Crescendo Collective Interview Questions
& Process

A recruiter reached out to me. They seemed really eager, wanting to talk quickly and giving me less than a day's notice, even though I'd asked for at least 24 hours. I spoke with two of their people, and it seemed okay. But then they struggled to set up the next interview, asking for my availability for the next day, then the next three days, then the following week. After rescheduling three times, the interviewer just didn't show up! Eventually, I was told they weren't hiring for the role anymore because things had changed. Such a waste of my time.

The interviews were going really well until I spoke with the owner, bernard. He spent an hour basically yelling at me. He would ask me something and then cut me off while I was still answering. He didn't even have his camera on and was clearly eating during the call. His behavior was rude, aggressive, and just not professional. If I had been offered the job, I would have turned it down. If that's how he acts during an interview, I can't imagine how he treats people who work for him.

The whole thing took about two weeks. They have this IQ test they really like and a presentation to make that takes about 5 hours to prep, which has nothing to do with the job. When I presented, they didn't seem to care about my work at all. I was asked where I got the names from, which were in the brief, and then they said 'oh, shows how much I read those.' They also asked if it was my first presentation ever, which was insulting because obviously not. Yikes. After that, I met with someone who wasn't even home to review it. They said they loved my skills and freelance experience, which set me apart. I always ask about onboarding. They ended with 'you'll be successful here if you just figure it out' and 'we aren't a process oriented company.' Again, yikes. A few days later, I got an email saying my skills and experience 'weren't what they were looking for.' Funny how asking 'tough' questions didn't get me hired. I now see case studies and IQ tests are a waste of time and a huge red flag.

I talked to the owner and a lead at crescendo. They asked me about client relationships and docker. It felt like it went well and I liked that they asked me about my career goals, which shows they care. They mentioned past issues and their efforts to improve, and I believe them. If I hadn't gotten a better offer financially, I might have taken the job. I'd recommend Crescendo.