CMSPI Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process was thorough yet quick. There was a lot of back-and-forth questioning. The whole experience felt very open and productive. I got a good understanding of the business, what they do, and what would be expected of me in the role.

So the whole interview process was a red flag which is why I removed myself from it. First there was a video interview with the recruiter which was straightforward and easy. However, I was then told that I would have to take a personality test (which they claimed was not used in the decision making) and a cognitive test. After that, an interview (or two) with team members and managers. THEN, an in-person presentation of a case study. First of all, I have interviewed and gotten offers from better more well-known, established companies for similar and or better roles, and did not have a long drawn out process like this one. In fact, I have had 1 maybe 2 rounds of interviews for more appealing jobs with better benefits. The process is usually quick because jobseekers are not trying to have to jump through hoops and hurdles for a subpar job that is not even offering as much as other companies (who are doing a lot less in their interview process btw), just to be rejected at the last round after weeks. As a former recruiter, I know interview processes like this turn off jobseekers with more people likely to dropout at any point of the tedious process. Interview processes like this is also a sign of a toxic workplace/culture in my opinion. My second problem was the cognitive test. I understand taking technical assessments to assess your skills. But cognitive tests (like the one I had to take) are extremely problematic to use in the job process and are not indicators of my ability to actually do the job. This was 12 minutes to answer as many of the 50 trick questions as you could. In my opinion this was one of those tests that test whether or not you're a good test taker and they used the results to determine whether or not you are eligible for the job. At this point I realized that the job was not worth all of this and there were other companies I had interviews for that I would rather spend my time and energy on. As a jobseeker, it is important to remember that this stuff is a two-way street and you are also evaluating whether or not a company is the right fit for you.

The interview process started with an initial screening, followed by a skills test, and then a manager case study presentation. After that, there was another interview. They discussed the company, its customers, and the role, mentioning that HQ is in England and the time differences. It's a small company, and they didn't seem to have clear career paths, as the recruiter was vague when I asked. The skills test involves basic reading comprehension, interpreting graphs, and computing/comparing ratios, percentages, and percentage growth. Everything is timed, with about 4-5 questions every 2 minutes. They really emphasize this skills assessment, which is a bit strange considering the time constraints. Honestly, it's a really long interview process for a slim chance at a job offer.

It was the first out of three interview rounds. I met with the recruitment manager on Microsoft Teams. The interview was about 40 minutes long and covered typical questions like your motivation for applying, sources of inspiration, and managing multiple tasks. I also had the opportunity to present my portfolio, but since the hiring manager wasn't from the creative or marketing team, it didn't feel very relevant, and I couldn't get all my questions about the role answered.