CWS Apartment Homes Interview Questions
& Process

I was contacted by my future boss via LinkedIn message for a call about the Training Manager position. She was very friendly and we had a good initial chat, though her marketing background was a slight concern. I moved forward to a second interview with her and another male colleague. This interview felt off; it wasn't the typical in-depth questioning I expected. The male colleague acted more like he was coaching my potential boss on interviewing rather than conducting a proper interview. He dictated the flow, telling us what to ask and how to communicate. I felt like I was in an uncomfortable training session for her, and she seemed uncomfortable too. On top of that, the job required hybrid work and business professional attire, and the benefits/vacation time weren't as good as my current job. After the interview, I heard nothing back, which was fine because the experience made me realize the job wasn't the right fit. It wouldn't have been a true management role as I wouldn't have a team. A major red flag was their mention of removing long-term employees to 'start fresh' and their approach to handling training department changes. While I understand business decisions, the lack of communication post-interview was poor etiquette.

Since I was out of state, the interview was held over Microsoft Teams. First interview was done with Regional and HR. The interview took about an hour. The Regional called after to debrief and said they'd like to move forward to the 2nd interview. They called within the next day and asked if I could do a final interview in a few hours. I said yes. This was an interview with the two original two people as well as the vice president and someone else from upper management. This interview was easier than the 1st. Both interviews were very non judgmental and welcoming.

The interview process started with a phone call, then an in-person interview. The first round went well for a high-end property, but then they suggested I start at a smaller apartment complex, and things got disorganized. The person I interviewed with in the second round wasn't organized. They basically offered me the job, then called back to say the start date we agreed on was too late. Three weeks later, they called again with an official offer and said they couldn't find anyone else and had forgotten how well I interviewed, which was insulting and unprofessional, showing their disorganization.

You submit an application on the website for the property you're interested in working at, and then you'll get scheduled for an interview with the property manager. After that, you might get a call in a few days to meet with an area manager, and if they like you, they'll contact you right away. It's a really good and exciting process.