Cognism Interview Questions
& Process

Had an initial call with HR. The HR person asked several questions about data science. There was another person taking notes throughout the entire interview. The recruiter seemed uninterested and just read from their notes, even when talking about the company and the job. They didn't seem to know much about the company, the team, or the role, so I didn't get much info about the specific job or team. After the interview, they asked if I needed sponsorship to work in the UK, which is normal. When I said no, they seemed skeptical and asked where I'm 'originally' from. This felt really inappropriate, like a personal question about my background and origin, which seemed like bias or stereotyping. Then they asked about my visa type, which is expected. I said I have settled status/ILR. They looked surprised and asked how long I've lived in the UK. I don't see how that's relevant, and it felt like they thought I was lying. I didn't want to assume anything about the company, so I emailed the person who invited me, saying I had a bad experience and wanted to report it. I asked how to formally complain or give feedback about the interview. But after two weeks, I still haven't heard back.

I applied for Customer Success and the interviewer liked me, but the hiring manager thought I didn't have enough experience at a similar company. They then moved me to an interview for Customer Onboarding. The manager there was really interested in my language skills and spent most of the interview asking about how I learned Arabic. They didn't hire me, saying I didn't talk enough about the role. It was a shame because I did well in the end, but the process was confusing since they redirected me to another role but still didn't see my potential.

In the application process for an Account Executive position DACH, I was told that they are looking for rather "younger candidates" because the team is very young. This statement is discriminatory and violates the spirit of the AGG (General Equal Treatment Act). Instead of focusing on professional qualifications and sales experience, age seems to have been a decisive factor. Clear focus on competencies, experience and motivation of applicants instead of age. The company should be trained to ensure non-discriminatory communication. Create open and fair application processes that promote diversity.

The interview had 3 main parts: first, a chat with a recruiter, then a call with some engineers where we talked about solutions for their current issues, and finally, a meeting with the manager, who is the director of innovation and used to be CTO. I felt I did really well talking to the engineers, but the last chat with the manager didn't go so well. I think I got nervous because it was the last step and I didn't want to mess it up, and that ironically made me sound less confident than I am. Even though I didn't get through, the team seemed great – really friendly, laid-back, and knowledgeable, even the manager. It's a shame it didn't work out, but I own that.