonus and for them to cover my phone costs, which I was told would likely happen. It's a shame a bad recruiting experience ruined a role I was excited about. I wanted to feel like the company was excited to have me and willing to consider my requests. A big change like this is risky, and I couldn't get past it if it reflects company culture.

I put in my application online and heard back from someone on the team about a week later. First up was a phone chat with a recruiter, kinda standard stuff where we talked about my background and the job details, plus pay. Then, I had a 45-minute Zoom call with the hiring manager. She dug into the role more and asked about my experience and what I'm hoping for. About four days after that, I got an email that seemed mostly automated saying I didn't get the job. If you do make it past that, they apparently give you a writing test and then a panel interview.