Cratejoy Interview Questions
& Process

So I had about 5 interviews for this role, and honestly, everyone I met was super nice and I was getting really into it because I spent about 4 hours getting to know them and the company. The last person I talked to was new, just hired that week. They were nice too, but seemed unprepared, hadn't looked at my work, and kept forgetting their questions. They mentioned wanting to build a new team and that they needed someone versatile who could do a lot of things. I felt pretty good about that last interview, especially after investing all that time. But then I got an email saying they'd changed the role (didn't say to what) and weren't moving forward with my application. I've never experienced going through so many interviews and then being rejected like that, it was really disappointing because everyone seemed genuine. It feels unprofessional to put someone through 4 hours of interviews and meeting 5 people, only to not know what you're looking for. As a startup, this is a bad look. Just a heads up if you interview here, this might happen because I saw someone else had a similar experience.

It was a pretty chill interview process. Started with a couple of quick phone calls, then I went to the office for some in-person chats with a few team members, and finished up with a brief talk with the CEO. Everyone was super relaxed and made me feel welcome, even the top folks. It was cool to interview with people in different roles, gave me a better feel for the company and what to expect. Overall, a really nice experience and I liked how the people I met thought about things.

I applied online and got a call to set up a phone chat pretty fast. It was pretty chill, mostly the CEO rambling about needing someone to listen to his marital issues and not wanting someone 'too smart.' That was my first clue. Then I got an email for an in-person interview, saying everyone would be interviewed one after the other on the same day. Second clue... but I went anyway. The office was basically empty, super gloomy, and everyone was just staring at their screens. I had to knock for like five minutes before anyone showed up. First, I met the CEO. We talked books, he moaned about his job and how he desperately needed help, and then he showed me the document they wrote up after firing the last office manager (they renamed the job 'Executive Assistant' so the next person knew what they were getting into). Apparently, the last person and the CEO didn't see eye-to-eye. I was starting to get why. After that, I was handed off to chat casually with their product manager while the CEO spoke with someone else. In a few minutes, she bailed and the CEO came back, looked at his shoes, and told me I wasn't a good fit, asking if I could find the exit. He then gave me super specific directions to the door, totally mesmerized by a tiny speck on the ceiling. I've never felt so disrespected. If this is how he treats applicants, I can only imagine what the hired person is going through.

Had an initial phone screen with the CEO where we talked about my background and skills and if I was a good culture fit. Then I had a normal coding test, which was a take home where I had to add an image carousel to a webpage. Finally, I had in person interviews that were pretty laid back and everyone was polite and nice.